Korean Oddities and Wonders
1. Crocs - this is a virtually unheard of phenomena in Korea. During the Monsoon season I wore mine a lot - it made sense, the streets were near flooded everyday. But the wonder of it! (To Koreans). My students would point and question and laugh, crying 'bathroom shoes! Teacher! Bathroom shoes!'. To which I tried to explain, they aren't bathroom shoes - practically everyone wears them in Canada. The new cry as I entered the room. 'Teacher! Canada shoes! Canada shoes!' amid snickers as they whispered 'bathroom shoes' to each other.
2. As the rainy season subsided and the ridculous heat and scorching sun began I noticed . . . the women are still using umbrellas - there's actually blue sky - but still the umbrellas . . . oh - that's not an umbrella (though some of them were) that's a parasol! Yup - Korean women still have the idea that the paler you are the more beautiful you are. Some even wear foundation that is very obviously shades to light for them. I discovered though, that vanity aside the whole parasol thing makes a lot of sense. It does the job of sunscreen to protect the skin AND it lesons the heat from the sun a noticeable amount. Yep - I began using my umbrella during walks to school with the sun shining amid beautiful blue skies.
3. Squeamish guys may want to bypass this next one. Bras. Bras are in abundance here. You see them lining the streets in some spots. Beautiful bras, cute frilly bras, sexy bras. And you can get them for $2-$3 dollars. It's incredible! A paradise of lingerie . . . but only for those women who do NOT fall under the category of 'voluptuous'. The biggest size is B cup. If you're larger than that I guess the assumption is that you're nursing or a granny so those are the only types of bras you can buy without ordering them and paying ridiculous amounts. Ay me, one of the big foreigners! This goes somewhat for shoes as well. My foot size (9) is the biggest that is made and it's a rare find. I was looking for some shoes a few weeks ago and it was hard! I received lot's of under the breath comments of 'big. Very big. Large size. Or - too big.' One salesperson handed me a huge pair of mens black sneakers when I was looking for black dress shoes (probably about a size 11). Oh, and clothes! Again I was led to the men's section where a slightly kinder salesperson insisted - no. It's okay. Unisex.
4. Pizza - my first pizza in Korea had sliced potatoes, a sweet potatoe crust filler and corn. Yep. 'Nough said.
5. Washing machines. They're monsters! They pulvarize clothes. You need to put clothes in mesh bags to 'keep them safe' but the machine often manages to ravage the bag and pull the clothes out. They ruin the elasticity, and friends have said that their clothes end up having random rips - like in the middle of the back.
6. Squatters - I think I must have mentioned these before. Toilets are in the floor, and you squat over them. Aim is important or it can be a mess. I've never had to think about aim before (well maybe a bit on those pulling over to the side of the road washroom breaks growing up). It's new, but you get used to it. A lot of Koreans squat all the time. Squatting on a street corner having a smoke, squatting as they sweep with these brooms that look like they were made for a three year old. I guess if you grow up doing it in the washroom, it becomes easy. . . though I've also noticed that a lot of Koreans seem a little bow legged. I've heard this is why.
7. Parking. It's done anywhere and everywhere. My street is just a thin two-lane. And the cars park on both sides so everyone has to drive down the middle of the road and pull off to the side if they face oncoming traffic. Cars often parrallel, but if there's no space they'll just pull in, up on the sidwalk and go practically perpendicular. Corners are the worst - there's been a few times when I've gotten semi trapped between cars parked on the corners and the buildings there. I just end up having to walk around and go down the middle of the street.
8. Couple outfits. That's right, guys and girls who are an item where the same clothing. Sometimes it's unisex, which is bad enough, but I've also seen guys in frilly, knit, baby blue sweaters, and pink flowery shirts that match their lady. It even goes for underwear! In the department store they'll have a cute bra and pantie set on a rack - pink polka dots, or pastel stripes, and beside it are men's briefs or thongs in the same pattern.
9. This one isn't exactly a Korean oddity or wonder, but it was for me and it happened here. The first bar band (and only) I went to see in Korea was an all Phillipino group that opened with a Bob Marley cover. Later on, they called a friend up to do an Eminem song. And so this black guy starts giving it all he's got, playing it up with the audience, flirting with the ladies as he 'raps' about the difficulties and controversy of being a white rapper trying to make it, while doing a pretty poor job of it. I'm laughing hysterically - I can hardly hold myself together from the irony of it. No one else is laughing though . . . and some are looking at me as if I'm laughing at him. ('Cause it really is rather pathetic showing). It saddens me that they can't see the humour in this situation.
2. As the rainy season subsided and the ridculous heat and scorching sun began I noticed . . . the women are still using umbrellas - there's actually blue sky - but still the umbrellas . . . oh - that's not an umbrella (though some of them were) that's a parasol! Yup - Korean women still have the idea that the paler you are the more beautiful you are. Some even wear foundation that is very obviously shades to light for them. I discovered though, that vanity aside the whole parasol thing makes a lot of sense. It does the job of sunscreen to protect the skin AND it lesons the heat from the sun a noticeable amount. Yep - I began using my umbrella during walks to school with the sun shining amid beautiful blue skies.
3. Squeamish guys may want to bypass this next one. Bras. Bras are in abundance here. You see them lining the streets in some spots. Beautiful bras, cute frilly bras, sexy bras. And you can get them for $2-$3 dollars. It's incredible! A paradise of lingerie . . . but only for those women who do NOT fall under the category of 'voluptuous'. The biggest size is B cup. If you're larger than that I guess the assumption is that you're nursing or a granny so those are the only types of bras you can buy without ordering them and paying ridiculous amounts. Ay me, one of the big foreigners! This goes somewhat for shoes as well. My foot size (9) is the biggest that is made and it's a rare find. I was looking for some shoes a few weeks ago and it was hard! I received lot's of under the breath comments of 'big. Very big. Large size. Or - too big.' One salesperson handed me a huge pair of mens black sneakers when I was looking for black dress shoes (probably about a size 11). Oh, and clothes! Again I was led to the men's section where a slightly kinder salesperson insisted - no. It's okay. Unisex.
4. Pizza - my first pizza in Korea had sliced potatoes, a sweet potatoe crust filler and corn. Yep. 'Nough said.
5. Washing machines. They're monsters! They pulvarize clothes. You need to put clothes in mesh bags to 'keep them safe' but the machine often manages to ravage the bag and pull the clothes out. They ruin the elasticity, and friends have said that their clothes end up having random rips - like in the middle of the back.
6. Squatters - I think I must have mentioned these before. Toilets are in the floor, and you squat over them. Aim is important or it can be a mess. I've never had to think about aim before (well maybe a bit on those pulling over to the side of the road washroom breaks growing up). It's new, but you get used to it. A lot of Koreans squat all the time. Squatting on a street corner having a smoke, squatting as they sweep with these brooms that look like they were made for a three year old. I guess if you grow up doing it in the washroom, it becomes easy. . . though I've also noticed that a lot of Koreans seem a little bow legged. I've heard this is why.
7. Parking. It's done anywhere and everywhere. My street is just a thin two-lane. And the cars park on both sides so everyone has to drive down the middle of the road and pull off to the side if they face oncoming traffic. Cars often parrallel, but if there's no space they'll just pull in, up on the sidwalk and go practically perpendicular. Corners are the worst - there's been a few times when I've gotten semi trapped between cars parked on the corners and the buildings there. I just end up having to walk around and go down the middle of the street.
8. Couple outfits. That's right, guys and girls who are an item where the same clothing. Sometimes it's unisex, which is bad enough, but I've also seen guys in frilly, knit, baby blue sweaters, and pink flowery shirts that match their lady. It even goes for underwear! In the department store they'll have a cute bra and pantie set on a rack - pink polka dots, or pastel stripes, and beside it are men's briefs or thongs in the same pattern.
9. This one isn't exactly a Korean oddity or wonder, but it was for me and it happened here. The first bar band (and only) I went to see in Korea was an all Phillipino group that opened with a Bob Marley cover. Later on, they called a friend up to do an Eminem song. And so this black guy starts giving it all he's got, playing it up with the audience, flirting with the ladies as he 'raps' about the difficulties and controversy of being a white rapper trying to make it, while doing a pretty poor job of it. I'm laughing hysterically - I can hardly hold myself together from the irony of it. No one else is laughing though . . . and some are looking at me as if I'm laughing at him. ('Cause it really is rather pathetic showing). It saddens me that they can't see the humour in this situation.
posted by Charles at 5:54 AM
3 Comments:
i laughed. i cried. it moved me bob
you so funny charlie.
You know I would have been there right with you laughing at that poor, brave, dilusional man.
Great article....made us understand a little more about Korean customs.
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