Hello everyone! Annyong Haseyo? (literally translates: Peaceful Are?)
I sincerely apologize for being so remiss in keeping up this blog. I'm sure most of you were thinking I was never going to update again. I won't give any excuses; I have been neglectful and it was inconsiderate of me. So please accept my sincerest Choesong hamnida!
I don't think I've really touched on all of the Korean cultural idiosyncrasies so we will go on a journey together through the cultural jungle of South Korea. Grab your kimchi and rice for the ride and let's go!
First stop, the area of personal hygiene and other related things. In Korea, I have found that having a shower or tub is not really the norm for most people. It is slowly becoming a staple item to have in a newer high rise apt. but in all of the smaller apts and houses, it's just you, the tiled four walls of the bathroom and a hose with a spray nozzle attached. Which you must hold with one hand while you scrub with the other. This arrangement, along with short hot water life span, make for a very quick and un-relaxing shower. I call it my dash and rinse.
Additionally, in Korea, it is not the custom to flush toilet paper down the toilet. Rather, everyone puts their used paper in the wastebasket. It took me awhile to get adjusted to this but now it's become second nature. The smell generated by this unusual practice however, is not one that I have quite got used to. It is very bad in a public restroom frequented by lots of people. Oh, and did I mention that in most of the public restrooms the stalls do not contain toilet paper? Yes indeed! There is a big common roll out by the sinks and everyone grabs their little supply before heading in. Of course, when you are a clueless foreigner fresh in from the land of ubiquitous T.P., this can make for a humourous (though not at the time) and slightly humiliating experience when you have finished your business and realize you have nothing to work with (oh yes, it did happen). Thankfully, I learned my lesson very quickly and thoroughly. Also, squatty potties are predominant in public transportation places like the subway, bus station, and train station. With flush handles that you can operate by foot. My first thought upon using one? I feel like I'm at HEART again!
On we go, grinding to a halt at the next stop of personal conduct, etc. In Korea, it is considered polite to accept things given with two hands or the left hand placed under the right elbow and vice versa for giving. Also, adding in a little head bow is considered good manners too. If I were to reach out with one hand like I do in America, the giver or receiver might feel that I am being impolite or insulting or simply didn't have any decent manners. So, because of being involved in Taekwondo in the States, I picked up this habit almost immediately and will likely continue it just because it does seem to show much more respect to the people with whom you are dealing. It is also considered polite to take off one's shoes when entering a person's house or traditional eating places. The entries of houses are even built slightly lower so that you can remove your shoes quickly on the step. I have house shoes I wear inside my apt. and also bathroom shoes (because as you might guess, the bathroom is not the driest place sometimes).
Another form of politeness in Korea that may seem a little strange is that when offered something (such as if I offer some of my snack to a co-worker), the polite response is to decline. A Korean may do this 2-3 times before accepting but if the other person does not continue to offer, THEY are considered rude! I have broken this custom many times and still forget on occasion. It is so ingrained in me that if a person says no, they don't want it and if something is offered to me, I feel it impolite saying no. It's a tough habit to break and the other is a hard one to make.
Let's see, one last thing. It's ok to bump people; hard! I have become a regular user of the subway here and if there's one thing I've learned, it's don't be shy about physical contact. Korean cities and transportation are always very crowded and therefore the people can be very aggressive in order to secure a seat or just a spot. In getting on and off the bus and subway, it is usually a little crazy, because Koreans don't wait until everyone has gotten off. Nope, they push their way in as the outgoing crowd is coming out, creating quite the traffic jam. I've been in a subway car before that was so crowded that I couldn't even lift my arm to scratch my nose (if I had wanted to). My first instinct upon bumping people in my rush to transfer subway lines is to say sorry, but I realized after almost being bulldozed by a woman on the sidewalk and offered no words of apology or even a single backward glance that in Korea, its every man for himself. So, now I shove onto the subway with the best of 'em and ride the rails with a peaceful heart.
Trekking onward, we come to the food court stop. Just what you've been waiting for. I hope you are ready to eat rice, rice, and more rice! Of course, I love rice so I'm not complaining but in all seriousness, I have rice everyday; literally. Rice is the staple of all Korean meals. It is their equivalent to bread though we don't have it at every meal as they do. It is so engrained in their culture that when greeting you with the query of whether you've eaten, they ask "Bab moko uyo?" which literally means, "Have you eaten rice?" Rice means food here, so to many of the older generation, the fact that the young people eat at the western restaurants which serve no rice with the meal seems appalling. I have adopted this philosophy in that I will sometimes eat a bowl of rice with a sandwich because it just seems to fill me better. An interesting thing to note is that if you are finished with your rice before you finish your side dishes, that means you are finished with the meal. So, in restaurants, I always see people consuming their bab as the last dish. along with the spicy tofu stew usually served with bab.
Another staple of Korean meals is the ever present Kimchi. Made of cabbage, spices, red pepper paste, and other sundry items which I don't know, this fermented dish is a perennial fixture on the Korean table. It can be super salty or spicy depending on the maker and as a general rule I really like it and will eat a few pieces whenever I go out to eat.
Eating at a traditional Korean restaurant is a lot of fun, especially galbi places. Galbi is Korean barbeque complete with a bowl of marinated meat (to be cut up with scissors, not a knife), turning tongs, and a grill that's built into the table. There are myriads of side dishes and everyone just sticks their chopsticks in and grabs what they want. Double dipping with your chopsticks and spoon may sound unsanitary to some, but in Korea, everyone shares side and main dishes without qualm. Coming from a large family, this sharing has a familiar feel to it and can be strangely comforting. Pouring drinks for people is also customary and Koreans usually consider it polite not to pour their own drink but wait for someone else to. However, its becoming more culturally accepted to pour one's own glass too.
I cannot leave this area before mentioning the pizza. I love me some American pizza with thick cheeses, meaty toppings, and golden crust but I gotta say, I am in love with the Korean pizza too. There are two reasons. One, the corn; the CORN! I love corn on pizza! If this sounds weird and slightly disturbing, I assure you, I thought so too. But man, once you've had it, you don't want to look back. The sweet combined with the salty flavor=excellence! Two, green tea crust. Again, sounds weird and slightly disturbing but it is really good and also good for the health as well. When I eat the green tea crust pizza, I feel less guilty. So, if you're ever in the neighborhood, swing by and I'll treat you to one of the best pizza's you've ever had.
And now to the last stop of the day, miscellaneous info. I'll list it so it's easy to follow.
1. It is not uncommon to walk by a Korean hospital and see a bunch of patients lounging around the entrance or even walking down the sidewalk, wheeling their IV with them. In my observation, Koreans seem to be much less uptight in regards to what patients can and cannot do.
2. Koreans make a sharp intake of breath (a hissing like sound) when they are thinking or considering what to say. It can sound like they are alarmed or upset by what you've just said but as I discovered, they're just making a "HMMM" sound by sucking air through their teeth.
3. Korean service, in general, is much better than American service. Whether it be in a shop, a restaurant, or a bank, the people who are helping you are truly there to serve. Service is always prompt and done with an air of quiet respectfulness that I find really refreshing.
4. Pointing with one finger is considered rude. When pointing out something or choosing a person, gesture with an open hand or both hands.
5. Koreans often try to speak English to be accomodating in stores, so I have often asked a question or ordered in Korean and been answered in English. A strangely ironic situation I find.
Well, I hope you enjoyed our little trip today. I'll just close by sharing a cultural story that my worship leader (Korean) shared at the worship team dinner on Sunday.
A Korean man was visiting London, England and had stopped into a bar to have a few drinks. After a time, he began to have a heated debate with an Englishman he had met there. Possessing the fiercely aggressive nature of Koreans, the man was very upset and a little worse the wear for liquor. He and the Englishman came out of the bar and shouted a few more minutes before turning to storm off in opposite directions. The Korean man, still being very upset, turned around to shout again at the other man. He wanted to say what Koreans do when they are angry and making a threat; "You take care and watch out for your body because you never know what I'll do". Not knowing quite how to convey this in English, he blurted out loudly "YOU TAKE CARE!" The Englishman was very surprised at this and began to think, "Gosh this Korean guy is really being great about this whole thing and he's even telling me to take care! I've got to show the same level of dignity and respect." So he turned and bellowed back to the Korean man "THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"
