1. Koreans bumping into you in public
2. people not saying "sorry," "excuse me," "please," and "thank you"
3. avoiding eye contact during conversation
4. skaing hands for too long and very limply
5. spitting in public
6. staring at foreigners
7. avoiding sun on skin and the use of skin whiteners
8. making/changing plans at the last minute
9. not contributing much to discussion
10. rarely say "no," instead Koreans will say "maybe," but mean "no"
11. everyone shares from the same plate, and sometimes drinks from the same alcohol glass
12. slurping loudly when eating noodles
13. talk with thier mouths full
14. eat very quickly and leave immediately
15. ask personal questions and freely comment on personal appearence
16. women sometimes hold hands, men often hug and touch each other
17. may refuse twice before accepting something
18. try and practice their english anywhere, even naked at jimjibong
19. praise foreigners for trivial things
20. appearence is extremely important ot Koreans, presenting things well is beter than doing things well
21. try to get on to subways, elevators and buses beofre people have gotten off
22. drivers don't pay attention to traffic lights, cut people off, don't yield to pedestrains, and park anywhere
23. delivery boys on scooters drive like maniacs, go through red lights and drive on the side-walk
24. public restrooms may not have toilet paper or western toilets
25. Korean kids are very sensitive, and will often cry if they get in trouble
I am looking forward to following your journey! What an amazing opportunity for the both of you. I knew Clint when I was in college. He was roomies with my ex. Have a great time and stay safe!
ReplyDeleteThat list is pretty solid. Just wait. Some of these things do lose their abrasive edges, however.
ReplyDelete2. I've found they use these phrases a lot! Just not in English. :-P
4. Have you seen how oddly and weakly we bow?
9. I attribute this to English being a second, third, or maybe even fourth language.
There are, without a doubt, huge cultural differences - I find myself yelling across the divide every day. But digging a bit into the history and the reasons behind some cultural practices is a real fascinating thing; the mist of 'foreign'ness' clears and one can be left with a really fulfilling cultural experience!
Missy and Clint, it is so good you guys are doing a blog!!I want to hear about everything. Kanna is doing good. She loves to play 'chase' with my dogs. Ali left for San Fransisco and we miss her so much. Can't wait to hear more aobut your adventure. love Jody
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