Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Only in Korea

Ok, well only in Korea as compared to any WESTERN countries I've visited...

Only in Korea...
Can you walk up and down the same streets and pass the same buildings every day, but still be able to find something new every time you look up

Only in Korea...
Can you buy what you think is mint chocolate chip ice cream and have it turn out to be green tea ice cream with pinto beans...YUMMY (actually it's quite gross)

Only in Korea...
Will you constantly be stared at by the locals as if they are trying to discover through telepathy what has possessed you to inhabit their country

Only in Korea...
Can you walk 2 minutes off the buzzing thoroughfare and find peace and tranquility in a worn alleyway with lush mountains as its backdrop

Only in Korea...
Will drunk guys on the subway ramble on to you in Korean, somehow expecting that if they just talk louder and keep repeating the same thing, you will understand them, even though you clearly do not speak Korean

Only in Korea...
Are fried grubs and dried squid popular snacks among children

Only in Korea...
Can an old lady cut in front of you in line or kick you out of your seat on the bus by sitting on you...and completely get away with it (the latter has not happened to me, but I've seen it)

Only in Korea...
Will you see men holding hands, putting their arms around each other, etc--but only as a sign of friendship and affection, not homosexuality

Only in Korea...
Will boyfriends/girlfriends wear matching outfits on a regular basis

Only in Korea...
Do you see dogs wandering around in bars and restaurants

Only in Korea...
Do middle school girls come up to you, say "hello," and when you say hello back, start giggling and talking excitedly amongst themselves

Only in Korea...
Can you walk down a dark alleyway in the middle of the night without the slightest fear that something bad is going to happen

Only in Korea...
Are the drivers so crazy that their horns are primarily used to warn pedestrians and other drivers that they're going through a red light. (The traffic rules here are not so much "rules" as "guidelines," if they can even be called that)

Only in Korea...
Is it quite common for people to dye the ears and tails of their dogs bright colors like pink, red or orange.

Only in Korea...
Can you find open markets all over the place, with everything from fresh eel and squid to clothes and shoes to toilet paper

Only in Korea...
Did the government decide to get rid of trash cans so they could attempt to make more money by telling people they have to buy special trash bags to put their garbage in and leave on the street (which honestly is not working--we all use whatever grocery bag we have and a lot of people just throw their trash wherever now)

Only in Korea...
Can you feel the significant change in seasons in less than a 24-hour time period