Only in Korea: Teacher's Trips

Only in Korea can you:

--Be required to go on a teacher's bonding hiking trip.
--Be given a bag full of snacks as soon as you get on the bus for this said trip.
--Eat pajeon and drink makgeolli (rice wine) in the middle of  hiking.
--Watch your coworkers get drunk in the middle of the afternoon...on a school trip.
--Be encouraged to drink excessively by these same coworkers.
--Eat a dinner consisting of all types of raw fish. And of course, more alcohol.
--Accidentally eat live octopus
--Drink makgeolli, soju, beer, and wine within a few hours.
--Go to a coffee shop with a group of teachers after dinner and order whatever you want, on the school's tab.


Who said field trips should only be for students?  Korea's on to something with this whole concept of field trips for the teachers.  Teacher's trips days are always long, but interesting.  Especially since I can't help imagine what would happen if we had these trips back in America.  School sponsored drinking trips for teachers?  Yeah, I don't think so.

Only in Korea: Drink Fast, Die Sexy

This is another gem from our trip to Busan last month.  We were walking around when we saw these signs.  We almost didn't notice them, but man we were glad we did! My favorite was the last one that said "Drink fast, die sexy!"  Korea certainly loves its alcohol.

Not just any drink, serious drink! 

Mmmm vodca!

It's the Korean way!

Only in Korea: Coffee Shop or Pro-Choice Slogan?

Last month when we were walking around Busan we were walking by one of Korea's millions of coffee shops when we saw this sign. 

Apparently Korea takes coffee very seriously.  

Only in Korea: Anything but a typical run to the corner store

Tonight was my turn to host bible study at my apartment, so before people came over I ran to the nearest corner store to grab some cookies.  While I usually opt to go to the store that is a little further away because the guy is (a lot) nicer, I was pressed for time, so I settled for going to the store where the woman who works behind the counter typically avoids acknowledging my presence.

I thought this would be a 5 minute round-trip experience.

I was wrong.

As I grabbed some cookies and went up to the counter, another Korean lady, who had been talking to the cashier looked at me with amazement and began telling me how beautiful I am.

Ok, that's always nice enough, but usually it lasts for a minute, I say thank you, and then I'm on my way.

However, this lady REALLY thought I was beautiful.  She was trying to use every word of English she knew to carry on a conversation with me.  As I tried to walk outside, she came with me, wanted to know where I lived, and wanted to me come to dinner.  She kept trying to ask me questions, telling me how beautiful I was, and ultimately asked me to put my phone number in her phone(which I did). I used my basic-level English to tell her that I had to go because my friends were coming (then I switched my story that I had to go to my friends because I think she was about to invite herself over).

As we said goodbye, she took my hand and kissed it.

Ummmmmm what?

Who knew having blue eyes and a big nose (but they're only concerned with the fact that it's "high") could evoke such a reaction.  Especially while wearing UNH sweatpants from my freshman year of college and Ugg-style boots whose best days are far in the past.

My quick 5 minute round-trip run to the corner store turned out to be anything but that.  As strange as it was, this experience is the embodiment of life in Korea. Even when you think something is going to be simple and easy, it can become an altogether awkward and perplexing situation in the blink of an eye.

TIK.  And really, only in Korea.

Only in Korea: Potato and Cheese "Pizza"

Last night I went out to dinner with two fellow Jeomchoners.  We decided to try an Italian place that none of us had been to before.  We ordered some spaghetti, pizza, and salad for the three of us to share.  Overall, we felt pretty solid about out choices.

Now, we thought we were getting a pizza with sweet potatoes on it (yes, that is common in Korea), but we expected it to be a normal pizza--you know, with crust, sauce, and cheese.

This is what we got instead:

It was literally just potato and cheese.  No crust.  No sauce.  

It didn't taste bad, but definitely not a pizza by our definition of the word.  I texted one of my Korean friends and she told me that apparently this is a popular dish among Koreans these days.  

Note to self: exercise caution when ordering pizza in Korea. 

Only in Korea: Disposable Bras

After we finished the Color Run this weekend, there was a table handing these out.  Yes, that is a disposable bra.  It is made from a cardboard type material and has plastic straps that attach to it.  They had three sizes to choose from: small, medium, or large.  Now why would you ever need a disposable bra? I have absolutely no idea, and I can't imagine how terribly uncomfortable it would be to actually wear one of these. But of course, we all took one (even the boys, who of course had a great time attempting to put them on...)  This is just the type of thing you can't make up.  Only in Korea.

Only in Korea: Really Questionable Marketing

One of the Korean guys we were with this weekend showed us this promotional card.  He explained it a little, but I didn't understand what is was for or why the heck this baby looks like it has a bloody nose.  Maybe this isn't questionable if you understand Korean....but I don't really see how this one could ever make sense.

Oh, Korea.

Only in Korea: The White Club

As I walking around downtown Jeomchon last night, I saw this sign.  Definitely not something you would see is the US.  Apparently it is a skin lightening place (I have no idea how that works, but apparently that's a thing?)  Although everyone in America is obsessed with being tan, people in Korea all consider light skin to be more beautiful (which figures, because they are all naturally born with the skin tone most Americans would love to have).

This idea of beauty is connected to the idea that only people with money could have light skin because they didn't have to work out in the fields. If you worked out in the fields, you would be in the sunlight and thus have darker skin.  So, while people in America head to the tanning booths, Koreans apparently go to special places to get their skin lightened.

Go figure.

Only in Korea: Healthy Hot Dogs

I was walking through the store today when I looked in the frozen section and saw this.

Yep, "The Healthy Hot Dog"

I mean, if it says they're healthy, it must be true, right?

I wonder which part is healthier...the processed meat or the processed breading that surrounds the processed meat?

(And I've labeled this as "Only in Korea".....but I fully realize this is essentially a corn dog, which we have plenty of in the US.  And actually the more I think about it, the more I realize I wouldn't be completely shocked if the same packing exists somewhere in the US...)

Only in Korea: Questionable Greeting Cards

One of my favorite parts of shopping in Korea is seeing the questionable English that is printed on just about everything--street signs, shirts, and as I saw today, cards.

Please take a minute to share in my entertainment (look to the bottom right of the cards!)

Only in Korea...

Only in Korea would this be written on the front of a Notebook.  Can't make this stuff up.