Etiquette and Other Things.

So you want to come to Korea but you want to avoid culture shock so are researching the different ways they live. I can tell you right now, you won’t avoid it!

I spent countless night researching and it really did help. I was ahead of the game when it came to ordering food and talking to people but no matter how much you read or hear about, you will be stunned.

Personally I traveled to experience different cultures. I use to try and explain to my family that I wanted to feeling of utter confusion that being in a foreign country brings.

I wanted to be shocked and awed and live in a culture instead of just visit.

If you are traveling to teach but Korea is just a necessity for the job then please be wary. You will never be out of your new culture!

The school I work in is a lovely place but the feeling of confusion is present every second.

Some of my favorite cultural differences:

Old ladies

In Korea old people are respected. This probably isn’t news to you but what I was never told was the loving and nurturing personalities you will encounter.

You would expect a older generation to be angry or even hesitant about foreign people but this is so far from the truth.

My friend laughs that every old person he meets treats him like a grandson.

I can only put it down to their confusionist mind set (I’ll blog more about this later) but confusionists believe that family is one of the most important things.

I can only surmise that these old ladies see us foreigners as lost sheep away from home and do anything they can to take care of us.

My friend has taken a few buses in the few weeks he’s been here. He is close to 6” 4 which makes him slightly noticeable in Korea. Old ladies will fuss him until he sits down. Sometimes forcing him to take their seat (I mean actual pushing him into the seat). He is maybe the politest gentleman I know so it pains him to sit. Recently this happened and he refused to let an old lady stand while he sat so he bowed until the old lady sat down again. This resulted in the lady sitting but only if she held his bag on her lap as it was obviously too heavy for the 6 foot man.

It’s their mothering nature and I love it. They are the most endearing and lovable people I have ever encountered. My mission is to return home with a Korean grandmother.

Blowing your nose

This is a new discovery for me. Not once while researching did I come across this fact.

You cannot blow your nose in Korea. It obviously happens but you will not see it and you definitely will not hear it.

As a westerner I was instantly confused when I heard this. You can’t blow you nose? Why would anyone not allow you to blow your nose?

But after thinking about it, it does seem like a weird custom. You blow and then normally carry the contents with you.

(Writing that sentence down is even more disgusting that it was in my head.)

I have experienced the extremely rare sighting of a blown nose. It was mid sentence. My co-teacher jumped up, ran to the corner of the room facing away from everyone and as quiet as a mouse blew her nose before throwing the tissue in the bin and washing her hands.

It was a blissfully confusing moment but one I won’t forget.

So get ready to hear a lot of sniffles (especially in winter) and be prepared to get excited when you get home to your own flat and you can blow your nose to your hearts content.

I can honestly say I never thought that would be something I missed from home.

Throwing things

I haven’t experienced this myself but discovered on orientation just how bad this gesture was. If someone next to you throws something instead of passing it with two hands they are pretty much insulting you to your face.

Its hard to be enraged by something that doesn’t bother you but its good to be aware of incase you accidentally pass someone something across a table or in the classroom.

Throwing a ball a great distance or across a room is obviously different but it’s a good thing to know.

My general rule is. TWO HANDS.

I will almost drop everything I’m carrying to receive and give money in shops with two hands. It doesn’t seem to matter to people when you do it, but if you don’t ..woah.. expect some funny looks.

Most people, especially in shops get that you aren’t use to it so won’t be annoyed but I try as much as possible to be respectful. After all, they are letting me live here rent free.

Shells

Its undeniable that Korean food is great. Even if you don’t like one thing you like I think you would be hard pressed to discover nothing that appealed to you.

Bimbimbap which is a mixed rice dish and even Kim chi (not the one you try at orientation) are delicious.

There is one down side to this delightful food. Shell and bones.

In the UK, if you ordered fish and it had bones in it, you might send it back. It seems to be the reverse here.

Its not uncommon to get a seafood stew with the mussels still in their shells and a chicken dish that still has the bones.

It will occur when you least expect it. In fried items or something you thought was originally sweet, pretty much anything!

A tip I received at orientation from a fantastic lecturer named Eric Burton was to stir every soup before eating. Here a clink and know what to expect. You can politely remove the bones from your mouth after taking a bite but subtlety is the key.

This isn’t something I’ve encountered a lot of yet but it does make me laugh. It shouldn’t put you off the amazingly diverse and delicious food but it’s a good side note for every meal.

“May contain shell and bone”