Foot Fashion Gone Wrong

I have an infection in my 2nd toe on both of my feet. It's bothersome, and seems to have a lot to do with the way my toenails are growing. They seem to be growing "hook" fashion in the corners. Stupid toenails. It's been pretty bad on and off the past month and a half or so. I think it's because they're rebelling about being enclosed in shoes and socks after having freedom in barefeet and sandals since last May.

I've mentioned it before, but I've got big feet. Therefore, I Got Big (2) Shoes. They're on the big size by North American standards, size 9 and a half or 10, so they're impossibly big here in Korea. Therefore I am doomed to search out men's shoes that aren't disgusting. I also mentioned before I got myself some nice classic Airwalks. I love them, actually. They feel good on and they're the right size for my feet, with my big toe (now) about a finger's width away from the end of the shoe, which I just heard recommended on TV a few days ago. Yet throughout the day my toes are bothering me! (My 2nd toe is a bit longer than the big toe. I'm not sure what that indicates, if anything.)

When I come home and take off my shoes and socks, it feels much better! I finally realize the thing is MY SOCKS! I'm wearing women's socks, and it turns out they're too small! Arrrrgh!

When I was working in Japan I wore a lot of black bell-bottomed cotton pants. I used to paint the bottoms with glitter. They were funky, and I could get away with wearing them at work where we had a more strict dress code. Wearing anything other than black socks drove me mad, as it was distracting to me to see brightly coloured socks pointing out from under my black pants, much in the way I can't wear nail polish because it distracts me when I'm doing things with my hands. "Ohhh! Shiny!!" When I finally went back to Canada in the spring of 2004 I bought a bunch of jeans, knowing I would probably head back to Korea where the dress code is a lot more casual. (Don't let recommendations of "business casual" attire fool you if you're planning on coming over here to work with kids at an English hagwon.) I can now handle funky bright coloured socks with jeans, so I've stocked up on funny 1,000 won socks. Women's socks. On my man-sized feet. It's not working out. My toes rebel.

Speaking of not working out, my MP3 did indeed go back to the store. They filled out a form and are sending it off to be looked at. I wanted to throw a little tantrum after learning they'd keep it for a week. It makes me wonder how I got along tune-less here for so long. Walking around tonight, I felt kind of naked.