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Published: January 10th 2007
Things I love about Korea
- People are accepting, kind, and overly-generous (the other night, when I left the elevator, a 2-yr old girl very graciously and respectfully bowed to me and said good-bye in Korean, a courtesy, of course of which, I returned to the amazement of her parents)
- Bread here is squishy soft
- Snow is always snowball worthy... always
- Currency is about 900 to 1, and that makes me feel rich when I regularly carry tens of thousands around in my wallet
- Meals are served while sitting on the floor (chairs are indeed unnecessary)
- Floors are heated (and this makes eating on the floor that much cooler... or whatever)
- Chopsticks improve fine-motor skills (and this is something everyone should work on)
- You never pour your own drink (respect for others is freely thrown about and this improves relations among everyone)
- Bowing looks 10 times cooler than waving at someone (I've decided, I'm teaching my own children to bow to people when they leave instead of to wave)
- Free bar food can consist of anything from peanuts to fruit loops to squid
- Tax and tip are included in anything that requires tax or tip (a price tag of 5,000 won is so much better than $4.99, because $4.99 ends up being $5.18 and not only is that more, but nobody wants to break a ten and end up with four one's and 82 cents in their pocket)
- Eating out is cheaper than grocery shopping (yes, you heard that correctly - eating out is not just easier, and more fun, but also more cost-effective. I save money eating out.)
- Kimchi has officially become delicious to me (spicy rotten cabbage is indeed an acquired taste)
- Food is shared at a table (I never realized how selfish and greedy we were in America only eating from our own plates and making everyone stick to their own "territory")
- Group harmony is prized more than individuality (though individuality is not scorned, but encouraged to become embraced by all, thus losing it's quality of individuality - hence, strengthening the group harmony...)
- Cellphone plans can be as cheap as $10 a month (even though I don't have a 'hand phone,' $10 is still pretty awesome)
- Mopeds are prevalent everywhere and drive wherever they want (sidewalks, crosswalks, the wrong way down a one-way street - just like I did in Virginia, except they don't get pulled over in Korea, giving Korea the advantage)
- Buses are cheap and ridiculously convenient (and safe, and clean, and comfortable)
- Subways are like buses
- Taxis are cheap for a group going a short distance (not to mention tax and tip are included!)
- Pancakes have evolved to include options such as "cinnamon and sugar-filled cooked by a street vendor and served in a paper cup", and "green pepper, red pepper, onion, and octopus-filled dipped in soy sauce and served for dinner" (and I love pancakes with sugar, or octopus in them - tasty!)
(...To Be Continued...)
Mr. Boggle's Bundle of Joy
Deciding to come to Korea was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The joy I am experiencing is best expressed by the pronunciation of the word "joy" by my good neighbor back in Virginia, whom I shall refer to as Mr. Boggle.
Mr. Boggle is a dog lover. He loves dogs. He has had at least two dogs since I've known him and I've known him long enough to know that his passion in life is somehow connected to the pleasure derived from owning more than one dog. Mr. Boggle's dream in life was to own the pinnacle of all dogs - the poodle. No, not the scrawny toy poodle that you just imagined, but Mr. Boggle has dreamed since he was a young boy to own a full-grown (regulation size) poodle. We're talking Labrador/ German Sheppard-sized poodle.
Well, not too long ago, upon retirement, Mr. Boggle was able to fulfill his boyhood dream by spending his retirement savings on the dog of his dreams: a beautiful, over-excited, bundle of white poodle pleasure. This dog has brought so much pleasure into Mr. Boggle's life that it only made sense to name this heavenly poodle, Joy.
When Joy is let out to "do her business" in the unfenced front yard, she gleefully prances about the neighborhood as if everyday is Christmas morning and her gift is the world. This gleeful roaming about the neighborhood is Mr. Boggle's gift from Joy, and as if he couldn't think of anything more pleasurable to do, Mr. Boggle happily pops out of his front door and calls for his precious poodle to return. Now, most dog owners are annoyed when their dog runs free and the call to return usually involves a slightly deeper, and angrier voice. However, this is not the case with Mr. Boggle. There is nothing that Mr. Boggle does with more pleasure, than call for his dog to return home. This is clearly shown in his pronunciation of his dog's name, which happens to be the best word to describe how he feels when he's calling the name: Joy. It begins with the most subtle "aaah" as if he cannot help but release a gentle sign of pleasure before calling his dog's name. Then, the rest of the name-calling takes on a musical accent that can only be described as a mix between the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Gregorian monks, and Marilyn Monroe's voice when she sang "Happy Birthday Mr. President" to President Kennedy. It consists of the angelic reverence of the choir, the hallowed depth of the monks, with a touch of the breathy quality of Marilyn's voice tacked on to the end. In written form it may appear as "(ah) Juuuuuooy... Comere Juuoy!" In spoken form, it is a centerpiece representing Life's Lesson that dreams do come true!
Mr. Boggle, it is the way you call your dog's name that best represents the feelings about my decision to come to Korea. For this, I send my sincere gratitude your way.
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beabef
non-member comment
i think i just wet my pants a little bit.