We have done a lot of things since we last posted and I hope we can get you all caught up on everything.
I felt like it is only suiting to make a post about something we have learned a lot about and that is the Korean culture. Now, when I am talking about Korean culture, I don't mean the traditional old school culture. I want to talk about the ever day culture that we are exposed to, such as general do's and don'ts, food, and just general things that Koreans do.
Marriage:
Let me first tell you about how Korean's are expected to live their lives. Typically, Korean's live with their parents until they get married. They live in apartments since there are hardly any single family homes around here. Once a married couple moves in together, they are expected to have children soon after and the wife will quit her job to stay home and take care of the kids. The husband is expected to work long hours at a major company and have many late nights out drinking soju with other business men. It isn't rare for Korean children to rarely see their father's because they aren't around when they get home from school.Education:
Korean children go to school year round with 2 breaks in the year. There is one week long break in the summer and one in the winter. At a certain age (usually when they are 2 years old), they will start to feel the pressure to succeed and surpass all the other students in class. This is when they will join Hogwans (private schools) like the school we teach at. A typical elementary student will go to regular school from morning (8:00 AM) until night. They will attend regular Korean school and then go to their Hogwans after school, at a Hogwan they will learn anything from Piano to Art to English. Sometimes they will be in school until midnight. Our school has after school programs for elementary students to come to for 2 hours a few days a week. Our school is basically a kindergarden where the kids come to us during the day and go to other Hogwans after school.Being White in Korea:
Some of you may wonder how it is being white in Korea. Let me tell you... it was really hard at first getting used to all the stares and glares. I certainly have moments when I don't feel like I belong and the attention is very unwelcome at time. I am learning how to respond to the men that come up to me and ask if I am Russian and wanting to know if I am a prostitute. For Michael, he gets told on a regular basis how handsome he is by older Korean men. Being white here does have it's perks though, every now and then we will get things for free, it's called "service". I believe we are on some tourist tv show somewhere because of the cameras that have been in our faces during events that we have attended. It's normal for us to get pointed out on the street, and hearing, "Foreigner!" in Korean.Being a Korean Female:
I feel the pressure sometimes that I have to look my best everywhere I go. Korean females have a lot of pressure to be perfect, that is why plastic surgery is so cheap and popular here. Many Koreans get their eyelids and noses done, men too. Walking around here it is easy to see how important looks are to these people because there are mirrors everywhere! Is it very normal to see someone staring at themselves in a mirror for a long time poking at their face. I just shrug and look away.Food:
Korean food for the most part is pretty good, we have been staying away from seafood though. We really enjoy Korean barbecue and the different types of soups/stews. Korean food usually comes with multiple side dishes and kimchi or course, which has grown on both of us. If we don't have kimchi for a few days, we will find ourselves craving it. Here is a list of some of our favorite Korean foods.
Kimchi: Spicy fermented cabbage
Pajeon: Pancake with green onions: made many different ways, with seafood, kimchi, beef, or pork
Galbi: (our favorite) Grilled short ribs that are seasoned with korean soy sauce. Served with a lot of vegetables to make your own wraps. You cook everything yourself.
Samgypeopsal: Thick fatty slices of pork belly, not marinated or seasoned. Cooked at the table and dipped in sesame oil with vegetables you can make your own wraps.
Korean Ramen: Absolutely delicious! It's cheap and easy to make just like the ramen back home. This ramen is spicy and comes in so many different flavors. I like to make mine with just a little water and add a slice of cheese and hard boiled egg in it. yum!
Rice Cake: These little balls are filled with sweet sesame seed syrup. They are very chewy and made from rice. Not my personal favorite. This is only one type of many rice cakes.
Fried Chicken: Korean's make the best fried chicken I think I have ever had. A lot of places a dish that is sweet and spicy and that is my favorite!
Tteokbokki: This is made with cut up pieces of rice cake in a spicy red sauce. You can find it at many street food vendors.
Kimbap: Korean "Sushi" very cheap rice and seaweed roll filled with loads of vegetables, sometimes tuna, crab or cheese.
Alcohol:
Koreans drink quite a bit. It isn't unusual to find someone passed out on a park bench at midnight on a Tuesday night. The drinking culture here consists of eating and drinking together, usually a apart idea. However, it may be hard to just find a bar to have a couple drinks at. That is when you head over to the corner store, buy a couple beers and sit outside on the plastic chairs and watch the people walk by. Korean alcohol consists of beer, soju (very high alcohol content 16%~20%), and plum wines for the most part. Or course you can find all of the other good stuff here too.
K-pop:
K-pop is a music genera that is widely known for their audiovisual elements. If I where to try to compare K-pop to any musical group from the states, I would say it's close to the Backstreet Boys or Spice Girls. Make all of the wardrobes identical, hyper sexual hip thrusts, identical plastic surgery, and some singing talent and you've got yourself a k-pop group.
Well this has turned into quite the novel, but there is so much to share! We will continue to take pictures and post on the blog when we come across the different sights, sounds, smells, and tastes in Korea.
