The Scent of a Westerner

This past week was both my birthday and teacher's day. That means presents, presents and more presents than I can carry home at times. Of course, and I'm not lying here, the best were the drawings and little cards that the children actually did by themselves. But, one mother bought me a $100+ bottle of Don Perignon, something I could never afford before. I don't even know when to drink such a bottle. Mainly though, I was given all kinds of bathroom products. Just like last year, I'm stocked with face wash, after-shave, shampoo, body wash, and every kind of scented spray you could think of. They look flashy, and expensive, but I don't usually use this new scentology. (haha, new word) I'm in a rush in the morning so a dabble of shampoo and some soap gets the job done. I even have some foot spray that, supposedly will prevent me from becoming tired on my monster 14 hr teaching days. All these products got me thinking about my childhood, growing up on Parkwood I noticed that all my Asian friend's houses had a similar, specific smell. It wasn't bad, but it was just some combination of the spices they use in their meals. I wonder..........do Koreans believe we smell? The BNRTDG (Big Nose Round Table Discussion Group) has got together to discuss whether we have a smell and what exactly it could be. The Koreans deny it, but they're much too polite to admit it. When we get on a crowded elevator, you can definitely notice people smushing themselves against the wall just so they don't have to be close to you. But I'm an alien here, a photo-opt, a dinner conversation, so I can't be sure if it's my smell that unnerves them. Whatever it is, I have a bathroom cabinet full of toiletries I don't understand and probably will never use. Still, it's the thought that counts, I'm just curious what that thought is.