Life in the ROK - Part 3

I have a post from last week and the weekend in the works, but until then, enjoy. If you want to read parts 1 and 2, go here.

31 -  Loud construction workers are Korea's answer to the alarm clock.
This has happened to me multiple times, usually while I'm in a motel. Luckily there isn't too much construction around my current house. I do however, live right near a school, so I hear kids and college students around 8-8:30 most mornings.

32 - Any decent men's tie should sparkle.
I'm sort of a fan of this one. They do love some sparkly ties here and some are just insane. Pink and purple are also not just acceptable colors, but common.

33 - Animals love to advertise their own consumption.
Another thing I am a fan of. Lots of restaurant signs have whatever animal you're about to eat, in cartoon form, outside eating themselves in food form. Like a chicken eating a drumstick. It's great. The best are ones that have multiple types of meat, so a cow will be eating a pig.

34 - Everyone, including 7 year olds, has a nicer cell phone than you.
This is not always true, because now many foreigners have decent phones. But everyone has phones here. Including 7 year olds.

35 - Even if you are fast asleep on the subway or city bus, you won't miss your stop.
This is not true for me, but it is for Koreans. They can fall asleep anywhere and know instantly when they should wake up. And most of the time, they aren't groggy or anything. They just pop up out of their seats and walk off the bus.

36 - At least once a week you crawl across your apartment floor to get something you forgot after putting your shoes on.
I don't do this because I don't really care about the shoe rule. I take them off most of the time, but I don't mind when people walk across my floor with shoes. I think this is because I don't eat on the floor - I eat on my bed most of the time.

37 - People think that it is really nice to meet you once again for the 300th time.
Korean kids are taught certain phrases and "nice to meet you" is one of them. It's very difficult to break them of this habit and most English teaches I know attempt it for awhile. Some give up, some actually get it across.

38 - Most laws are merely suggestions.
Often true to us. But then there are others that should be more suggestions that are strictly enforced. Like not turning left without an arrow, even if you have a green light and no cars are coming in the opposite direction. But you can run a red light without blinking an eye.

39 - All food is "delicious" with no exceptions.
Another phrase kids are taught. When you ask why they like pizza or kimchi or whatever, the answer is always delicious. Describing things is one of the tasks I'm working on now with some of my students. I've told them they are not allowed to use delicious or fun or comfortable.

40 - You never shut your bathroom door for fear of drowning.
I don't understand this one. I usually have my door shut at all times.

So there you go. Hopefully that answered some culture questions!