Hand Mirrors

What’s up with the hand mirrors?

Mirror, mirror...

All the girls seem to have one. Instead of carrying around compact mirrors, girls carry mini hand mirrors with ornate designs. They’re kind of like the hand mirrors that came in the vanity sets I used to play with as a little girl. Girls in my class bust out the hand mirrors and fix their hair and just stare at themselves right in the middle of my lesson! I get really mad when they do that. I’m not sure if this is acceptable behavior in Korea, but I find it really rude that they aren’t listening and personally I find it in bad taste to publicly admire yourself in the mirror.

That doesn’t seem to be the case though in Korea. It seems more acceptable for a person to check his or her appearance in the mirror in public. I find it strange sometimes that people are comfortable primping and grooming themselves so openly. Like when people walk past a shiny surface or window to check their reflection. People back home check themselves out too, but we try to do it discreetly or even secretly. Because when we catch someone checking themselves out we find it really funny. Like when I walk into Geisel and try hard not to look at my reflection because I know the people sitting  inside are waiting to catch me checking myself out. I know it’s not just me!

In addition to people carrying their own mini hand mirrors and checking themselves out in every reflective surface they pass, there are full length mirrors in most of the subway stations. I noticed them because every time I walk past, I’m so tempted to look at my reflection! I never do, but I notice that most of the people that walk past the mirror turn their heads to look at their reflections. It should be okay for me to look at myself too, right? I shouldn’t feel vain if everyone else is doing it!

I think I’ll just give in and unabashedly check out my reflection in the subway mirrors and store windows. I just don’t want to make it a habit and keep doing that when I go back home!

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