Though my official title here is "teacher," I have been a student of Korea for five months now. Everywhere I turn, there is something new to learn, a new observation to be made, a new aspect of the culture to be taken in. I have always had a hobby of people-watching, but here, it has become a sport! I've been taking notes here and there whenever something strikes me as, well, notable. Whether it causes a huge smile or causes me to shake my head in disbelief, these are the things that make me say, "Ah, Korea." I've also included a smattering of unrelated pictures for your visual enjoyment.
Transportation
-There are lines on the road, but they are merely a suggestion. They mean nothing. Absolutely nothing.
-Red lights have pretty much the same level of significance. I saw my bus stop for one a couple times, but only for a second. I think maybe the gear shift stuck or something. Red lights are just something pretty to look at.
-Police cars and ambulances have sirens and flashing lights, but I'm not sure why. No one ever moves out of the way for them.
-The sidewalks are made from bricks and are split into two sides; one for walkers and the other for bikes and motorcycles...yes, motorcycles. I've been almost hit by a delivery motorcycle a few times while walking on the sidewalk listening to my music. Oh, and no one ever stays on the side they are supposed to. The two colors are pretty much like the lines on the road.
-I've found that while taking a bus or cab, it's best to just look down a pray.
-Pedestrians have absolutely no rights whatsoever. What your mama told you about looking both ways before crossing the street, do it!
-Koreans drive on the right side, but they walk on the left...no, wait, on the right...no, the left...no, the....GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!
-While on the subject of walking, it's a good idea to never trust the line of trajectory. If you think you can make it around someone because they are veering to the left, just wait, they'll be in your way soon enough. Seriously, it's like they can sense someone is coming up behind them and they step in front of you just at the wrong moment. This happens to me most frequently when shopping and in the subway station.
-Ah, the subway. At certain times of day, there are so many people that I have to wait in line while three trains pass before I make it on there. And there is no "excuse me" in Korea. It wastes too much time. Just push your way through. Ugh, the touching! Click here for a video. Not filmed by me, but it's in Korea, and it's typical.
Fashion
-Anything goes. Any pattern, any stripe, any color, any combination, any time.
-Men here have a great sense of fashion (okay, not all but most) and I've become a huge fan of most of the haircuts. Also, most of the men's clothes are extremely well tailored, and usually a little tighter than we're used to in the States, but most men are skinny, too.
-There are these things called "fish suits" (our name for them, not theirs) which are men's business suits that someone poured a big 'ol bucket of shiny all over. They are most entertaining when worn by old men trying to hold on to their youth. But they're also not so horrible when worn in the right way. They totally wouldn't fly in the States.
-Women wear high heels ALL the time! Seriously, I've seen women walking the track in them, walking their dogs, running. There's even a surgery to scrape down the calf muscles to make their legs look smaller since the muscles are so "big" from heels!
-Image is everything. Mirrors are everywhere. As told to me by a Korean, it is a mirror society, I am what you say I am, therefore, I have to impress you with my looks. This being said, eating disorders are a major problem in Korea. Image is a much bigger issue than it is with us. We would be considered vain if we were "caught" in public checking on our looks; we have to go to the bathroom for that. But here, you are expected to make sure you look good all the time. We even have mirrors in each classroom. And I've seen little kids, four and five years old, checking if everything was in place.
-You must be skinny, you must be skinny, you must be skinny.
-The glasses here are SO cute! Much more variety.
-The necklines on women's clothing are very high and the shirts are very baggy and flowy because of modesty (or so they say), but skirts, which are worn every day, are extremely short. I've also been told that short skirts and high heels do not disappear in winter. I don't know how they do it! But I know why they do it!
-White skin is highly valued. (Woo-hoo, I finally fit in!) There are commercials for skin-whitening creams during every station break, and some women cake on the white powder so thickly that it's almost Halloween-like. There are some of the highest SPF ratings I've ever seen. I went shopping for some today and couldn't find anything lower than SPF 47. And though some wear enormous visors to keep the sun from hitting their faces, I've also seen women (because it's mostly a woman thing) hold up purses, jackets, pieces of mail, their dogs, anything that will keep the sun from turning their faces the same shade that most people in the States would pay for.
-Not surprisingly, plastic surgery is HUGE here. You can even get a discount if you do more than one procedure at a time! It's pretty cheap too. The two main surgeries are noses and eyes, but running close behind (no pun intended) is a surgery to scrape down your knees so you can wear the coveted short skirt.
-The double eyelid is also valued. For us, it just means that when we open our eyes, you can see the crease. This is looked at as a sign of beauty here (my double eyelids are my most common compliment here), and if you can't afford the surgery, you can always buy the eyelid glue. Seriously! Click here to see a video of the craziness.
-While it is sad that Koreans don't value their own beauty and are always looking for ways to be a little more Western, I have to admit that it does feel good to be stopped by complete strangers telling me that my eyes or my brown, curly hair is beautiful. Though I hope I repay more compliments than I am given because Koreans are beautiful, beautiful people.
OK, I'll have to save the rest of my dissertation of Korean culture for the next blog. Upcoming topics are "Confucius Say" and "Religion." Until next time!
