US Air Force Dude - Part 1

Every now and then, I get a random Friend Request on Facebook.

"So and so would like to add you as a friend"

Accept? Decline?

Usually, I'd send a message to the person to kinda screen them before hitting 'Accept' (I share *way* too much on FB for just anyone to see) It makes it a bit easier if the person and I have mutual friends.

I got such a request a few months ago from someone who we'll call Air Force Dude. Or AFD for short.

AFD and I had no mutual friends. His "Hello & introductory" message seemed decent. He said he found my profile randomly on Facebook and that "I had to add you... you're gorgeous."

For some reason, I don't take compliments like I'm "gorgeous" very well.

As you can tell by his "name", he was in the US Air Force and was stationed in Korea for the second time. He said he'd lived all over America and Europe for a while. He was going to be in Korea for a few months longer before being stationed in Germany.

He Inbox-ed me with messages of "hey, what's up?" and that I should go up & visit him in his city, where it's apparently "happening" thanks to the large foreign community. In other words, the US army community

NO THANK YOU.

Put bluntly, US soldiers have a bad reputation here in Korea, especially over week-ends when they're let loose on the streets of Seoul. Some clubs in an area called Hongdae even have signs outside saying "No GI's allowed"

One night, AFD caught me online on FB chat. He didn't come across as an arrogant and obnxious soldier - much like others I've encountered here in Korea. He told me I was beautiful. Now, I'm not one of those girls who go weak at the knees when I hear this line. In fact, I'm like *yawn* - "Try another line, brother!"

I'll never forget one line he used on me, "I don't think you know it, but baby - you got it going on!"

Judging from his FB photos, AFD wasn't too bad on the eye. He was African-American, bald, well-built with green eyes (I know - green eyes on brown skin? Probably contacts, but they looked good!) with a smile that - dare I say it - was pretty sexy, I won't lie! I kinda liked his dressing style - waistcoat, hat, scarves. It looked like the brother could dress! Which girl doesn't appreciate this, right? What struck me most was that even though he loved going out and having a good time, he said he didn't drink. Or smoke.

But the fact still remained that he was 1) an American and 2) in the US Air Force. And from past experiences, people I've met who fall in these categories *always* disappoint - with the very big exception of my friend, Brian (also an English teacher) who I met when I just arrived in Korea.

So as much as AFD asked me "When are we going to meet? I'd love to meet you", I always made some excuse to get out of it.

After a while, my excuses were becoming a bit lame. Even if I have to say so myself.