The Good and the Bad of Korea (Part 1)

Good :)

Nanta- I went to the theater this past Sunday evening and saw a truly wonderful and entertaining show, Nanta (which mean's "Cookin'" in English). It is extremely famous and popular in Korea. It is one of those shows in which the actors play music using everyday objects as instruments, like Stomp. In this case, knives, pots, pans, and things of the sort are used. However, in the end, they use regular drumming instruments and just go to town. The whole show was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had in a theater. ALSO, I was dragged onstage (they target foreigners). The audience was split into two teams and I was brought up to cook for my side, the blue team. I, of course, WON. Duh.

Pagers- In many restaurants and bars in Korea, there is a button you press to page your server. It's perfect. In one bar, they even have a buzzer at each seat so that the server knows exactly who to go to. So, you never have to be thirsty. Ever. The Thirsty Whale needs to get in on this idea quickly.

Recycling- The Koreans are very adamant about separating the trash and recycling. In fact, I was walking around a shopping area in Seoul, eating some ice cream, and I decided that I was finished with the ice cream. I went to the entrance of a store, where I saw a trash can. Before I could place my trash in the can, an employee came out of nowhere, took my ice cream and walked away. At first, I was certain that she was suffering from ice cream envy and taking my sweet treat to the employee lounge to finish it off. However, a friend informed me that I was about to place my food trash in a non-food garbage can. There is also a recycling center outside my apartment, where there is usually an old man on duty to make sure that everyone recycles properly. Good for Korea.

Street Food- I've mentioned street food in other posts but I just need to reiterate how much I love the culinary street fare, especially on a night out. Deep fried squid, deep fried sweet potatoes, stuff on sticks, rice noodles in spicy sauce, wraps filled with goodness, blah, blah, blah. Half the time, I don't even know what I am shoving down my gullet, but I always enjoy it. And for only 1,000 or 2,000 won (1 or 2 bucks)!

Eat, DRINK, and be Merry- Along with the endless sea of food available on the street, it is legal to drink on the street. It's like being in Key West, only you aren't on vacation. You are just living your life. Your booze soaked life. God Bless Korea.

Saving Energy- If you drive around Seoul or Incheon, the desire to save energy is not very easy to see. It is a very industrialized area. HOWEVER, in almost all buildings, heat is not used throughout. For example, the hallways of my school are not heated. Yes, this makes for a cold walk from class to class, but it is a mild moment of inconvenience that saves money on the heating bills and, more importantly, energy. Also, Koreans do not use dryers. They line dry their clothing. What patient people.

Bad :(

Saving Energy- I don't have a dryer! I need that pair of underpants NOW!

Female Attire- Korean women, especially around my age and perhaps a little younger dress up and/or wear super trendy clothing ALL THE TIME. At first, I found this to be a good thing and was really into their fashion sense. Now that I realize how much time they into their appearance, it has become tiresome. They also (and I am barely generalizing at this point) wear high heels in all situations OR they wear some type of platform shoe. Many also dress overly feminine. Lots of bows. Lots of frills. And the SKIRTS. The SKIRTS and SHORTS are what get me. There can be a blizzard destroying the streets of Seoul, and a large percentage of the young women will still have their asses hanging out of their skirts or shorts. I can't go on, I have too much to write on this topic. Next time you see me, just ask me about it.

Pushing- Koreans are pushers. Especially the little old ladies. Ooooooh, they are aggressive.

Crowds- Korea is crowded. Very crowded. Combine the crowds with the pushing and things can get very hairy.