What I have learned living in Korea Vol 3
This is a list of musings, of observations, of hard and fast facts, of opinions, of completely made up fairy tales. These are things I have learned since I have moved to Korea. Things about myself, things about Korea and things about things. Believe them or not, I believe them to be true.
- If you have a fan on you MUST have a window open. Or you will DIE. Do not question this.
- Need new wallpaper? Ok, well just shellack it on over the current wallpaper which was put on over the wallpaper before that and before that and before that....Im pretty sure we have lost at least 1 square foot of our apartment space due to the growing thickness of the walls.
- When there are signs directing you somewhere, walk past them THEN turn. Do not turn AT the sign that says turn.
- Koreans use the same word for pear, stomach and boat.
- "Think thin" is a frequent thought I have. Not in the dieting sense, but in the weaving-between-traffic-sense.
- One time a man on the street threw a live pigeon at me.
- On the same street someone had squirrels in a cage just sitting on the sidewalk
- Sweet potatoes, corn and onions. Expect to find them in the least likely places. Mostly pizza.
- Kids here think I'm from Texas because it's the only southern state they know.
- Koreans spit on the street (often) but would never be caught without a shirt on because Chinese men walk around without shirts and they do NOT want to be like the Chinese.
- Korea's version of the Eurrail is the Korrail and it is AMAZING. Fast, nice trains for cheap that go all over the country.
- I have no idea how to know if the police want us to pull over. Their lights are on all the time and I think they use the sirens when they want people to move out of their way.
- Koreans can either choose to go into 2 years of military service or police service after they turn 18. Therefor, there are about 2 billion children running around dressed as cops here. Good thing drunkenness is the main street crime issue here.
- Spoiler alert: public drunkenness isn't a crime. People will just let you sleep it off and step over you politely on the street you pass out on.
- I had a milkshake with pop rocks in it. Game changer.
- Cheese sticks are $5 for 2. Worth every penny.
- Remember reading the Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar in school? When it gets read here the children respond "YUM! Caterpillars yummy!" Make sure you stop and get some steamed silkworms as a snack on your way home. Don't believe me? read about them here.
- Tea houses are the greatest, cutest, most delicious places. Like a coffee shop for fancy tea and way more adorable.
- Pastries and cakes are just not the same....but cheesecake is somehow better!
- Asia is a Judgement free zone concerning the use of a selfie-stick. So yes, I will use one.
- Nail polish. Swoon. Its amazing here. Cheap with great quality and so many amazing colors and fancy finishes!
- I am amazed and grateful at the eclectic mix of shops. You can never predict how the vendors will be lined up and the variety of their products. You can either have all your most random needs met in one shopping trip or none as certain items are ONLY sold in particular areas of the city, no exceptions.
- Korean's carry everything on their backs, hunched over. Baskets bigger than them, babies wrapped in a kind of sling but they are sitting up.
- Thing I am most grateful for in Korea: FLOOR HEAT.