Oddities of Korea

In the past few months I have noticed random oddities about South Korea.  Some of them just make you look twice while others can get really frustrating.

The first thing I noticed in Korea is you have to separate your garbage.  It is a hassle and I am not a fan of doing it.  However it saves money and recycling is a good thing. You have to separate plastic wrapping, plastic bottles, cardboard/paper, glass, metals, biodegradable things, and then toiletries.  There is even a camera watching the trash disposal area.  (Big Brother always keeps an eye on you)  The camera doesn't actually work.  It is just a scare tactic.  Now here is the hypocritical part.  If you walk around the streets you will see paper fliers everywhere.  These coat the ground, especially during the weekend.  They are of food deals, party girls, store coupons, everything and anything.  People who work for the companies will lackadaisically stroll the streets and toss papers down.  They get paid to litter. (I want to mess with them sometime soon.  I am going to walk behind them and pickup the papers.  In Korean I will politely say "Excuse me sir, I am sorry but you dropped all of these" I am not sure how they will react but could be funny).  It just strikes me as odd that a country so gung ho on recycling has no problem wasting paper like that.
The government also has to spend a ton of money cleaning the streets up.  By 7am There are older people walking around cleaning.  Teams of them hustling around picking up after the younger generation.   (Side note: I have noticed they just throw the papers in with the other trash.  No separating and sorting, darn them ;) 

My biggest pet peeve has to do with the schools here.  It is now winter time and the schools are absolutely freezing.  For some godforsaken reason they leave the doors and windows open all day.  Everyone walks around with coats, scarfs, gloves and blankets.  It is ridiculous.  The doors are not even sealed properly when shut.  There are ventilation holes in the damn things the size of golf balls.  No one can give me a good explanation of why.  I shut the door and the janitor yelled at me last week.  I laughed at him and kept walking.  Now I purposefully shut the doors and windows every time I walk by one. 
These are just two of the oddities of Korean culture.
I am going to be posting a lot more as my world over here is changing a little.  I am definitely moving, I am getting a new job, and my Korean skills are getting better. 
I miss you all,
Deano

Mountains and friends.

Here are some pictures from my weekend trip to Busan.  I drove down with Sungjoo on Sat morning.  Traffic was a mess.  I made 2 driving errors adding a good hr and a half to the trip.  The highways in Korea are different than in the states.  There can be miles between exits.  I definitely missed two turns and paid for it in time.
I went mountain hiking with Sungjoos friends on Sunday.  It was an interesting experience.  They speak very little English and I am still limited in my Korean Skills.  It was a fun time regardless of the language barrier.  I am lucky to have met such quality people 7,000 miles from home. 
In the next few posts I will show how awesomely healthy older people are in Korea.  Go to any public park at 10:30 at night regardless of the wether and it will be full of gray haired people walking, doing calisthenics, and jogging.  Really really impressive. 

Thank for the read
Deano

PS, Yes North Korea attacked South Korea today.  I am fine and North Korea as I quote from a student, "North Korea is inbed (inbred) swin (swine) dirty"  Took me a min to figure that one out.

Reflecting and looking back on my last few months in Korea has helped me draw some new conclusions. I have come to realize my experiences are not typical for a foreigner that has been here for such a short time. Korea has been very welcoming, and warm. I have experienced new adventures, cultural differences, delicious foods and been blessed with many advantages (Thanks Mom and Dad for the small face). The negatives have been minimal and controllable. My advantages are due solely to my roommate, boxing coach, translator, guide, and good friend. He always gives me the best courses of action, and has answered countless questions about everything Korean. He continuously pushes me to be better. My goal now is to help him meet the prettiest girl in Korea and then amaze her with our Nor-a-bang skills (Nor-a-bang is a Karaoke room. We specialize in re-mix to Ignition by the one and only R Kelly).

I believe my experiences in Korea are different than a typical foreigner that comes here to teach. They are not better just different. I only have 2 or 3 American/European friends with whom I sporadically speak with. I study, eat, and have the occasional Soju with a group of 한극 친구 (Korean friends). Many non Koreans hang out in packs. They form crews that go out for nights on the town. In my opinion they are just recreating what they had at home in a new country. Nothing wrong with that especially being 7,000 miles from everything familiar. (Side note: I too definitely miss my friends back home and the shenanigans we would get into. Trying to remember those crazy college nights and events is getting harder as time goes on. It might be hazy because of the beer hops and testosterone. It is amazing no one ever got seriously hurt). For me the point of traveling is to see the differences of cultures. The only way to do that is to hang out with the locals. At times it is difficult and almost impossible to convey exactly what you want or mean. You just have to rely on the art of communicating without talking and always being polite. In Korea manners matter even with friends. You must always show respect to those who are older than you. Even if they inform you to stop being so formal. First impressions are key so wow them with your well memorized opening lines and just smile and nod when being spoken too. Soju always helps people loosen up. Going out with locals really allows you to see the intimate parts and structure of the country. I learn something new about this complex society and culture daily. I do not think it possible for a foreigner to ever fully understand it.

Korean can be incredibly overbearing. However with the right attitude, mind set and group of friends, westerners have great opportunities over here. Anytime you want to visit just let me know. The first 7,000 miles are the hardest. Just try to hit the ground running and do not stop once you get here.