1 Month and Counting

So I've been in Korea for a month. It has gone by so fast! I'm still learning a lot every day and hope to continue more in the months to follow.

Here are some things I've noticed:

1. Korean age. It's different. They celebrate birthdays to an extent, but the people don't actually age one year. Here's how it works. Koreans believe that when a person is born, they are 1. Then, on January 1st, everyone ages one year. So if someone was born on December 31st, they're 1. And on January 1st, they are already 2. I am considered 23 in Korean age, but 22 in American age.

2. Couples. Not only are the dynamics different, but they dress differently. The guys are always trying to look calm and composed, with the girls kind of hanging around them. They carry their girlfriend's purse (even if they may have a man purse of their own). I think my favorite part of couples is their matching couple shirts. That's right. Matching shirts. I saw 2 cases just yesterday. One of them even had matching shoes. It's pretty fantastic.

3. Getting things done/saying what you want to say. Nothing is said directly. Meanings are hidden in implied statements. For example, I asked my director for a stove the other day. He asked if I wanted a gas one or an electric one. I would prefer gas, but he replied with "Electric you can take other places." Which means, I gather, that I will be moving out of my current apartment sometime soon in the future. About time.

4. Driving. Where should I begin? Well, the light system is pretty funky. Of course, when the light is green, then cars go. Then there's the flashing yellow light, which of course means that the light will soon turn red. And red means stop. Well, sometimes if there aren't a lot of cars around, then some people will just cross while the light is red. Especially the guys on mopeds/motorcycles. They are crazy ridiculous. At night, some of the lights just turn off and cars go whenever they want or if there isn't another car in their way. It is very confusing. I would never, ever drive here. And then there's the lack of seat belts. Not necessarily that there aren't any seat belts, but there are no buckles to fasten them in. Safety, anyone? I guess not. 


5. Police. They don't really do much. Their main priority is looking out for drunk people, because that's pretty big here. Some police officers will be located at intersections late at night, doing breath analyzer tests on every drive that comes by. Hardcore. I saw some police officers catch a drunk driver at a gas station. It was interesting. They handcuffed the guy and just walked back towards the station. Were they forcing him along? Nope. They walked and the guy just followed them. Talk about respect of authority.

Those are just a few. There are a few tiny differences that I notice here and there, but overall it's been interesting and exciting learning about Korea and their customs.

 Work has been very work-filled lately. Director gave me a project that involved making vocab sheets. Doesn't sound too bad, right? Well, it consists of defining 1,470 total words over 9 books and writing example sentences. So it's taking some time. I only have 4 books left! I also made my first lesson plans last week. It actually wasn't that bad. We also got a new teacher! His name is Tarek (pronounced "tar"-"ick") and has a nice, open personality. It's nice that Naomi and I get a new friend to have at work!

This coming weekend will be my first trip outside of the city. A few friends and I are traveling to Seoul for the weekend. I'm pretty excited! Not only will I get to see Seoul, but I will have just gotten paid ^_^. I'm hoping to buy a camera so I can finally show you pictures!

That's all for now. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for cooler weather. For sure.