Fermented vegetables for everyone!

Today is Open House day at my son's TaeKwonDo school. There will be a bounce house, a big slide, food, drinks, and a demonstration by the Masters - one of whom is a 5 time World Champion TaeKwonDo-ist (or whatever it is you would call him.) Also, he was a trainer for the Korean Olympic team - he's that good, y'all.

Oh, and also, there will be kimchi, which I really can't bring myself to eat because of the whole fermented thing.

All of this sounds good to me. I'm happy to take my children there so they can enjoy themselves and see what their instructors can really do (besides wrangle a bunch of little children.) I'll even brave the throngs of people, even though doing so makes me want to hide in my room with the lights out and my head under the covers. (Have I ever told you how much I hate crowds?)

The thing that bothers me about this whole 'Open House' thing is that they are adamant that you bring a friend. A friend who is not already taking TaeKwonDo. A friend who preferably has parents with enough money to pay the exorbitant rates they charge for lessons. A friend that they can recruit into their big money sucking organization.

(Am I a bitter about how much money they charge? Maybe just a little.)

Now, now, before you start throwing capitalistic barbs out to me about how there is nothing wrong with making more money, or how a company needs to grow to be a success, know that I understand their efforts to grow and thrive. I just don't like that they are pressuring my son so badly to bring a friend. They've been drilling the 'bring a friend' thing into their heads for a good month now. It's become a requirement. I'm actually kind of afraid to show up without some little child in tow.

And therein lies the problem - the little boy that my son wanted to invite cannot go. And now we've got no one who can go on last minute notice. And I'm very scared about what Master Chin will do when he discovers I have not succeeded in my mission to recruit young children into his organization. You don't think he'll get all Hi-Yah on me, do you? Because even though he's a little man, I have no doubt that he can kick my a**.

Maybe if I eat enough kimchi, he'll leave me alone.

That, or I'll have to get out my checkbook.

I'm not sure which is worse.