Here's the second installment. Read part one here.
16 - You only hear Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga's names twice a week now...
Don't really understand this one. If they're saying we listen to more K-pop than American music, that's true. But the Beibs and Lady Gaga are super popular here and my kids talk about them all the time.
17 - The school bell makes you crave ice cream...
This doesn't happen for me because a- we don't have a bell and b- I don't finish until late so I don't need afternoon snacks. But I understand the point. Ice cream here is awesome. Every corner store has a freezer dedicated to ice cream bars of all flavors (including corn, which I still have yet to try). They are usually around $1 a bar and are perfect summer treats. Kids eat ice cream year round though. When school gets out, kids flock to the stores and get snacks on a routine basis, so around 2 o'clock there are dozens of kids eating ice cream on their way home or to hagwons.
18 - The apocalypse has not arrived... it's just some guy selling fish...
The way Koreans advertise is by driving around in trucks with megaphones screaming out their wares. Since we have no idea what they're saying, it sounds like an end of the world type message. This can happen at any time of the day, anywhere. It is annoying.
19 - The naked man is doing unnecessary lunges in front of the mirror in the gym changing rooms...
As I'm not a guy, luckily I don't have to deal with this. But being naked in Korea is a "normal" thing. Outside modesty is required, but in a locker room or spa, it's weird if you have clothes on. Walking around nude and scrubbing in showers is a hobby here. I have yet to try out a spa, but many foreigners embrace this and go to them quite often.
20 - You carry your empty coffee cup for a long time after you finished it...
I do this, but generally because I refill it with mix-stick coffee. I don't know if he's trying to explain the lack of trash cans, but that is also true. Then again, most people just file a pile of trash somewhere along the street and dump their trash on top of it.
21 - The smell of kimchi, garlic and soju is an aphrodisiac...
I'm still not at that point, but it doesn't bother me anymore. I know I've talked about the fact that tastes etc. change because at home I couldn't imagine wanting to eat raw onions and pop gloves of garlic, but here I love them!
22 - Every woman under 30 is incredibly good looking...
This is pretty much true. It is very difficult to tell how old Koreans (especially women) are. They are young, young young then suddenly old. There is no middle aged.
23 - Everyone is fascinated by their own face and like to take lots of pictures of themselves...
It is very common to see 2 people, on opposite sides of a table, taking pictures of themselves (not each other), then looking at the pictures to see if they look alright. Most younger people also have combs and are constantly rearranged their hair. Teenage girls and their bangs are the worst.
24 - You need to start making a schedule of your laundry waiting period...
Totes true. There are no dryers here so if you want to wear something, you have to think a week or so in advance (depending on the season and how much ventilation you have in your apartment). It is often frustrating and I'm not sure my clothes are ever totally dry.
25 - Fish and rice belong at any breakfast table...
Not on mine. But when I ask students what they had for breakfast, it's usually the same thing or a variation of what they have for lunch or dinner - meat, rice and kimchi.
26 - Walking backwards in a circle is a great way to exercise...
Haha. You see this at the outdoor gyms. Usually it is accompanied by giant arm circles.
27 - It makes sense to remove your face mask if you need to sneeze...
My mother was fascinated by the face masks and how many people wore them here. I find it basically ridiculous, but whatever. It is difficult to judge a kid's speaking ability when muffled by a mask and you can't see their mouths.
28 - You can't find pornography anywhere but there's at least 5 brothels in every small town...
I haven't looked for porn, but I get his point. Koreans are an odd mix of prudish and sluts. Business rooms, men and women for "sale", love motels and cheating are common. But don't show too much cleavage because that's wrong.
29 - There are only 2 languages ever spoken - Korean and English...
I don't really think this is true. In towns with foreigners other than teachers, I've heard all kinds of languages like in Busan and Okpo. Plus there are tons of South Africans here and many of them speak Afrikaans. Also many of the teachers speak other languages and sometimes practice with each other. And Japanese and Chinese characters are on old signage. They also sometimes have other foreign films on TV or in the theater since they use subtitles. So this is one I don't agree with, although Korean and English are by far the most prevalent.
30 - Little kids traveling alone on public transit is nothing to be concerned about...
This one still sometimes freaks me out. Like shouldn't the 5 year old on the subway have an adult nearby? No? Ok.
Yea, so this turned into 3 posts, not 2, so keep reading :)
No comments:
Post a Comment