"Foreigner Startles Young Korean Child"

If my life were a collection of newspaper articles, today's title would be "Foreigner Startles Young Korean Child."

October 2nd. The day a poor, helpless Korean girl came face to face with a foreigner. Unexpected. Startling. She set out for a peaceful shopping trip with Mom to E-Mart, not anticipating the encounter she may never forget. There I was: Blonde hair and blue eyes. "What were those "spots" on her face?" she wonders.

While I may be embellishing for the purpose of this blog a bit, I kid you not, I legitimately scared a Korean girl today. I was shopping at the department store E-Mart. The girl was about 10 years old. She came around the corner and as soon as she saw me, she gasped for air: A foreigner! The gasp was loud and pronounced. Her face was filled with fear. She was in awe, not sure how to react post- gasp. After 3 or 4 seconds of staring, I could tell she kind of felt bad at such a blunt reaction. I started to chuckle, which gave her a sense of relief. Nonetheless, she grabbed onto her Mom's hand for security. I'll never forget that little girl's face. Poor thing.

Don't get me wrong: Koreans are extremely friendly and kind. I have yet to meet a deliberately rude Korean. I don't mind the staring walking down the streets. What can I say, it's not like I blend in even in the slightest. Typically, a group of younger kids or teenagers will walk by and in a very bold, American voice say, "HI." It's strange at first, but definitely amusing after a month.

Speaking of which, I have been in Korea for a month. I feel more and more settled in with each day. I'm thoroughly enjoying my experience and trying to soak up the Korean culture as much possible. I've decided to make this blog about six aspects of Korean culture that I find either fascinating, surprising, or incredibly brilliant.

1. Taking Your Shoes Off: Whenever a Korean enters a home, whether it be your own or a guests, they take off their shoes. Each home or apartment has an entry area accompanied by a shelf for the shoes. This keeps the apartments clean and sanitary. While i'm not a huge fan because of my slight foot-phobia, I think it's a brilliant habit. After a few weeks of resistance, I have given in and now take my shoes off when entering my apartment. Restaurants where you sit on the ground have you take off your shoes also.

2. Restaurants with Ground Seating: Many restaurants in Korea have you sit on the ground to eat. The tables are low and you can sit on a mat with your legs crossed. I find this offers a much more intimate dining experience. Some restaurants offer both tables and ground seating. I prefer sitting at the table, but that's my American laziness kicking in. I have trouble picturing many elder or overweight Americans dining in this fashion, but Koreans of all ages and sizes enjoy this tradition. I am always amazed at the serving staff in these restaurants because they have to bend over an awful lot while serving. Again the whole barefoot aspect bothered me a bit at first, but the delicious food makes it all worthwhile.

3. Communal Dining: Koreans are warm, generous people. This can be seen in their dining habits. The Korean BBQ is a popular Korean dining experience. You often sit on the ground for this. There are burners at the table and you BBQ your meat. This is a social, communal experience. Everyone helps cook the meat. Everyone shares the meat. There are many dishes that Koreans typically share, even sharing the same spoon. While hanging out with Koreans, they made sure I was comfortable sharing the fruit in milk dessert and spoons. Americans wouldn't dare, but I find it charming the way Koreans share.

4. Korean Driving: I have yet to decide whether Koreans are more efficient drivers, or down right scary. One thing is for sure, it's nothing like driving in the States. I am beginning to feel a little more relaxed, but the first 10-20 taxi rides feel like near death experiences. U-turns are acceptable anywhere. It's a good day if the taxi driver at leasts yields at the red light. Stopping would be a waste of gas. It honestly amazes me though: I have yet to see a car accident or the proof of car accidents. Also, I don't think speed signs are followed here. The police don't seem to mind. Let's just say, Koreans are talented and creative drivers.

5. Parking: Koreans also seem to be creative in their parking jobs. Parking on the sidewalk is common. I have seen no signs of parking meters or a threat of receiving a parking ticket. This is because Koreans have a brilliant system: Putting your cell phone number on the dashboard. Most cars have a small electronic screen in the bottom left corner of the front window with a number they can be contacted at, in case someone wants them to move their car. Totally makes sense! Unfortunately, Americans are not honorable enough to follow this system. A more important part of Korean culture than this parking system seems to be: Koreans do the right thing.

6. Coffee and Cats: This last aspect is by no means a representation of Korean culture, but I wanted to add it in for laughs. While downtown yesterday, I was informed of a coffee shop named Coffee and Cats. You guessed it. Enjoy that latte while cats roam around the coffee shop. Being allergic to cats, it doesn't sound enjoyable. However, there's rumor to be a Coffee and Dogs. Keep your dog meat jokes to yourself. I must admit though, when I was in Seoul the first week, I saw what appeared to be a coffee shop but there were cats running around the place. I could not understand what else the place would be other than a place where cat was on the menu. Don't worry, no cat meat is served at Coffee and Cats.

Blogger's disclaimer: I have only been here for a month, so these are merely cultural observations that stand alone, without knowledge of traditional history. I hope to report back with a deeper analysis and explanation of Korean culture. Also, I do not mean to generalize the Korean people in this list. Photos: Kimchi. Coffee and Cats. Downtown Gwangju during festival.

Hope you enjoyed the cultural insight. I also encourage you to find your local Korean restaurant, especially if you like spicy food.

Thanks for reading. Until next time...