Thursday, September 25, 2014

Things co-workers in Korea say.

Over the past month I've met a lot of new people at my new schools. You get asked all sorts of strange things in Korea, but they're not really considered strange questions at all to Korean people.  Here are just a few of the most common questions I've been asked by my new co-workers over and over:

--Do you like beer or soju better?
--How much can you drink? How many bottles?
(and yes I put these questions first because they're common and totally acceptable questions to ask a new co-worker in Korea)
--Do you have a boyfriend? WHY NOT?
--When are you getting married?
(Please note that "Why not?" That is ALWAYS the reaction I get when I say no)
--You have a nice body. I thought most Americans were big?
--How do you have such a nice body?
(People really are shocked that I'm American and not fat)
--What do you eat for breakfast?
--What do you eat for dinner?
(It's polite for Koreans to ask if you've had breakfast, but what I've noticed is that they're always curious about what I eat when I'm not at school)
--How did you learn to use chopsticks?
(Because it's clearly a skill foreigners can't master.  They're also always impressed that I hold them the "correct" way.  It doesn't matter that I've been in Korea for a year, I am still constantly complimented on my chopstick skills)
--Do you like Korean food? 
--Isn't it too spicy for you?
--I thought foreigners don't like spicy food?
(Yes, Koreans are convinced that foreigners don't like spicy food and therefore don't like Korean food. So opposite from the truth!)

As a foreigner in Korea, I hear these questions ALL THE TIME. While last year at this time I found it interesting, the other day I found myself not even thinking about it as the words were coming out of my mouth.  Just another day as the foreigner.


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