July 25, 2009...
8:18pm...
Today was quite a way to depart from this country. Originally my intention was to take the subway with my roommate around 2pm...giving myself 6 hours to sit at the airport...hanging out and reading magazines in Korean. (Only a few more hours until I will actually be able to read the books around me again!) Still, my plans for my final day changed tremendously. A few days ago I was approached by the International Corporation at Hanyang University, and they were looking for one male and female to model for a local design business. I assumed that I would be taking photos for the university...ones in which I would be wearing Hanyang gear and holding textbooks, looking like a typical foreign exchange student.
I was wrong! It turns out that the model agents are from a local design business near Seoul, who wanted models to advertise their design company. The owner of the company is friends with some of the instructors at Hanyang University, so I agreed to participate. Why not?!
So today, myself and Derek (a guy in the summer school program from Ohio) spent about five hours in a studio for our very first real photo shoot. Neither of us knew what we were getting ourselves into, and clearly we have never done anything like this before! We spent hours trying on their clothes...which were typically too tight or too short. Come on now...I'm 5'8", Derek is 6'2"...and we're in Korea. Each time he sat down, his pants came up close to his knees...and I had to suck in my belly and pull at the arms and legs to make things fit as well...but that was half the fun! We had a variety of roles to play, from teachers, to businessmen, to golfers and athletes. Derek even had to play Santa Claus, which I didn't quite understand...it was a bit ridiculous actually....but all to entertaining for me to watch!
I'll admit that while at first I felt a bit silly smiling and posing for the camera...eventually I started to enjoy it. I felt pretty special that they thought enough of us to want our faces as a part of their promotion. Back home I just blend in with the crowd, and I realize a bit more now that I do stand out here...and maybe it's not such a bad thing. No matter what happens with the photos, I will never forget the experience I had today. I never envisioned I would ever have a professional photo shoot and today gave me the opportunity to embrace multiple roles and explore a new part of myself. And to share this experience with Derek made it so much more memorable. There were times when I would feel really uncomfortable standing in front of the camera, and I would look at his smiling face and feel instanly relieved. I don't think too many people would have been as open minded as he was today. He's a person who can truly find the good in any situation and just make the best of each moment, and I appreciate that quality in people.
As for now...my plane is making its way out of Asia and onto Australia! I'm going to sit here and stare out the window for the next 10 1/2 hours...and I'm going to be happy doing it!
Oh, and "kimchi" is the word you say in Korea when you take a photo. Who needs "cheese"?
