Interesting things you might not know about South Korea...
The other day I went into a public restroom and sat down. I was immediately startled to find that the seat beneath my ... erm... "seat" felt warm. My first instinct was: Gross! The seat is still warm from the last person to sit here... I should really start using those paper seat cover things... But then I realized, the toilet seat was heated. This was indicated by the set of buttons on the side of the seat panel. Although the writing was in Hangul, the logical assumption (based on the red indicator light) told me, not to worry. It was at this exact moment that a wave of relief swept over me.
I apologize for that wierd "scare in the restroom story", however, I thought I'd share it since it is what inspired me to a to write this post about all of the strange, or shall I say, "different", things I have encountered so far in my experience abroad.
Yes, as is to be expected, things are different here in South Korea. Everything from food to social behavior. Here is the list I have compiled so far:
1. About those restrooms... it is a good idea to keep some spare paper in your purse or "murse" (man-purse), because you never can be sure whether it will be provided. When they said Korea is technologically advanced, they meant more than just electronics.
2. Same as in Thailand, and I suspect many other Asian cultures, always take your shoes off at homes, restaurants, and some businesses. I have to take mine off every day and put them back on between each class period when I go back to the teacher's room for break. I am unsure of how this custom began... perhaps it has something to do with the older Korean custom of eating and sleeping on the floor.
3. It's popular here for young couples to wear matching outfits. In the U.S. many would call it cheesy, but somehow, the Koreans are able to pull it off... Well, I think its cute anyway.
4. Strangers don't say hello to each other here and making small talk is considered strange. This is probably the custom I am having the most difficult time getting used to. It feels so cold not to say hello to someone when they sit so close to you on the bus that you are touching them. Also, people don't usually say excuse me if they bump into you, nor do they say thank you when handed something. Its not considered rude, just the way things are here. People are blunt. To them, it's perfectly acceptable to ask you how old you are or how much you weigh. It is polite to use two hands when giving or receiving things, especially money.
5. The food... you probably wouldn't find it surprising that rice is in or accompanied with almost any dish that is served. But you will probably be surprised to know that they put corn in tons of things we normally wouldn't put it in in the U.S.. For example: pizza, eggs, bread (not corn bread, bakery bread), and tea. They also put red beans (which I am still acquiring a taste for) in tons of stuff, especially bakery. You may or may not know about kimchi, which is almost a sacred dish here. The short description is that it is basically fermented cabbage with fish paste and red spices added. There are many different varieties of kimchi and it is rare to order anything without receiving an automatic side of it. Also, live octopus is a delicacy.
6. Things that are hard to come by in Korea: ovens (they cook mostly in skillets), bathtubs (showers are most common), clothes dryers (they hang stuff up), peanut butter, sour cream, taco seasoning, anything mexican-cuisine, cheese. Fruit and meat are pricey compared to the States.
7. Other social norms: smoking is so very popular here! Especially with university-aged students. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in the 1950's. Also, alcohol consumption is a large part of Korean culture. Many businessmen believe that they must get drunk with another person before they can trust them. I did some research on the topic. An article on Seoulistic.com explained that, "Koreans look at drinking as a chance to bond with their peers in a way they can’t in other settings." Hmm.
8. Social hierarchy as related to age is very important here. There are certain ways to show respect to a person that is older than you, and if one does not adhere to these customs they are considered ill-mannered and could possibly be reamed out by an elder. Of course, as a foreigner, I have some leeway in this since it is generally assumed that I do not know all of the practices. I attempt to be knowledgeable and fit in, however.
9. Shopping here is sort of hard to get used to at first. Aside from the fact that the language and currency are different, store employees tend to hover over you when you are browsing. They are probably just being attentive, but it definitely can make one feel pressured to either buy something or leave. Oh and the prices on things here! Usually they are close to U.S. prices in nice stores like Macey's or they are ridiculously priced like vintage goods. At least this was the case in a mall I visited recently. However, it is possible to find things cheaper in the streets, albeit probably lower quality.
10. Other interesting things:
-The women here wear their high-heels EVERYWHERE. I don't know how they do it.
- I appreciate that the young men really know how to dress themselves here. It is rare to see one who isn't put together, hair and all.
- The school system is ridiculous here! Kids go to regular school from 8-4, then attend sometimes 2 or 3 more academies after that, putting them home around 9-10 at night! Then they begin their homework. Even the parents don't like this over-the-top academic pressure, but unfortunately, their children's futures are at stake. If highschoolers don't get high-enough grades on their examinations they will be limited to which universities they can attend, if any at all.
- Festivals are very common here. Almost every weekend there is a festival going on somewhere.
- Littering seems to be no big deal for many of the people here. People are always eating instant noodles and then casually tossing the empty container onto the sidewalk. This could be partly due to the fact that it is oddly very difficult to find a public trash can anywhere.
- All of the kids have smartphones here. Even my youngest students (like age 7).
- Young Koreans are obsessed with PC rooms and video games such as League of Legends, FIFA, and Minecraft, They even air these computer games live on television! Where these poor students find the time to play, I don't know.
Despite its quirks, I think Korean culture is intriguing and overall amazing. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and understand it better.
I apologize for that wierd "scare in the restroom story", however, I thought I'd share it since it is what inspired me to a to write this post about all of the strange, or shall I say, "different", things I have encountered so far in my experience abroad.
Yes, as is to be expected, things are different here in South Korea. Everything from food to social behavior. Here is the list I have compiled so far:
4. Strangers don't say hello to each other here and making small talk is considered strange. This is probably the custom I am having the most difficult time getting used to. It feels so cold not to say hello to someone when they sit so close to you on the bus that you are touching them. Also, people don't usually say excuse me if they bump into you, nor do they say thank you when handed something. Its not considered rude, just the way things are here. People are blunt. To them, it's perfectly acceptable to ask you how old you are or how much you weigh. It is polite to use two hands when giving or receiving things, especially money.
5. The food... you probably wouldn't find it surprising that rice is in or accompanied with almost any dish that is served. But you will probably be surprised to know that they put corn in tons of things we normally wouldn't put it in in the U.S.. For example: pizza, eggs, bread (not corn bread, bakery bread), and tea. They also put red beans (which I am still acquiring a taste for) in tons of stuff, especially bakery. You may or may not know about kimchi, which is almost a sacred dish here. The short description is that it is basically fermented cabbage with fish paste and red spices added. There are many different varieties of kimchi and it is rare to order anything without receiving an automatic side of it. Also, live octopus is a delicacy.
6. Things that are hard to come by in Korea: ovens (they cook mostly in skillets), bathtubs (showers are most common), clothes dryers (they hang stuff up), peanut butter, sour cream, taco seasoning, anything mexican-cuisine, cheese. Fruit and meat are pricey compared to the States.
7. Other social norms: smoking is so very popular here! Especially with university-aged students. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in the 1950's. Also, alcohol consumption is a large part of Korean culture. Many businessmen believe that they must get drunk with another person before they can trust them. I did some research on the topic. An article on Seoulistic.com explained that, "Koreans look at drinking as a chance to bond with their peers in a way they can’t in other settings." Hmm.
8. Social hierarchy as related to age is very important here. There are certain ways to show respect to a person that is older than you, and if one does not adhere to these customs they are considered ill-mannered and could possibly be reamed out by an elder. Of course, as a foreigner, I have some leeway in this since it is generally assumed that I do not know all of the practices. I attempt to be knowledgeable and fit in, however.
9. Shopping here is sort of hard to get used to at first. Aside from the fact that the language and currency are different, store employees tend to hover over you when you are browsing. They are probably just being attentive, but it definitely can make one feel pressured to either buy something or leave. Oh and the prices on things here! Usually they are close to U.S. prices in nice stores like Macey's or they are ridiculously priced like vintage goods. At least this was the case in a mall I visited recently. However, it is possible to find things cheaper in the streets, albeit probably lower quality.
10. Other interesting things:
-The women here wear their high-heels EVERYWHERE. I don't know how they do it.
- I appreciate that the young men really know how to dress themselves here. It is rare to see one who isn't put together, hair and all.
- The school system is ridiculous here! Kids go to regular school from 8-4, then attend sometimes 2 or 3 more academies after that, putting them home around 9-10 at night! Then they begin their homework. Even the parents don't like this over-the-top academic pressure, but unfortunately, their children's futures are at stake. If highschoolers don't get high-enough grades on their examinations they will be limited to which universities they can attend, if any at all.
- Festivals are very common here. Almost every weekend there is a festival going on somewhere.
- Littering seems to be no big deal for many of the people here. People are always eating instant noodles and then casually tossing the empty container onto the sidewalk. This could be partly due to the fact that it is oddly very difficult to find a public trash can anywhere.
- All of the kids have smartphones here. Even my youngest students (like age 7).
- Young Koreans are obsessed with PC rooms and video games such as League of Legends, FIFA, and Minecraft, They even air these computer games live on television! Where these poor students find the time to play, I don't know.
Despite its quirks, I think Korean culture is intriguing and overall amazing. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and understand it better.
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