A wee list of things that I love about Korea (even the things I hate, I secretly love)
1. Plastic surgery is huge here! Before arriving in Korea I knew very little about Korean culture and had no idea how much of an image obsessed society it would be. I had no clue that people were relatively label obsessed or that they would be as 'blingy' as they are.
Plastic surgery is a booming business here and some of the most advanced techniques and innovative plastic surgeons in the world are located in Seoul. One of the first 'crazy' Konglish advertisements I saw here was a massive billboard advertising 'small face, lovely breast'. Meaning 'make your face smaller and your boobs bigger'. Koreans have insecurity issues about having big heads. I find their big heads and their insecurity about it really really cute! They all think that their noggins are massive and that to have a small face equals beauty. I often get my head compared to the size of someones fisted hand.
Eyelid surgery is extremely common and half of the women in my office have had the procedure. The eyelid it cut so that a western style fold in the lid is created. I love Korean eyes, I love the long moon like shape of them and their long black lashes. I often want to stroke peoples eyes here. Weird I know.
Because of the low Korean Won and the strong Japanese Yen it is becoming an increasinly popular weekend gettaway choice for wealthy Japanese to pop over here to A) buy some cheap Louis Vuitton and B) Get some plastic surgery done at much more affordable prices than at home.
2. It is often assumed that I like to drink simply because I am a westerner. This annoys me greatly as I am not a big drinker in any way shape or form. I get 'asked' (they are actually more statements than questions) in a mocking fashion questions such as 'you love to drink!?' and 'you love soju!' to which I answer 'no......not really', but nobody seems to hear!
The reason this frustrates me is that there is an assumption that western people are alcoholics and drink far more than Koreans but often this attitude comes from people who have no idea that all westerners are different. It also frustrates me because I have never in my life been to a country where I see so many people absolutely WASTED wandering the streets on the weekends, having public brawls with their wives or husbands and spewing on pavements or gutters. 'Kimchi Flowers' dot my walk to work every Monday morning. Kimchi flowers are the red explosion which are projectile vomited from Ajoshees (married men) after nights of having consumed far to much Kimchi (fermented cabbage) and Soju (weak vodka tasting alcohol). Beautiful.
3. Giving and receiving with two hands. Wonderful. In Korea, when you are pouring a drink, having a drink poured for you, handing money or receiving change, giving or receiving a gift, in fact in many many giving and receiving situation, you use two hands to offer what you are giving and two hands to take what you are receiving. It is SO lovely. It shows a real sign of respect to the other person and takes the time to acknowledge the fact that you are having a moment of your life with this person, that they are another living human being who deserves respect. It also seems to counter the 'take take take, now now now' aspect that is taking over more and more of our modern lives. Love it.
4. Korean babies / kids. They are gorgeous. Soooo much cuter than western babies! They have gorgeous huge heads, dark crescent moon eyes, silky black hair which is occasionally permed
( hilarious - perms on babies are another much loved thing here!) and mocha coloured skin. Do I hear a chicken coop near by?
5. Being stared at. Don't like it. When I first arrived I felt thrilled to be stared at all the time. I was on the high one gets from being in a new land and felt like an exotic foreigner for the first time in my life. I could not understand why my friends Meg and Max had developed such an angry attitude toward being stared at or hassled by members of the Korean public.
Now I understand. I do mind being stared at if the person who is staring at me is A) a really nice looking man or B) someone who is having a quick stare and is conscious of the fact that staring is rude, and so knows when to stop. When I don't like it, in fact, when I HATE it, is when the staring is shameless, ongoing and accompanied by comments such as 'HOW MUCH?' yelled across a crowded subway car by a man who has politely assumed that I am a Russian prostitute.
6. Korean food. Amazing. Delicious. Spicy. Fresh. Yummy. Many people know little about Korean food unless they have traveled here. I guess before coming I assumed that Korean food would be a lot like Chinese, greasy, deep fried, oily, heavy and so on. It is nothing like Chinese food and not really similar to Japanese either. Lots of barbecued meat wrapped in leaves with sauces. Can't explain it, but its damn fine I tells ya!
7. The necessities of life are cheap here. Renting an apartment is about 300 dollars per month, my favorite restaurant meal is five dollars, the last dress I bought was 40 dollars, taking a taxi costs about three dollars, my electricity bill is about ten dollars per month, a beer costs two dollars.........etc. As it should be.
8. Korean humour / craziness on T.V. There are many 'reality' style T.V. programs here in which famous Korean singers and actors regularly take part. All sorts of simply mad games are played which involve flinging each other into mud, throwing octopuses, being human tetris blocks through moving walls, wearing crash helmets and trying to run across waterfalls, seeing who can circle a girl around their body the most times before dropping them into the ocean of a home made raft and so on. The awesome thing is that while celebrity culture is VERY strong here, Korean celebrities do not have a problem with making fools of themselves and having a grand time while doing so. Its refreshing to see people not taking their 'cool/rich/goodlooking' selves to seriously.
9. Style! Koreans are stylie! They are willing to take risks and wear some outrageous things. Its especially wonderful to see men being daring with what they wear. Lots of bright colours, stylized mullets, skinny coloured jeans, awesome high top sneakers in various shades of ultra neon and some scarily 'plungey' necklines on mens T-shirts. New Zealand seems so conservative in comparison and it makes me realise what a macho and limited culture that still prevails. Men really embrace fashion here (well, men of a certain age.....) and its great.
10. Men are allowed to be openly and physically affectionate with each other here without being judged, while at the same time the existance of gay people is ignored or even flatly denied. This is one of the things here that I find surprising / contradictory and bizarre. It is so wonderful to be in a country where teenage boys can hold hands, old men can wandering arm in arm down the street and young boys can stroke their friends hair without being thought of as gay. Men being affectionate with other men seems as 'natural' and accepted as womens affection for one another. Yet unless you are in a very specific area of Seoul, you could imagine that Korea is completely devoid gay men or women. It not acceptable to be gay here. In any way shape or form.
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