Saturday, July 14, 2007

You know you've been in Korea too long when....

...you don't want to be in the sun because your skin will get darker.


...you can pick up a single strand of noodles with chopsticks.


...you ask for more "ko-chu" because the kimchi-chige soup is not hot enough.


...you don't leave home without an umbrella.


...your back is sore from bowing.


...you wonder where your pickles are for your pizza.


...you can eat barefooted in a restaurant with a foot in your lap.


...you expect corn as a normal topping for food.


...you use handtowels as bathtowels.


...you can fall asleep on the city bus and wake up at your stop.


...you prefer chopsticks to forks.


...you look forward to Chusok and the Lunar New Year each year.


...you think that Korea's greatest natural resource is good looking young women.


...you don't bless people when they sneeze.


...people ask if you want to go by car and you respond, "No, I'm in a hurry."


...you forget some countries can actually drink their tapwater.


...you go to the hospital because you have a cold.


...you wear white socks with a dark suit.


...you can use a public bathroom for both genders and think nothing of it.


...you carry tissues with you everywhere.


...you know all the words to the Korean National Anthem and you enjoy singing it.


...you can't think of the English for common sayings like "molayo" and "igo".


...you use extremely rough bath scrubs.


...you don't expect to pay more than $1 for socks.


...you forget there is such a thing as tipping.


...you find it easier to translate things to Korean rather than to English.


...you'd rather sit on the floor than in a chair.


...you start believing that you can blend into a large crowd of Koreans.


...you want to yell "chogi-yo" to call a waiter.


...you let your eyes be drawn towards any female whose hair isn't black.


...you answer the phone by saying "yoboseyo".


...someone says "mansion" and you think of a two bedroom flat in a 400-unit apartment building.


...you mutter "Aigu" when lifting a heavy objects.


...you start craving gimchi.


...you need rice with every meal.


...you select shoes based on how easily you can get them on and off.


...you answer "Nhe" even when speaking English to non-Korean friends.


...you don't freak out when the salad arrives with octopus legs still wiggling on top of it.


...you believe that ALL Korean food is healthy (and will cure SARS) .


...you think carpet feels strange.


...you feel guilty for walking into a room with your shoes on.


...you look for slippers to enter the bathroom.


...you make many mistakes in your English.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm a Filipina based in Anyang. Like you, I have a Korean spouse.... I find this entry very amusing but so true...^^


Raquel