Someone should give me a job as a people watcher! I think I'm pretty good at it, considering this is my third blog on social observations. But, I also have to thank my great Korean friends who graciously supply answers to my never-ending plethora of questions. And once again, enjoy the random and totally unrelated pictures. Let's begin, shall we?
Age Matters: This is a society that honors and cares for the elderly. Respect for the elderly is taught and expected.
-As age is a major determining factor in the level of respect you receive, it is not a rude thing to ask a person their age as soon as you meet them so you know where you stand with them.
-Older brothers and sisters have special titles. The same title is used with close friends that are older. But there is no term for the older sibling addressing the younger; they only use the person's name.
-When eating as a group, no one takes a bite until the eldest at the table has started.
-The youngest pours the beverage, beginning with the eldest down to the youngest. Usually no one pours for themselves because you should anticipate the needs of others.
-On the subway and bus, young people immediately give up their seats for the elderly.
-This being said, I have met some great old people, but man, most of them are cranky! But really, given the history of the country, they've been through a lot!
-Young people have fantastic posture. Some old people are hunched over like the letter r.
Language
-The spoken language is extremely difficult for me to understand. There are pronunciations that I am just plain not used to hearing. There are silent letters at the end of syllables. OK, so they're not silent, but they have a glottal stop that I can't hear. Think about the word "bike." When you say the word, you release a little tiny breath after the k. This doesn't happen in Korean. Try it again with no air, and you can start to understand the problem with hearing Korean.
-There are three letters that look like and sound like a mixture of b and p. I can't seem to hear the difference, no matter how hard I try.
-My pronunciation will always be wrong. I am always being corrected after thinking I have said something perfectly.
-I understand this issue because, unlike many Americans, Koreans are such a homogeneous society that they are not accustomed to hearing their language with any accent other than their own. I'll learn to deal.
-Hangul, on the other hand, is magic. It is the written language and it is fantastic! It's so easy to learn and makes so much sense. I was able to learn it quickly because of great teachers, and it has opened a whole new world to me. It has helped me immensely in my classroom. I have also gained more sympathy for those in the States who are illiterate, and a better understanding of my students both here and in the States who can read a word just fine, but don't have the foggiest what it means.
General Societal Observations
-"Have you eaten dinner?" is the equivalent of "Are you doing OK?"
-I have yet to see a junky car. There are many junky delivery trucks, but not cars. Probably due to the are
a I live in.-Walking paths have random exercise equipment placed here and there along the path. You'll see men and suits and women in heels stopping for a quick chin-up or calf-raise.
-Girls hold hands, boys hold hands, drunk men hold each other, no one seems to mind. I think it's quite sweet that the men don't have to be all macho and scared of each other. People in general seem to walk with their arms touching each other. Very sweet.
-Koreans are not short. They are the tallest of all the Asian people groups. Most of my Korean friends are my height or taller than me. Major misconception.
-Men carry women's purses for them. This is a strange phenomenon.
-Kids go to school 210 days a year. Over twelve years of schooling, this equates to one extra year longer than American kids. No wonder!
More Random Observations: Just wanted to break i
t up a little.-Shop-workers greet you, then hover behind you fixing everything you touch. I don't know why they do this, but it makes me feel like I am a nuisance and I end up not buying anything! It's so aggravating!
-Our 9-5 is their 7-ish a.m. - 8-ish p.m. The general rule is get there before the boss, you had better greet the boss, and then stay until the boss leaves. I can't imagine how annoying this must be for the people at home cooking a nice dinner waiting for their spouse!
-I asked for a smoothie once that was half mango, half yuja. I was looked at as though I was crazy! This seemed to be a trend everywhere. I found out that mixed food is seen as lower class. The king ate all his food separated, and this tradition has been subtly carried on.
-You should remove your shoes when you enter a home because the heat comes from the floor. If you wear your shoes, you are walking where people eat and sleep, and this is very rude.
-The answer to every food question: It's good for your health. Koreans are big into healing through diet, which is great, but sometimes a bit excessive. EVERYTHING is labeled "for the well-being life" or the equivalent. I just can't bring myself to believe that a waffle filled with fluffy, sugary stuf
f is for my health!Well, there you have it, folks. I have come to the end of my notes! Thank you for indulging me. Now, I am off to find new and exciting topics for your reading pleasure. Annyeong!
