Today I wanted to share a few differences I’ve noticed between SK and US. There are lots of little things, but I’ve tried to categorize some of the main ones. If you want to know more, just leave a comment 🙂
Not many pictures in this post, but I promise there will be lots in the next!
Fashion.
In Kentucky, if you dress up on a normal day (it doesn’t even have to be very fancy) everyone will ask “Why are you so dressed up?” In Korea, looks are very important. There are many cosmetic and clothing stores, and everyone dresses really well. Even the guys dress well and have sharp-looking haircuts. Korean girls almost always wear their hair down. Like, ALWAYS. I didn’t realize how much American girls put their hair up until I came here.
With my Korean buddy SunMyung at Seoul immigration office to apply for my alien registration card. He’s very stylish. We traded circle glasses for a picture.
At Lotte World, a really cute amusement park in Seoul. Headbands in the shape of bunny ears/bows are the equivalent of Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears in Disneyland.
In Korea, you always take off your shoes before coming into the house. Therefore, it is important to have cute socks! This store in Anyang sold only socks.
Hair accessory wall in Artbox, a popular store that sells miscellaneous cute items such as notebooks, umbrellas, candy, clocks, etc.
Technology.
Wifi everywhere! Well, almost. Now that I have a Korean SIM card, I get free Olleh wifi many places. It is available everywhere in the metro (how else would Koreans be able to keep up with their favorite Kdramas?). Everyone here has big Samsung phones. Because Samsung phones have removable batteries, you see a lot of charging stations in places like schools. You pay some money to plug in your battery inside of a little locked box and pick it up later.
Shopping.
In Kentucky, people selling on the street would be suspicious. We tend to have big stores like Walmart where you buy recognizable brands and many products in one place. You can also bargain for better prices, which is not as common in the US. I’ve bought a few things since I’ve been here, which I plan to share soon.
In Ilbanga, a small area in Anyang with lots of restaurants and shops. It is across from the subway station. About 10-15 minutes walking distance from the school.
Food culture.
I really like the Korean style of eating. You usually order several large dishes of food that everyone shares. It is normal to double dip in sauces and to lean over the table to reach the food. Slurping hot noodles is also normal. The only downsides I’ve noticed so far are that Koreans think drinking water while eating is bad for digestion, so restaurants give you tiny water glasses. It’s either self-serve water or they bring you a 1-liter pitcher to pour from. Also, the bill usually isn’t split. Either you take turns paying for the meal, or everyone chips in cash. This can be difficult for budgeting or unfair if you don’t eat much.
Drinking culture.
Many of the bars here are set up with closed rooms (like if you were inside a train car) instead of an open room. It is set up so that you can hang out with just your friend group instead of meeting new people. Koreans always eat when they drink. You are expected to order at least one food item. The food is always expensive, but the drinks are cheap. A bottle of soju in a bar is about 3500 won (about $3.50). Koreans love drinking games. They’re usually simple or cute games where you have to count, point fingers, or guess the number inside the soju bottle lid.
Out and about.
Stores are jam packed together. Restaurants are often take up 2-3 floors (building up instead of out). This means you have to look EVERYWHERE. Sometimes you find the sign for a store and it takes 5 minutes to find the right door and floor. While you’re looking around, watch out for delivery men! They ride motorbikes and follow traffic laws when it suits them. As soon as I recognize the sound of a motorbike, I get out of the way!
Couple culture.
Couples often wear matching clothes, sometimes entire outfits. So adorable! When I went to Lotte World I saw a LOT of guys holding their girlfriends’ purses, which I thought quite funny. However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen couples kissing in public. You still see other public displays of affection such as holding hands and hugging. I rode bikes by the Han river yesterday and saw a couple of tandem bikes. I’ve also heard that there are loveseats in movie theaters for couples to sit together, but I don’t think there were any when I went (I saw 300: Rise of an Empire in Lotte Cinema).
conniya goes 