Called Korea Home

From: Sunday, 28 December 2008
To: Thursday, 10 October 2013
For 1748 days
Or 4 years, 9 months, 13 days
Or 249 weeks and 5 days

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

How you know you're turning Korean




Disclaimer: Ok so I know it is impossible to "turn Korean", there are certain cultural aspects that I as a non-native Korean will never ever understand nor embrace. However, in my title I am referring to some of the more subtle characteristics I have picked up and not even noticed until another westerner points them to me. It comes with living in a place for a year and a half I guess. And when I leave and go back to the states, people are probably going to go WTF.

1. Bowing: I always bow at the conclusion of an interaction. In Korea it is a sign of respect to
2. Accepting things with both hands: It's more polite to do this, than to take something with just one hand.
3. Incorporating Korean in my daily sentences: Even when I am being spoken to in English, I am still likely to respond including the words, Ae (affirmation), Nae (yes), Araseo (I understand), Aniyo (no), Aigo (yikes), Kamsahamnida (thanks), and many many curse words I will not say here into my daily sentences.
4. Tuning out English: By this I mean if it is a Korean person, I do not realize they have spoken English to me until after the fact, as I can now understand some of the discourse in Korean. It takes me a few minutes to register.
5. Requiring Anju with my drinks: Anju (mean food eaten while drinking) is a big part of Korean culture. Usually they never drink alcohol without eating. Now when I go out and drink I always hunt for food both during and after.
6. Counting: This one was such a subtle difference, someone pointed it out to me. Count to five on your fingers. If you are western (American, Canadian), you probably started with your fingers in a fist and then the fingers went up. When Koreans count they do the opposite. All fingers up and then count down to make a fist. I didn't notice I was doing that until someone told me.
7. Unni and Oppa: Signs of respect (literally translate to older sister and brother) because you can't call someone older than you by name.
8.Street food adoration: I can totally make a meal out of a delicious feast of street food. Give me some ddukbokki and mandu to start, followed by some dakkochhi or sausage on a stick, and wrap it up with a nice warm hoddeok and I am a happy happy girl.

9. Even more Korean food: I love it all, dakdoritang, kamjatang, sundubu, pajeon, makgolli.It's heaven. Whatever will I do when I leave? - oh and if I don't have Kimchi with my meal it's been a weird day, which considering the current crisis, well I may have to get used to it.
10. Being proud when Korea accomplishes something. My students can't understand this one, but having lived here two years, I feel a strong sense of attachment, which is why I cheered for them in the world cup for example.

But somethings I will never get into
Korean fashion: Just not for me. I hate heels and 80's and other weird combo's, although this picture says otherwise...
Soju: I'll have it, but I'll never love it.
Ddeok: The rice-cake treat. It's just not sweet enough to qualify as a desert, plus its chewy in a yuk way, and then when they add the red bean paste (vile stuff) it's even worse.
Dog: No way jose. I can't wrap my mind around trying out lassie.
Drinks: I still pour my own, people keep talking and it takes way too long to wait for them to get my refill.
Utter deference to an elder: beyond the requisite respect, you'll get my deference if you are right in some way, but an elder is not always right just because they are older. Prove your wisdom, soju-ed up creepy ajoshis :P

Anyways this comedian made a video...Hmm IDK about it, what do you think?

3 comments:

Bombchell said...

hmmm the hand counting one is quite odd.

awww dont worry you'll adjust back, or maybe never. I'm still stuck saying words and slangs from boarding school that aren't English cause i was there for 6years.

oh gosh if you come back bowing I'd crack up everytime!!!

I feel you on the tuning out english. when my grandma speaks it automatically translates in my head, so if i have friends over i have to consciously pay attn to see if she's speaking english or not, incase i want to translate a joke to them or something.

Eleonora said...

Haha that is soo funny!!! I'm definitely gonna write something about how I am turning Korean :) Thanks for the inspiration!!!!!!!!

Norma said...

Cool, glad you got inspired Eleonora. And thanks for reading my random thoughts :)

Bombchell, I'm gonna make sure I bow just for you :P