Everyday life: Turning strange into normal

It's funny how fast you can adjust to new situations and the strange becomes...normal. I haven't written in awhile because nothing in particular struck me as new or interesting.  So I tried today to see through my pre-Korea eyes. These are a few things I discovered about my everyday life now that you might find strange if you visited.



I sometimes wake to distant barking around 4am; a local farm raises "meat dogs" (nureongi) for food. Most Koreans (especially the younger generations) do not eat dogs now that other forms of protein are available and they can afford to have "pet dogs," but older people (forced to eat anything they could during Japanese occupation, etc.) still enjoy the flavor.

 

Before showering, make sure the water heater is "on" 
by pressing the power button. Not the "water heater" button, 
which apparently turns on the floor heating system.  I don't know what the other buttons do.

After showering, foot-squeegee the water toward the drain,
which is slightly higher than the rest of the floor, so you
don't have to get trench foot during your other bathroom duties.

No one knows why F stands for
the 4th floor in our building.

It is common to double park; leave your cell # on the dash
so people can call you to move your car - nearly everyone
over 10  years old has a "handheld."

Be careful not to slip on the glossy green garage floor,
which is treacherous when wet.  Admire the dragonflies whose
accidental imprints are scattered throughout the paint.

Speed bumps are popular here.  Just getting to get to the campus exit, roughly 1/4 mile from our building, requires traversing at least 6 speed bumps. It is your right and duty to complain about them with passion.  On the way, take a moment to notice the maintenance guy using a fire hose to water the bushes. Notice too that bamboo grows wherever it pleases.







You may also notice the fire extinguisher by nearly every door. Some outside doors also have boxes that were delivered on a scooter from local restaurants.  I want to figure out how to do that - even McDonald's delivers.











If you're at McDonald's, you can order a #3 (quarter-pounder combo) by holding up 3 fingers and saying "set" to mean a combo meal.  I recommend taking your tray upstairs to people watch. Note that the (usually older) Koreans wear large visors (women) or straw hats (men), scarves, arm coverings (like shooter sleeves), and long pants or leg "sleeves" with shorts. Folks, it's 90+ degrees here - I still think they'll die of heat stroke long before skin cancer has a chance.  Still, I barely notice this anymore.



When finished at McDs, honor their "green" initiative by visiting the recycling/trash area with separate bins for ice and leftover drink, cups, mugs, food, and trash. On your car you may find a tiny piece of paper with lots of Korean print and today's hand-written date. There is no one around to explain it, so drive away and hope for the best.

On the drive back, your eyes will skim over the hundreds of small shops (e.g., women's clothes, paint, plants, hardware, sports clothes, pharmacy, office furniture, tires, beauty shops, etc.) and restaurants. Nearly every business has a sign with its name in Korean, a telephone number or two, and a small picture indicating what is being sold or served.  Most of these pictures make sense and are very helpful - fish, flowers, pizza, etc. But some still have us baffled.

a flower shop

a motorcycle shop

a restaurant - crab is their specialty

Fishing supply store

Elephants?  No idea what they're selling.

You'll drive through areas marked Silver Zone (apparently to warn drivers of retirement homes and elderly folks).  Most people live in high rises - I've only seen houses (the size of American garages) in tiny villages.  While driving, beware of drivers parked in your lane (any lane - doesn't seem to matter), cars parked in a rather non-parallel fashion along the road, and unpredictable buses and taxis. Only stop at red lights if traffic is stopped in front of you - otherwise, just pause. Nick and Sam LOVE driving here.







So many, many things are different here. Food is often wildly overpackaged.  Dryers are rare, so racks on balconies are common and I've gotten used to it taking a day to dry clothes. Most larger stores have white-gloved youth who direct your vehicle into the parking garage and to a floor, aisle, and space (keep your hazard lights on to indicate you're looking for a space); some garages have special floors for women, and green lights over empty spaces (red lights over full slots).

My korean pear (shaped like an apple) comes in foam mesh
AND plastic wrap.  Every pear.  

Nothing is particularly shocking here (well, maybe the dog farm).  But these different practices suggest different cultural values, expectations, technologies, and histories.  I don't have all that figured out yet - sometimes convenience and efficiency seem important and other times not - but I want to keep noticing and thoughtfully adapting (or not).  Thanks for coming along.  : )