The longer I’m here, the more and more I’m realizing how different things can be! I mean it is literally night and day different (14 hours to be exact). I’m sleeping when you’re enjoying your days and I have sunshine when you have the moon! That has taken some getting used to. When I think about it, it’s a bit overwhelming sometimes. One day I talked to my sister during her morning and my late night. Then, when I woke up the next day, I talked to her again! It was so crazy to think that she just lived her day and did lots of things and I simply slept the WHOLE time!
I thought you might enjoy hearing some of the differences I’m experiencing here. I thought I’d share them with you before I realize they’re different and just start assuming that’s how things are! I’m putting a disclaimer here for when I return to the states, you’ll offer me some grace for these things I’ve grown accustomed to! J
Clothing:
Okay, honestly I LOVE their style here-for the most part! Not something I’d be comfortable in everyday, but such cute stuff! Unfortunately, the girls here don’t have much as far as chests go, which translates to “Good luck trying to find something that will fit you!” Umm, we don’t dare to even look at their bottoms! But, it is a culture experience to even go into a store and look. You’ll pull something out and ask if you can try it on. The lady at the store will look at you and say no. Which that translates in to “ You’re too big and that will not fit you.” This has happened to a few girls I’ve been shopping with. You can’t try clothes on here for some reason. So, I just put the shirt over whatever I’m wearing. They don’t like that… they think you’re going to stretch it out! Gotta love it! You can’t wear tank tops here. It’s ‘scandalous’ to have your shoulders showing. It doesn’t matter how short your bottoms are though… it’s okay if everything’s hanging out! You can also ‘bend’ the rules by wearing a shear cover over the tank top. A lot of women do that here! They are obsessed with high heels here! The women wear them everywhere. They go for walks and wear them. They walk up multiple flights of stairs and less-intense mountains with them on! I’m not exaggerating here either! When I was at the beach last weekend, I saw women wearing heels! They wear more of the platforms with the wide base, but still a heel! I don’t get it! I also heard that girls aren’t really supposed to wear them until after they graduate from High School! I have seen a couple of girls pull them out of their backpacks and switch their Converse for High Heels—Scandalous!!
Gestures:
There are also a few gestures that are different. They don’t wave here. (Although the students do wave to me and now some of the teachers do, too. It’s just b/c they know I’m a foreigner!) They bow at the waist and lower their heads. How far down you go, depends on who you are saying hello to. When I say it to my principal, vice principal, or someone else important, I bow pretty far down. The kids just get a head nod, but usually a wave! When you’re leaving a store or a restaurant, they’ll do the same thing! Whenever you say thank you or see someone, you do this! It’s also funny b/c they don’t shake their heads ‘no.’ If they are trying to say no to something, they will put their arms together and make a ‘x.’ This is how I tell me students to stop doing something too!
Living:
It is also very common and normal for the most part for people to live in apartments here. They actually prefer apartments over houses. It’s also more convenient for everyone b/c there are so many people in such a small land mass. Everything here is built up instead of out. Stores have multiple levels instead of wide square feet. This means that you get a work out everyday b/c you are doing so many stairs! You also can’t really buy lots of groceries and things at the store b/c you have to carry all of your bags home. Some people have cars, so it’s not that big of a deal, but those of us who don’t, you have to be strategic. They also charge you for sacks. I’ve bought a couple reusable bags and they’re great, when I remember them! J It’s also interesting at the store b/c they wait to pick their fruit until it’s ripe. Which, this makes for some amazing fruit, but you can’t store it. You have to eat it within 2 days or so or it goes bad. Give and take or you can just split some with your neighbor… this usually works the best!
School:
I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting with the schools but they are definitely different. They don’t start until 9am and then depending what grade you are in, you leave at different times. The youngest students leave at 1pm usually, and then the 2nd and 3rd graders leave at 2pm. I’m not real sure what time the 5th and 6th graders get out, but I know all the students are gone by 3pm. They can’t drink the water here, so instead of having water fountains on the halls, they have water machines (like Culligan jugs). When you are in school, you don’t wear your shoes, you wear slippers. The teachers wear them to teach in and the kids change every morning right outside the front door. The principals wear them and even visitors have to put them on before they come in. It’s interesting. I haven’t really got a direct answer as to why they do this. They say it’s just more comfortable, but I have no idea! Everyday at lunch we have rice, soup, and kimchi no matter what. The other 2 spots are reserved for some type of meat and a vegetable. The teachers do not walk their students to places. They just let them leave and the students make it to my room. They do walk them to lunch, but that’s the only place. They also do their age different here. When you are born, you are automatically 1 year old. Then, on January 1st, EVERYONE turn another year old. You do not celebrate your birthday on the day you were born (although I’m a bit confused b/c my kids tell me when their birthdays are. I guess they celebrate their birthdays, but they don’t age on that day.) So potentially, if a baby was born on December 31st, he would be considered 2 years old when he is really 2 days old. They will ask you when your birthday is to know if you are a young 27 year old or an older 27 year old. I thought this was very interesting!
Food:
So we all know that the food is different, that’s a given. But, here are some more specifics. They don’t drink with their meals. After they eat, they will go over to a water jug and take a small drink. Even when their food is spicy! So at lunch, I always bring my water bottle with me. Sometimes that’s the only way I’ll get my food down! J Every food place here delivers. McDonald’s has little mopeds for their delivery guys… yes even McDonald’s delivers! If you need your waiter they yell “Yugio” (or something like that… haven’t fully got this one yet!) Could you imagine yelling across a restaurant in the states? I know there have probably been plenty of times you would like to, but you don’t really do it! Here you do! There is no tax on anything here. So you pay exactly what the menu says the cost is. You also don’t tip here. Therefore, going out to eat isn’t too expensive. Usually it’s cheaper to do that then to cook! (Yeah, I haven’t cooked anything since I’ve been here!) In many traditional restaurants you all share out of the same dishes so everyone eats off of each other’s plates. It’s so funny b/c now even if it’s not a place you share, we all still do, trying each other’s choices! Oh community! They also don’t have separate breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. I was teaching my ‘teachers class’ the other day and one of our warm-up questions was ‘what did you have for breakfast?’ Their answers were Bean Soup, Sea Weed Soup, Kimchi, and Rice. Yummy! I said I had cereal and milk and they laughed at me. I will say I have had Kim Bop (the roll that’s wrapped in sea weed) 2 times for breakfast. Needless to say if you want to buy breakfast food like cereal here you will definitely have to pay for it! You can find it it’s just expensive.
Driving:
Oh my word, it’s pretty crazy here. I’ve never felt unsafe, but I don’t always feel safe… if that makes any sense?!? The stoplights are different here. Only one direction gets a green light a time. In the states, North and South go at the same time, but here all of the northbound traffic would go and then the light would turn red. You sit at lights forever!! Sometimes it’s easy to get antsy at crosswalks and you just decide to go. You have to be careful for a couple of reasons though if you do that. First, cars have the right away, not pedestrians. That’s a new one, right? Then second they don’t always wait for a green light to go. The lights are on a timer not a sensor, so if there aren’t cars, they’ll just go regardless of their light color. Let’s just say I’ve almost got hit by a bus and who knows how many cars! It’s an adventure though! (I run across the street now every morning to get to school. One morning I got caught in the middle and cars were coming in both directions so I just stood on the double yellow line… I was a bit worried.) Busses pretty much do what they want. My bus always turns left out of a straight lane, not a turning lane. People just them do it though! This next one still blows my mind, but kids aren’t always in car seats. The other day on the way home from school I’m on the bus and I look over at the car next to us at a stoplight. The mother had her baby (about 15 months old) laying on her lap and she was feeding him. The crazy part is, she was driving… she was NOT the passenger!! I still can’t get over that one! They have no fear as far as how close they will get to someone or another car either. They can squeeze into some tight spots! It’s truly amazing!
Restrooms:
So we all know that most of my crazy stories somehow involve the bathrooms. There are a couple of other unique things besides the ‘squatty potties.’ If you are using a public bathroom, you have to get your toilet paper before you go into the stall. It’s on the wall and better not forget it before you go in or you’re in trouble. They also do not have soap dispensers for the most part. They have a bar of soap that everyone uses. I have not found any restrooms with paper towels either. Usually they will have a hand dryer, but most of the time it does not work! I use a lot of hand sanitizer!
So, as you can see, there are quite a few differences here that I was not prepared for. Almost all of these are things I have figured out since I’ve been here! It’s all part of the adventure!! J Hope you found these as entertaining as I have! That was your crash course for Korea (I found out while I was teaching my ‘teacher class’ on yesterday that they do not like to be called South Korea, they are Korea! I won’t make that mistake again!!)
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