NOSE PICKING: So, you will quickly learn if you come to Korea, it is perfectly fine to pick your nose in public. Yes. I'm not even kidding. No matter where you go, or what age/gender the person is (though unless they are very old or very young, it is usually men), you will see people picking their nose: on the street, on the bus, on the subway, in the restaurant. It is a local past time here and they see no harm in it.
One friend of mine interviewed for a job where the director told her that they wanted to make sure to teach the students traditions and proper manners. Her comment: "Like not picking your nose in public." His reply: *totally serious* "You mean you don't do that in America?"
Enough said.
Please note however, it is rude to blow your nose in public. This is something you should leave the room to do. No one wants to see that. But picking it is perfectly understandable.
BTW: From what I've seen in Korea, your finger will not turn green if you continuously pick your nose.
KOREAN AGE: Some people may already know about the Korean "age system", but did you know there are approximately 3 versions?
Yes, indeed. It is hard to know from one person to the next how old they really are. That is why I suggest just asking for the year they were born and doing the math yourself.
Version 1: When you are born, you are one year old already. This is the only understandable thing about their ages. It also exists in all three versions I've heard, but is the only requirement for this version.
Version 2: When you are born, you are one year old already. Then, on New Year’s Eve (even if you were born two minutes before or less), you turn two years old. Then you add a year on at every birthday as per usual.
Version 3: When you are born, you are one year old already. Then, on New Year’s Eve (even if you were born two minutes before or less), you turn two years old. Then for that whole year you are two. The next year you are three. You have a birthday, but it means nothing. Your age is just determined by what year it is and not if you're birthday has passed.
If you don't agree, don't tell me. These are all direct explanations I was given by different Korean people. In other words, if you come to Korea, or meet a Korean, the best thing to do to learn their age is to either ask them the year of birth, or ask for the American age.
BATHROOM NOISES: This is a subject with several interesting bits and pieces to it.
Apparently, it is okay for men (at least old men) to fart in public. They do it anywhere, in the train, department stores, at dinner... all over. Basically, it always happens and no one pays attention to it at all. One day a man let out a loud one on a train and no one even blinked an eye. *but I'm sure they were all thinking about it*
My friend told me this one: If you are in Seoul, feel free to fart. Apparently it is so loud in Seoul that no one is likely to notice. Also, the sewage system here sucks *especially in Seoul* and it always smells like sewage anyways. Therefore, if you stink, no one will notice, if you're loud, no one will hear. She does it whenever she feels like it and no one has ever noticed.
Woman's bathrooms are another interesting place. Since, obviously, women never poop or fart (since it is so impossible for men to comprehend our bodies work the same as theirs), there are noise machines in the woman's bathroom for just such an occasion as she might make any sound when she pees or... otherwise.
If you come here girls, no need to fear, they won't blow up! They just make some nice water/static noise for a few minutes so you can let it all out! God forbid you make a noise!
DRIVING: Though my Korean friends assure me that there are rules to the road here in Korea, I have yet to see any that might exist and actually be followed.
Standing at the traffic light you will watch as car after car and bus after bus go right through the red light. Mind you, I don't mean the way we hit the gas to make the light in America, or how a few random **** go through the light on a whim. No. I mean, at least every other person will just, mosey on through the light whenever they feel that they have waited long enough and it needs to be their turn.
I have no idea how these people live so long with the way they drive.
I have yet to see a stop sign in this country. My friend assures me that they exist, if you go far enough into the mountains and countryside, but never in a city or decent sized town. Instead you will see a white line drawn on the road where they are supposed to stop.... you won't see them stop though.
There are so many things I could point out about their driving, but you would have to see it and live it to understand. If I learned to drive in Korea, I wouldn't fear driving in any American city again. I've been to so many and never seen worse driving than here.
The greatest *in a very sarcastic way* part of the driving laws in Korea would have to be left turns. In Korea, it is a well-known fact that left turns are dangerous. They are so dangerous, in fact, that in many places, wherever there are many lanes and lots of traffic, they are usually illegal.
Now, why is this so weird you wonder...? Well, let me tell you!
This is ridiculous simply because, while left turns are dangerous and illegal, it is perfectly legal to make a U-turn wherever and whenever you damn well feel like it. I can't count the number of times we've come up to the turn and the driver said "No, no, no left turn", then about 20 feet after the light they pull a U-turn into oncoming traffic and your life flashes before you as you wonder where about the in-existence of common sense in this country.
If you think I am ridiculing my current home too much, I will simply add a
link that says it all for me and leave it at that.Fan Death
Just search any article on the reported cases of "fan death" in Korea then tell me that I'm wrong. Really! It's too much sometimes.
However, I guess it makes for an interesting Halloween costume~
I finally saw a bathroom noise machine today at a roadside toilet. Of course I tried it out.
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