I realize that Valentine’s Day was a few days ago, so I’m going to go ahead and call this post “fashionably late.” Contrary to popular belief, they do celebrate Valentine’s Day here in the land of the morning calm. It is, however, celebrated a little differently than the way we do it back home. There are still the requisite grandiose wine, chocolate and flower displays in every store that rub your singledom all up in your face, letting you know how very, very alone you are this year. The difference is that on Valentine’s Day in Korea, women are the ones that typically give gifts. More specifically, chocolate. And often they make the chocolate themselves. Then, on March 14, they have White day. On White Day, the men are expected to pay back the women who gave them chocolate on Valentine’s Day by giving them candy. And once again, women get shafted. Men get homemade truffles while we get some Starburst and Skittles they probably bought as an afterthought in the checkout line. I suppose I ought to find some comfort in the fact that April 15 brings Black Day, a day in which the singletons get together and celebrate their loneliness by eating jajangmyeon. What is in this magic bowl of  jajangmyeon that heals all lonely hearts, you ask? Well, let me tell you. It is noodles in a black bean sauce. Sounds appetizing, right? Yeah, I didn’t think so, either. As it turns out, it’s one of my least favorite dishes in Korea. The silver lining? In Korea I have three excuses to be a *boozey trollop, instead of just V-Day. So there’s that.

*Mom, boozey trollop is a euphemism for a really nice girl.