Things I've Learned Since I've Been in Korea
1) Cooking with chopsticks is ridiculously hard.
2) People only wear sleeveless shirts at the beach, but women wear high heels everywhere.
3) Never EVER order seafood if there isn't a picture menu.
4) While cars are automatically at fault for hitting a pedestrian make sure you look both ways even if your cross light is green.
5) If you look like a foreigner most high school and middle school kids that are in groups will try to speak with you. (Note: Also be prepared for old men who are drunk on soju to say "I love you", "you very beautiful", and request that you sit next to them and pour them more soju.
6) Koreans are incredibly nice, especially if they have no other customers or are have some free time.
7) Korean humor is.....different.
8) The majority of reality tv is held within a sauna or on a very open set.
8a) These game shows have subtitles of what people are saying for 70% of the show.
9) Most everything here is cheap.
10) Korean pizza is nothing like American pizza.
11) Every show that is in English will have Korean subtitles. This can be a problem if someone on that show is speaking another language for a few seconds because the English subtitles will be covered.
12) Koreans do not know street names...so make sure you know landmarks.
13) Only morning TV has the time in the upper corner.
14) The only American music you will hear will come for the TV. Either in infomercial form or as a random splurt in a commercial.
15) Classical music is still a big thing here and many Koreans know quite a few classical artists.
16) Koreans will find a way to watch TV. Whether it be on their cellphones, or on tiny portable screens that they carry around. Even a cab driver will have live streaming TV to watch in his cab on the dash.
17) Make sure your socks have no holes and don't smell. (Note: Many people will wear the same clothes several days in a row as it takes a day to line dry clothing.)
18) Street vendors are a great way to buy fresh food or clothes at a cheap price.
19) Korean food can be very spicy, so make sure you have water near by.
20) Never ever drink water out of the tap. Your stomach will die.
21) Make friends. Your Korean friends will help you read strange things attached to your door. Your English speaking friends will help you navigate the Korean landscape.
22) If you talk to enough people....you may know a Korean pop star through six degrees of Kevin Bacon.
23) The Korean men you see on TV are incredibly hot but note that there are lots of thin sexy Korean chicks for them to gawk over...this includes your English-speaking counterparts.
24) Be prepared to see half naked woman and some naughty sex scenes at 10pm.
25) Don't be surprised if you see children walking around by themselves and playing at night. They are incredibly independent.
And that's all I can think of at this moment in time but I'm sure there will be more.
2) People only wear sleeveless shirts at the beach, but women wear high heels everywhere.
3) Never EVER order seafood if there isn't a picture menu.
4) While cars are automatically at fault for hitting a pedestrian make sure you look both ways even if your cross light is green.
5) If you look like a foreigner most high school and middle school kids that are in groups will try to speak with you. (Note: Also be prepared for old men who are drunk on soju to say "I love you", "you very beautiful", and request that you sit next to them and pour them more soju.
6) Koreans are incredibly nice, especially if they have no other customers or are have some free time.
7) Korean humor is.....different.
8) The majority of reality tv is held within a sauna or on a very open set.
8a) These game shows have subtitles of what people are saying for 70% of the show.
9) Most everything here is cheap.
10) Korean pizza is nothing like American pizza.
11) Every show that is in English will have Korean subtitles. This can be a problem if someone on that show is speaking another language for a few seconds because the English subtitles will be covered.
12) Koreans do not know street names...so make sure you know landmarks.
13) Only morning TV has the time in the upper corner.
14) The only American music you will hear will come for the TV. Either in infomercial form or as a random splurt in a commercial.
15) Classical music is still a big thing here and many Koreans know quite a few classical artists.
16) Koreans will find a way to watch TV. Whether it be on their cellphones, or on tiny portable screens that they carry around. Even a cab driver will have live streaming TV to watch in his cab on the dash.
17) Make sure your socks have no holes and don't smell. (Note: Many people will wear the same clothes several days in a row as it takes a day to line dry clothing.)
18) Street vendors are a great way to buy fresh food or clothes at a cheap price.
19) Korean food can be very spicy, so make sure you have water near by.
20) Never ever drink water out of the tap. Your stomach will die.
21) Make friends. Your Korean friends will help you read strange things attached to your door. Your English speaking friends will help you navigate the Korean landscape.
22) If you talk to enough people....you may know a Korean pop star through six degrees of Kevin Bacon.
23) The Korean men you see on TV are incredibly hot but note that there are lots of thin sexy Korean chicks for them to gawk over...this includes your English-speaking counterparts.
24) Be prepared to see half naked woman and some naughty sex scenes at 10pm.
25) Don't be surprised if you see children walking around by themselves and playing at night. They are incredibly independent.
And that's all I can think of at this moment in time but I'm sure there will be more.