Korean Culture Part 5

40. The octopus on my plate is moving. Koreans like eating raw food including raw octopus. Alive octopus is cut and it will be served moving on your plate. It is a common dish for those who like drinking soju (korean alcohol).

41. It's legal to drink in public. As long as you're not making trouble. It's legal to drink in public. You'll see some people drinking by the beach, on the mountains, in the park or even in the street.

42. It's a Pojangmacha (soju tent). There are many tents standing in the street in Korea. They are tents selling soju and some korean snacks or side dishes eaten with alcohol. They are open until late at night. So if you're hungry and had a bad time and want to go out and drink alcohol at night, it's very easy to find a place.

43. Public Bathroom Etiquette. In korea, a person outside knocks on the bathroom door. If you're inside, you knock back. The person will know that somebody is in there. If there is no answer the person will think the bathroom is empty so they will push it and try to get in.

44. Umbrella for sunny weather. There are two kinds of umbrella. One for rainy days and another for sunny days. On sunny weather or even when there's no sun, you'll see many koreans specially hajuma (married women) carrying an umbrella. They are white but afraid of the sun.

45. Korean Taxis. They said of you wanna die early, then take a taxi. Of course it's exaggerated but taxi drivers really drive fast. Most of them don't follow the traffic lights. But I think they are just doing their jobs because if you're in a hurry, take a taxi and you'll reach your destination on time. My hubby always reminds me to take the Daein Taxi (private taxis) because they are driving their own taxis so they are more careful.

46. Surgery as a Graduation Gift. It's not unusual for Korean students specially High School to get a surgery as their graduation gift from their parents. Most of the surgeries they get are eyelids. Most koreans don't have eyelids so they get operation to have ones.

47. All Ears are on me. When you're on the phone, specially if you're a foreigner, hajumas (married women) or ajassis (married men) ears are near you listening to what you say even when they couldn't understand. But if they are on the phone, they talk too much and don't care if everyone was listening.

48. It is rude to look in the eyes when you're talking to someone. Koreans don't look in the eyes when they talk to each other specially if the speaker is older or have a higher position than yours. It is rude to look in the eyes. They are looking down to be polite.

49. What's your blood type? It is a common question in Korea to ask about your blood type. Most of them including kids know their blood type. They think that your blood type determined your personality.

50. There are Bus and Train Cards. There are cards to use for trains or buses. It makes the transport easier and you can even get discount whenever you use it. You can charge them in stores.

Korean Culture Part 1
Korean Culture Part 2
Korean Culture Part 3
Korean Culture Part 4