xteethx

Top 20

other observations about Seoul

1) THERE’S NO SUGAR SUBSTITUTES HERE! Well they’re not readily available. At Starbucks you can ask for Equal. Once in a blue moon I will see a Korean brand sugar substitute called ‘Fine Sweet’ but that was maybe twice. The scarcity of sugar substitutes in all these cafes is suprising to me since Koreans are conscious about their weight. Just today I gave some splenda to some hapless caucasian woman at starbucks who refused to take equal. Art brought me a whole box of splenda so I am good to go..
2) Luxury sells. Who buys expensive pho? Who even thinks of marketing or selling Pho or even TGIF as luxurious cuisine? But they can get away with it here in Seoul since they’re exported items. Dunkin Donuts is another example. I think people in the US go to DDs because it’s cheap but people go to DD here precisely because they’re expensive. They’re upscale with nice sofas, flat screen TVs and the most exquisite cakes and baked goods. You won’t see anything like that in NY or Jersey.
3) In some ways, Koreans are really environmentally conscious. You have to pay an extra fiddy cent if you want that cup of joe to go. You also have to pay for each plastic bag that you want to use to take your groceries home. Imagine if the US made everyone pay for paper cups and plastic bags; customers would be INCONVENIENCED and chaos will ensue. Props to Whole Foods for being on the front lines.

4) Speaking of being environmentally conscious, korea’s garbage can be categorized 10 different ways from cans, bottles, boxes, papers, various types of plastics, food, and even wrappers for goodness sake. I’m always standing in front of the garbage area like an idiot for 10 minutes, reading each label slowly cause my korean sucks and I’m afraid of discarding garbage incorrectly.

5) It’s not so bad to live w/o a dryer and let your clothes dry on a rack. It dries faster than you think and you can save a lot on electricity.
6) People talk with their mouths full all the time. It’s fun to pretend that I don’t see big chunks of rice flying out of their mouths. Perhaps the problem is that WE JUST EAT TOO FAST AND NEED TO SLOW DOWN.

7) Koreans are taller these days, especially the guys. Maybe short asian complex will be a thing of the past?
8) Speaking of complex, that’s the same exact word Koreans use to describe an insecurity or well, complex except they pronounce like it ‘comb-plex-eh’. More and more English words are adopted into the Korean language like the word ‘stress’ etc. I hate asking how to say something in Korean only to find out they’re using the English word for it but with a heavy korean accent. What was ‘stress’ before Koreans adopted ‘suh-tuh-less-uh’? Could they butcher the word apartment anymore with ‘Ah-pah-tuh’? Guess what ‘maru-tee-suh’ is? Try pronouncing rotary and lottery to a Korean. good times.

9) You walk on the left, drive on the right. No wonder why I keep bumping into people.
10) People are forward about your private life. The bank clerk asked just about everything under the sun during my first two visits to her…now she knows where I’m from, where I was born, what I’m doing, how much I make, all about my love life, etc.

11) Seoul can stink. Foul odors from the sewage system will hit you like a ton of bricks every now and then. When you’re also jam packed in the subway, you can smell where people have been (drinking and bbq smell)

12) Koreans are better at dancing. Well most are. Some of the moves can be cheesy but overall I am very impressed at how they can move and breakdance etc. But I’m also disappointed at the culture it’s creating. This little girl is dancing like a hooch. I’m more mortified that her parents would encourage her to do it? Does Korea really need little Brittany Spears running around?
13) A lot of Korean girls like to take pictures of themselves everywhere and anywhere….cafes, subways, etc. So that makes them ______ (you fill in blank)

14) Korean girls are crazy. Ok most are, especially if IT’S FREEZING OUT AND ALL YOU’RE WEARING IS THIS

(I was wearing 3 layers that day and still freezing)

15) Don’t order the yogurt latte at Red Mango. It’s as good as it sounds.

16) Korean pastors curse a lot.
17) In my opinion, South Koreans are more similar to Japanese and the N Koreans are more like Chinese in the way they speak. North Koreans can be loud, have an undulating intonation and they’re more direct and blunt. South Koreans on the other hand, are more likely to be indirect and polite and have a monotone intonation.

18) You need a third home in Seoul because it gets tiring to travel and you hang out way past the last train or bus. During the day cafes and PC bangs are good. I learned quickly to have a toothbrush in all my bags …you can sleep over a jimji-lbang or sauna place, some PC rooms, and of course your friends places. My cousin and I slept over his friends’ place after a late night of dinner. He didnt’ have extra clothes for the next work day and I asked him if he was worried about wearing the same suit two days in a row to the office. But he told me that people don’t care if you wear the same clothes two days in a row since it’s part of the norm to work or drink late at night. Course if you did that in NY, it usually means something else.
19) I’m not so cautious or self-conscious about speaking English aloud here. I used to be, back in 99 when a bunch of us gyopos (Koreans who live abroad) who were studying at Koryo where reprimanded on the subway for speaking English. Now, I just don’t care anymore and no one else really does either.
20) BAKERIES ARE AWESOME HERE. I hate baked goods in the US…at Paneras, Starbucks, cafe Europa or other bakery chains. They suck, except for the cakes maybe. I can live without muffins and bagels. But in Seoul the bread and other baked goods they have here are usually very good…whether it’s Paris Baguette, Silla, Crown Bakery or your local bakery.
I bought this chocolate dessert at Shinsaegae department store and it was worth every penny:

it had 3 rich layers of chocolate and a crunchy granola bottom layer. Doesn’t look so appetizing but it was….

You’re not allowed to take pictures of the goods apparently but here’s a few shots I took before someone reprimanded me:

I thought I’d end on a sweeter (“……”) note with my kids. The class ended last Thursday. They were such a pain but I love them and I miss them already. They were all really bright (when they’re focused and paying attention) and funny. I enjoyed reading their diaries and getting a glimpse of their busy, competitive little lives. i hope they do well in the future.