I wanted to add a few more things I have learned while in Korea that are norms for them and obviously foreign to me!
1. Never write someones name in red. It means that they will die. Extreme? Maybe, but they are serious about this! I make sure to never write my students name with my red pen.
2. The number 4 is a bad number. I think it means something evil. So in elevators they do not have the number 4 when crossing that floor. Instead they simply have the letter f. One will see the elevator go up, 1,2,3,f,5,6 and so on. Pretty interesting!
3. Standing with your hands up above your head is a valid punishment here. I have seen multiple kids do this in the hallway and wonder whats going on. Apparently they were bad and instead of just a time out, they have to stand on their time out with their hands held above their head until its over. I might adopt this for my own kids someday! Haha!
4. They double park cars here and leave a note with their phone number on the windshield of their car so that when the person they blocked in needs to leave they can call their cell phone to come move it.
Pretty interesting stuff! It is really cool learning about all the traditions and beliefs that are in Korea!
Ab
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Hello Korea, meet Abbies 80's moves..
It is official. I have broken Korea in. Now I know many of you already are anticipating what I am going to say as I posted it on my Facebook, but I shall inform others of my exciting weekend.
A couple weekends ago I actually had plans. Many that know me will be wondering how this is different than any other weekend, but since being in Korea my weekends have not been as busy as when I was home. This is solely because I am still getting acquainted with not only the area, but the people (my co-workers and other Daejeon citizens). Anyway, my new friends and coworkers became the catalyst to my good times.
I started my Saturday shopping at an underground shopping area with my friend Susan. We had to take the subway to get there and with my newly purchased subway card I was set to go. The underground shops are packed with items and one can tell the difference between the more spendy stores and the not so spendy stores by the color of their light up sign. Above ground had tons of people enjoying the beautiful winter day by eating ice cream, buying food from street vendors or playing the carnival like games they have set up daily. I entered a few stores in the underground shopping area looking for whatever cool or somewhat eccentric piece I could find as I enjoy attempting to pull them off. Instead of buying anything crazy I went the practical route and bought a couple sweaters that I could wear in my frigidly cold school. I also bought an awesome vest that was made out of lamb skin. I bargained with both stores I bought things at to see if I could get a deal (and when I say I bargained, I mean Susan) I got ₩10,000 off the first two items and about ₩30,000 off of the vest! This was a great deal, the lady said as long as I came back with friends to shop at her store she was okay with it. Thank God I had Susan with me because I would have not known that one should not pay full price at these places and that asking for deals was a norm, I also would have no clue what to say. So far I have not seen too many crazy clothing types, a lot of short skirts though! I could not understand how the women I saw wearing such short skirts in winter weren’t freezing their butt off or how their leg hairs weren’t growing an inch a minute. Apparently in Korea it is okay to show a lot of leg, but showing some cleavage is less accepted. After all the shopping and bargaining we went to grab food at this delicious restaurant. I must say that besides the intestines, there has not been food I haven’t liked that I have eaten here!
That night a few coworkers and I went to see a friend of ours play in her band. It was great as I love live music so much and the fact that the band was 80’s inspired made it that much better. Even though I could not pack all my 80’s gear I did find a place for some of my most key items. That night I wore my gold jacket and black acid wash shorts over leggings. I was completely ecstatic that there was some 80’s flare here and got inspired when the song “Jesse’s Girl” came on. Needless to say I broke it down 80’s style for the entire bar. I left my friends in awe with their mouths left open thinking that this was a dance routine I have done often and while I have done those moves before I have never done them in that sequence. That’s talent. J I stayed out that night with my friend Laura and went to a Korean club. This was not really my scene because Techno is not really my thing, but I had a good time. I figured why night try everything once! At one point I got detached from Laura and went to the bar and posted up for a bit. I saw that there was a girl sitting next to me that seemed as if she was alone too so I introduced myself and started talking to her. I thought, hey, might as well make friends while I’m here! Well, I forgot where I was because obviously not everyone speaks English and this girl spoke very little. You know me, thought, I did not give up and kept talking to her anyway, in true Abbie fashion.
I had a great time breaking Korea in that weekend and went into the week feeling good about being here, even more so than I already did. The kids were all sorts of crazy, but I DID get called Super Woman a few times because they thought I was super strong as well as wonderful and pretty. I guess you could say they made up for being a little nutty in gym class. At least I get to play with them and kick them out after 40 minutes! (Jk I love the kiddos...) Anyway since then things have been pretty uneventful. I did get my ARC card, though, so the ball has finally started rolling and I can soon be official here in Korea. Things have been great. I made knew friends, got closer with my co-workers and am now the girl volunteered to do things other people might be too embarrassed or nervous to do all because of my sweet 80’s dance. I can’t blame them though; it was nothing short of amazing.
A couple weekends ago I actually had plans. Many that know me will be wondering how this is different than any other weekend, but since being in Korea my weekends have not been as busy as when I was home. This is solely because I am still getting acquainted with not only the area, but the people (my co-workers and other Daejeon citizens). Anyway, my new friends and coworkers became the catalyst to my good times.
I started my Saturday shopping at an underground shopping area with my friend Susan. We had to take the subway to get there and with my newly purchased subway card I was set to go. The underground shops are packed with items and one can tell the difference between the more spendy stores and the not so spendy stores by the color of their light up sign. Above ground had tons of people enjoying the beautiful winter day by eating ice cream, buying food from street vendors or playing the carnival like games they have set up daily. I entered a few stores in the underground shopping area looking for whatever cool or somewhat eccentric piece I could find as I enjoy attempting to pull them off. Instead of buying anything crazy I went the practical route and bought a couple sweaters that I could wear in my frigidly cold school. I also bought an awesome vest that was made out of lamb skin. I bargained with both stores I bought things at to see if I could get a deal (and when I say I bargained, I mean Susan) I got ₩10,000 off the first two items and about ₩30,000 off of the vest! This was a great deal, the lady said as long as I came back with friends to shop at her store she was okay with it. Thank God I had Susan with me because I would have not known that one should not pay full price at these places and that asking for deals was a norm, I also would have no clue what to say. So far I have not seen too many crazy clothing types, a lot of short skirts though! I could not understand how the women I saw wearing such short skirts in winter weren’t freezing their butt off or how their leg hairs weren’t growing an inch a minute. Apparently in Korea it is okay to show a lot of leg, but showing some cleavage is less accepted. After all the shopping and bargaining we went to grab food at this delicious restaurant. I must say that besides the intestines, there has not been food I haven’t liked that I have eaten here!
That night a few coworkers and I went to see a friend of ours play in her band. It was great as I love live music so much and the fact that the band was 80’s inspired made it that much better. Even though I could not pack all my 80’s gear I did find a place for some of my most key items. That night I wore my gold jacket and black acid wash shorts over leggings. I was completely ecstatic that there was some 80’s flare here and got inspired when the song “Jesse’s Girl” came on. Needless to say I broke it down 80’s style for the entire bar. I left my friends in awe with their mouths left open thinking that this was a dance routine I have done often and while I have done those moves before I have never done them in that sequence. That’s talent. J I stayed out that night with my friend Laura and went to a Korean club. This was not really my scene because Techno is not really my thing, but I had a good time. I figured why night try everything once! At one point I got detached from Laura and went to the bar and posted up for a bit. I saw that there was a girl sitting next to me that seemed as if she was alone too so I introduced myself and started talking to her. I thought, hey, might as well make friends while I’m here! Well, I forgot where I was because obviously not everyone speaks English and this girl spoke very little. You know me, thought, I did not give up and kept talking to her anyway, in true Abbie fashion.
I had a great time breaking Korea in that weekend and went into the week feeling good about being here, even more so than I already did. The kids were all sorts of crazy, but I DID get called Super Woman a few times because they thought I was super strong as well as wonderful and pretty. I guess you could say they made up for being a little nutty in gym class. At least I get to play with them and kick them out after 40 minutes! (Jk I love the kiddos...) Anyway since then things have been pretty uneventful. I did get my ARC card, though, so the ball has finally started rolling and I can soon be official here in Korea. Things have been great. I made knew friends, got closer with my co-workers and am now the girl volunteered to do things other people might be too embarrassed or nervous to do all because of my sweet 80’s dance. I can’t blame them though; it was nothing short of amazing.
Love
Ab
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