Below is a list of observations I have made concerning things that I find particularly strange about life in Korea. Not all of you will find these things strange, but given that I am used to Sydney life, I couldn't help but pick up on a few things about Korea that are quite different from Australia. So please, read on, and I hope that you may discover something new about Korea from this post.
Note: This post will come in 2 parts, because otherwise it would be too long and therefore too much of a commitment for you to read.
1. The fact that it is normal to pass out anywhere.
I mean this in two senses: both napping and being intoxicated. Blackout Korea means that people can pass out/nap anywhere without getting judged or abused by the public. The fact that there are several Facebook pages and blog posts dedicated to this worldwide is an indication of how much of a Thing it is. I have taken around 40 photos myself of people passed out in Korea, mostly because I have been amazed at the lack of shame. Take a look at some of my photos below.
The upside: Come on, how awesome is it that you can nap anywhere without judgement?! I have taken advantage of this more times than I care to admit.
2. The fact that bins are extremely rare.
I mean, they have bins of course but I am constantly baffled at how rare they are. In my first few weeks, I could happily get a take-away coffee, blissfully unaware of the fact that once I had finished said coffee, I would have to CARRY THE EMPTY CUP IN MY HAND FOR AN HOUR BEFORE I CAME ACROSS A BIN. It's not like Sydney, where on the streets there are bins every 100 metres. No, coming across a bin on the street is like winning the lottery. It is genuinely something to be happy about. The only places guaranteed to have bins at least 90% of the time are coffee shops (and you can't really use those without buying a coffee or pulling a sneaky throw-and-dash), take-away places and restaurants (both of which are a gamble anyway).
It is very strange to me, because when you walk the streets, you often come across garbage heaps where people have placed their trash, and it looks really gross. Like, why not just PUT BINS ON THE STREET!? The other day, I was walking the streets with a coffee in my hand and I was fortunate enough to come across one of the rare street-bins. So, I legitimately stopped, stood there right next to the bin and finished my coffee -- even though I still had a good half a cup to go -- because I wanted to avoid the empty-cup struggle. I stood there like a moron, finishing my coffee, and then I had to speed up the process so that I wasn't standing there too long, so I didn't really even get to enjoy that last bit of coffee. Maybe I'm an idiot, but the struggle is just too real. Funnily enough, I have actually seen people do this same thing several times.
The upside: You can place bets with your friends about when the next bin will show itself. (I have never done this, I just couldn't think of an upside.)
3. The fact that fitting rooms are equally as rare.
This one makes me emotional. As a tall woman in Korea -- scratch that, as a woman in general -- I need to try on my clothes before I buy them. And Korea has just not delivered in this department. Shopping is very cheap, yes, but it's sort of a stab in the back because whilst there are so many awesome clothing items for dirt cheap prices, there is more often than not nowhere to try them on. Because of this, shopping is such a bitter-sweet experience. Sometimes, I have raged against the machine and attempted to try on items of clothing within the store DESPITE the lack of change rooms, but I am almost always told off by the shop assistants, who are like 'NO TRY. NO TRY.' I am convinced that they are out to ruin lives.
The upside: It stops you from losing all your money. Also, after living here for a while you can sort of get a feel for how to judge whether things will fit you or not.
4. The selfie culture/the fact that there are mirrors everywhere/the fact that everyone is well-dressed.
It is no secret that Korea craves the aesthetics. Clothing stores are plentiful and almost everyone seems up-to-date with the latest fashions. What I find extremely strange, however, is their placement of mirrors. They are just everywhere! To some extent, it is nice to have mirrors in convenient places, but a lot of the time in Korea, I'm like... "Why?! Why do you need a mirror there?!"
For example, I have found mirrors in almost every elevator, large mirrors in waiting rooms, full-length mirrors outside elevators, in cafes, and my personal favourite, full-length mirrors in toilet cubicles so that you can watch yourself peeing. The latter is definitely one of the weirdest things I have ever encountered. It's like, any moment you spend waiting for anything in Korea, you don't have to worry about being bored, because you can just look at yourself for ages! (And I've seen too many people shamelessly staring at themselves, with the 'mirror face' that everyone seems to put on when they look at themselves.)
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| One of the many, MANY mirror-selfies my roommate and I have taken in our dormitory elevator. We have since become notorious elevator-selfie experts. |
Furthermore, the selfie culture is unavoidable. If you're going to live in Korea, just give in and buy a selfie stick. They are actually kind of cool, despite their crazy impracticality. Haha. But really. I am now used to seeing people take shameless selfies everywhere. Sometimes, they don't just stop at one. My friends and I once saw a couple in a line at Lotte World take -- no joke -- at least 30 selfies over the span of ten minutes. It's like they were never satisfied with just the one selfie. And you have to ask, were they planning on posting all those selfies online? Because in what world would anyone be sitting on their computer going, "ah YES! Jack and Sarah just posted another series of selfies. I am so keen to view them all to see how they worked the change of angle and struggled to find the perfect light!!! I wish I could get the perfect selfie only in 30 takes, just like them!"
The upside: With mirrors everywhere, you never look shabby ;)
5. The need that Koreans seem to have to brush their teeth all the time.
It sounds like such a small thing, but it is so common that it can't go unnoticed. Koreans just, need to brush their teeth apparently. A lot. In between classes, I will go to the girls bathroom and always see at least a couple of girls in there brushing their teeth. Sometimes, there is a crowd of them. It's just weird. I mean, not that it's a bad thing. Good on them! But it's strange! And it seems to be a priority as well. Friends will sometimes delay plans because "sorry, I'm just going to go and brush my teeth first!" and then I will feel like the un-hygienic one who 'forgot' to bring her toothbrush.
One time, a girl started brushing her teeth in the middle of class. I think I genuinely stared, jaw gaping, at her. Just, why?! Why couldn't she wait until afterwards? Or beforehand? Then I couldn't focus on the lesson, because all I could think was, "is she going to swallow that?! Surely not!" (For the record, she didn't. She left class to go to the bathroom once she was done.) Anyway, you've got to admire their persistence and their lack of shame. Keep it up, I say! You Koreans will be laughing when the rest of us grow old and our teeth fall out.
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| A random Korean child being a good guy and brushing from a young age. |
The upside: It inspires you to up your hygene!
So, there you have it, the first half of my list. Tell me what you think! Is it just me, or are these things just a little strange to you too?
Disclaimer: I still love Korea. A lot. Don't hate me, Koreans. Please.
Thanks for reading! I will post the second half of the list ASAP!
Signed in Seoul,
Kristin
Kristin is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-Korea Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
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