Small, medium, large-y
Seoul, Korea
I AM SHOPPING in Itaewon, the frantic marketplace in Seoul, Korea, where the locals NEVER shop. Korean girls prefer their designer clothing authentic, are willing to pay full price. I look for bargains among knock-offs, rejects, copies.
Rummaging through a huge table stacked with sweaters, I ask the shopgirl if she has the sweater I fancy in size medium. She eyes me. “You large-y,” she says, shaking her head. I hold up the size large sweater, knowing it is way too big for me. “Please, may I see the medium?” I ask.
“NO! YOU LARGE-Y!” She is yelling at me, insistent. Chastised, I duck behind a curtain to try on the large-sized garment. Of course it is immense. I hand it back to her, muttering under my breath.
I know she thinks all American women are huge compared to her slender countrywomen, but we’re not.
