What NOT to do in Korea...

1. Greet people like the French (a kiss on either cheek) or slap their back, like the Greek. The customary Korean greeting is a slight bow of the head and, in some cases, a handshake: right hand in one or both hands.

In Canada last year, Hwan had Korean friends over for dinner and I made the mistake of hugging them hello. They approached him to clarify- what was the deal.. was I romantically interested? Oops.

Don't wave hello. It's acceptable among close friends but not elders. There are many formalities in Korea, and if you're saying anyoasayo: the formal hello, waving undermines the respect.

2. Eat rice or stew: jiggae with chopsticks. You'll look like an amateur. Even Koreans use spoons. Also, refrain from sticking chopsticks straight up in your rice, like you're honoring the dead, and eat your kimbap in one bite! Read my post on restaurant/bar etiquette here.

3. Casually link arms with someone of the opposite sex. Girls often link arms with girlfriends but but co-ed arm linking is likened to holding hands; it's an intimate act.

4. Resist sharing or accepting food. Even children, the uber selfish, break a chocolate bar into 10 pieces so everybody can have some.

When invited to someones house for dinner, never fish in your kimchi jiggae for a rice cake or chunk of beef. Just eat. Also, try to clean your plate and always act appreciative.

5. Wear a tank top. Girls- there's a double standard in Korea. You can show thigh in a mid-winter miniskirt but, for some reason, you aren't supposed to reveal too much arm. I learned this at my work Christmas party! It was boiling hot and my coworkers kept asking if I was cold and should put a sweater on.

6. Forget to reply to a text message. Koreans never leave the house without their phone, and they slide it open about once ever 5 minutes, to see if they missed a message. An exaggeration? Maybe, but if it takes you longer than an hour to reply to a msg., you better have a damn good excuse.

7. Dye your hair a crazy color. It ain't Japan!

8. Write a student's name in red (inferring death), call them a "bad boy" or "bad girl," call them crazy, which translates to "psychopathic," wave them over like you would livestock; wave with your palm down, curling your fingers towards yourself, instead.

9. Rush romance. Koreans are friends for months before feelings develop. There isn't a 'love at first sight' mentality- lust at first sight, maybe. Friendship in Korea is the bud of love, and that bud takes a long time to develop.

Many of my Korean friends (couples) dated for 4 months+ before they held hands for the first time. And no canoodling at the park! Public displays of affection: anything more than a hug on the subway or linked arms on the street, are frowned upon.

10. Women- Profess your feelings first. Korean men are always the first to ask a girl on a date, and later if she wants to "be a couple". Women should never, ever say, "I love you,' first.
It's still a male dominated society, and Korean men expect to be the pursuers.

11. (Bonus) Praise Kim Jong ll's love of luxury items. Talk about what great taste he has in cars, clothing, electronics...

Brought to you from the streets of Suwon:

My Photographs of Korea

Suwon Ladies

Suwon- stormy night



Suwon- side street

Suwon- pedestrians

Seoul

Seoul- City Hall area

Traditional Folk Village

Suwon

Traditional Folk Village

A palace in Seoul

Seoul

Korean nightlife, Suwon

I've played it safe in Korea. I'm not a big nightlife girl and have yet to dance at a mafia-owned bar in Youngsan-dong, or visit Hongdae on "club day"- where one buys a 10$ pass to a number of clubs so packed you can't push your way to the bathroom.

The nightlife I've experienced is a tame one- certainly a watered down version of the fun I had in Montreal. My Korean nights usually fit the same mould: dinner, then to a bar where I sit at a booth with friends, nursing beer and talking. Norebang is sometimes part of the equation.

There is a darker side of Korea. Some women are here on 'Entertainment Visas', and if they don't work as prostitutes, they're employed at Juicy clubs, where men pay 10 times the regular cost of drinks for the company of attractive women. Suwon's Hotel Castle has a club with martinis (and girls) on the menu.

Last night I wanted live music in Suwon. There's no such thing. Tae Hun was driving and didn't want to brave Seoul traffic to go out in Hongdae, so we started our night off at 'Live Cafe' in Yongin:

I've been consistently disappointed by Western food in Korea, and the pizza Kyle and I shared tasted like a piece of cardboard. I would have preferred a good galbi soup.

The music was a one man band. He played a good Simon and Garfunkel tune, but the Korean ballads made a small impact on me:

We headed back to Suwon and settled at KING Luxury karaoke club, near Ajou University. Most places charge 12-15$ for an hour of karaoke, but this "luxury" establishment cost us an extra 8-. We smuggled in a bottle of wine, and drank as we sang. Is the chandelier worth the hiked-up price? You decide:

Next, we went to the Cass bar near Ajou:

I said it and I'll say it again. Even if you've just had dinner and you go to a bar, you'll be ordering more food. It's a social norm. Just look at our greasy platter of drink house food!

The bar was nothing special. Generally I'd say the nightlife near SUWON STATION is more exciting. The bars are more populated, and although there aren't many foreigners in Suwon, you're more likely to run into them there.

The cherry on top of our night was a smoky P.C. room where we played computer games. It was my first time ever, and I went as a social experiment more than anything. The room was packed with nearly 100 young men, staring at their screens. 'Bad guys' were shot at with with machetes, blood splattered onto the boys' Saturday night. They took breaks to light up a new cigarette or answer a text message.

Eye on Traditional Korean Games.

No, not computer games, although that's the passion among youth nowadays. A guide to Bull Fighting, Korean chess, Paduk, and other traditional games/sports, like taekwondo, here.

I'm going to focus on three games I've experienced: Korean seesaw, "Stick in hole," and Yut.

If you visit the Traditional Korean Folk Village, which faithfully recreates the lifestyle of the Chosun era (1392-1910), you can try games like Korean seesaw-- more fun than our seated version at the local park.

Koreans stand on either side and jump down hard, propelling each other into the air! Sounds like a young boy's dream, but the game was most popular among females.

My student told me the above game translates to "stick in hole"- pretty self explanatory, I'd say! Chung and I gave it a go, but didn't follow the rules. If you find a good resource, I'll post more details.

On Lunar New New Years, I played the traditional board game, Yut Nori, with Tae Hun's family. I was wearing a skirt so his grandmother made it her job to keep my lap covered. Anytime I sat down, she placed a pillow over my knees. How risky of me not to use one!

Above are the Yut Nori pieces. We put a modern spin on the game; the losing team took the winners out for Baskin Robbins ice cream!

Strategy and skill are involved but it's primarily luck based, and was at one time used in fortune telling. The origin is interesting. Depending on how the wooden pieces land, you call out the Korean equivalent of 'pig', 'dog', 'sheep', 'cow' and 'horse,' originally a bet by villagers to raise 5 different kinds of livestock.

What I liked best is the spectacle-nature of this traditional game. Tae Hun's family stood around cheering like it was a football match! Enthusiasm is a must. Learn how to play in the Wikipedia 'How to Play' section.

Inside a Bowl of Bipimbap

Before I stirred the contents with chopsticks, my bipimbap was a work of art, ingredients in their respective provinces, topped with a sunny egg, jiggly yellow belly in the middle.

This dish, apparently a favorite of Gweneth Paltrow, is most famous in the rice growing valleys of South Korea. Each region has cuisine unique to its climate. For instance, mushrooms and other wild plants are cultivated in the mountains, so North Eastern Korea has staple food with wild ferns and native roots.

What's in bipimbap, you ask? You can easily make it at home. Bipimbap is rice topped with dried seaweed, kimchi, lettuce, cucumber, sprouts (or alternative vegetables), and egg!

It's delicious and frankly less of a commitment than a boiling cauldron of kimchi jiggae. Kimchi jiggae takes time to prepare, then needs to sit and cool. Bits of red pepper cling to your teeth-- you find out who your true friends are, afterwards! Who needs that hassle?

If you're on the run, order bipimbap, served in less than 5 minutes. It's flavored by gochujang: red chili paste, healthy and cheap: 3,000 W.

Korean Students

A class leaning over my desk as I mark their tests. Are they not happy with the grades? The boy on the right looks like he's about to start a petition!

We change classes every 3 months, and I got a lively new bunch on Monday. Here are some questions they asked me:

1. Are you Australian?
2. How much money do you make- your salary?
3. Where your Mom live? Do you miss her a lot?
4. Can you eat Korean food, or only bread and stuff?
5. If you have a boyfriend, can I see a picture?
6. Are you human?