...About Korea
1. Every city has a slogan. An indifferent slogan.
I think there is a 3rd grader somewhere in Korea responsible for the city slogans. A 3rd grader who doesn't care about his job. Gumi's slogan is "Yes!" Gumi. But you can also visit "Just" Sangju, "Sing Green" Cheongdo or "Central" Gimcheon.
My town's slogan is "Uljin. Don't ever come here." Pictured below, is how this 3rd grader got his start.
I think there is a 3rd grader somewhere in Korea responsible for the city slogans. A 3rd grader who doesn't care about his job. Gumi's slogan is "Yes!" Gumi. But you can also visit "Just" Sangju, "Sing Green" Cheongdo or "Central" Gimcheon.
My town's slogan is "Uljin. Don't ever come here." Pictured below, is how this 3rd grader got his start.
2. "Yangnyeom" Chicken.
Korean yangnyeom chicken is the best I've ever had. I'm not sure of the recipe, but It's made with a sauce. A very special sauce. If I had to wrestle someone in this sauce I would try to eat them.
Korean yangnyeom chicken is the best I've ever had. I'm not sure of the recipe, but It's made with a sauce. A very special sauce. If I had to wrestle someone in this sauce I would try to eat them.
3. "Pae-dahl."
Thanks to "pae-dahl" you can get yangnyeom chicken delivered to you. Anywhere. Your house, a park, you know...the top of a mountain. Pae-dahl is basically this guy on a motorbike who will come after you with food. I'm not sure if it's always the same guy in all of Korea, but he absolutely will find you. I once saw a pae-dahl delivery man drive into the front door of a building, full speed on his motorbike.
Thanks to "pae-dahl" you can get yangnyeom chicken delivered to you. Anywhere. Your house, a park, you know...the top of a mountain. Pae-dahl is basically this guy on a motorbike who will come after you with food. I'm not sure if it's always the same guy in all of Korea, but he absolutely will find you. I once saw a pae-dahl delivery man drive into the front door of a building, full speed on his motorbike.
4. Dr. Fish.
There are several "Dr.Fish" cafe's scattered throughout Korea. You order a drink, put your feet in a small fish tank, and let minnows eat away at dead skin. If you dipped your feet in "yangnyeum" chicken sauce I would gladly be one of the fish.
There are several "Dr.Fish" cafe's scattered throughout Korea. You order a drink, put your feet in a small fish tank, and let minnows eat away at dead skin. If you dipped your feet in "yangnyeum" chicken sauce I would gladly be one of the fish.
5. Seoul is the plastic surgery capital of the world.
There's a popular cartoon in Korea about a small penguin who lives on an island. His name is Pororo. Recently, even Pororo got plastic and laser eye surgery.
It's more prevalent in the cities than the countryside, but appearance is highly regarded here. There is a very specific look many young people try to emulate, even if they have to pay money to achieve it. Make of it what you will, but in Pororo's case I think surgery was a good idea. I mean look at his before picture. I wouldn't. Just saying.
There's a popular cartoon in Korea about a small penguin who lives on an island. His name is Pororo. Recently, even Pororo got plastic and laser eye surgery.
It's more prevalent in the cities than the countryside, but appearance is highly regarded here. There is a very specific look many young people try to emulate, even if they have to pay money to achieve it. Make of it what you will, but in Pororo's case I think surgery was a good idea. I mean look at his before picture. I wouldn't. Just saying.
6. Sometimes couples dress the same.
I walked past a Korean man wearing a "Lebanon, Pennsylvania" tee shirt the other day. Before I could get a closer look I was distracted by a "Franklin & Marshall" sweater. As I approached the "F&M" guy, I saw 2 couples dressed identically from head to toe. Sadly this is not rare. Below is a mild case.
I walked past a Korean man wearing a "Lebanon, Pennsylvania" tee shirt the other day. Before I could get a closer look I was distracted by a "Franklin & Marshall" sweater. As I approached the "F&M" guy, I saw 2 couples dressed identically from head to toe. Sadly this is not rare. Below is a mild case.
I have no consent to publish this.
7. K-Pop Music.
Most of the world's exposure to K-pop is unfortunately through "Gangnam Style," but the rest of this genre is just as catchy. Half of me loves it, half of me hates it, and half of me can't do maths. I've tried everyday for the last month to not like the song below, and I can't do it. Gangnam Style is only the tip of the ridiculous iceberg.
Most of the world's exposure to K-pop is unfortunately through "Gangnam Style," but the rest of this genre is just as catchy. Half of me loves it, half of me hates it, and half of me can't do maths. I've tried everyday for the last month to not like the song below, and I can't do it. Gangnam Style is only the tip of the ridiculous iceberg.
8. I'm sorry about number 7.
9. Korean Dramas.
Korean Dramas = Soap operas + Korea - 500 years.
Wait, so: Soap operas = Korean Dramas + 500 years - Korea?
I'm confused. Just watch.
Korean Dramas = Soap operas + Korea - 500 years.
Wait, so: Soap operas = Korean Dramas + 500 years - Korea?
I'm confused. Just watch.
10. Shape of Hangul letters.
For the last 4 years, Hangul was voted "the easiest character system to learn out of systems that look like they would be hard." King Sejong is to credit with the simple brilliance of Hangul, although his list of accomplishments extends far beyond the language. An adult could probably learn the characters in a few hours.
While English letters sometimes seem arbitrarily shaped, every Hangul character has a reason for it's appearance. Some characters, for example, are shaped like the position the throat makes while pronouncing their sound.
I've been working on the alphabet with 1st graders for a few months. An adult can learn Hangul in a few hours. I'm going to conclude written Hangul is much easier than English, even if I have to compare adults to 1st graders.
For the last 4 years, Hangul was voted "the easiest character system to learn out of systems that look like they would be hard." King Sejong is to credit with the simple brilliance of Hangul, although his list of accomplishments extends far beyond the language. An adult could probably learn the characters in a few hours.
While English letters sometimes seem arbitrarily shaped, every Hangul character has a reason for it's appearance. Some characters, for example, are shaped like the position the throat makes while pronouncing their sound.
I've been working on the alphabet with 1st graders for a few months. An adult can learn Hangul in a few hours. I'm going to conclude written Hangul is much easier than English, even if I have to compare adults to 1st graders.
11. Church steeples.
Small Korean towns can look like Las Vegas thanks to fluorescent lights illuminating the buildings. Interestingly, even churches join the trend, with glowing red crosses perched above the skyline. I've heard this is due to the Korea war. Apparently planes wouldn't bomb churches, so buildings of worship identified themselves with the high glowing crosses, easily visible from the air.
This raises the question: Why wouldn't all important buildings simply put these crosses above them? And the answer: Why don't you stop over analyzing everything?
Small Korean towns can look like Las Vegas thanks to fluorescent lights illuminating the buildings. Interestingly, even churches join the trend, with glowing red crosses perched above the skyline. I've heard this is due to the Korea war. Apparently planes wouldn't bomb churches, so buildings of worship identified themselves with the high glowing crosses, easily visible from the air.
This raises the question: Why wouldn't all important buildings simply put these crosses above them? And the answer: Why don't you stop over analyzing everything?
12. Rock Paper Scissors solves every argument here.
I think this is the case in many Asian countries, and I also think North and South Korea will eventually solve their disputes through RPS. Anyone with this robot could take over the Korean peninsula.
I think this is the case in many Asian countries, and I also think North and South Korea will eventually solve their disputes through RPS. Anyone with this robot could take over the Korean peninsula.
13. Teacher Point System.
If a teacher has ambitions to become a vice or head principal, they have to achieve their goal through a very regulated point system. Teachers get more points per year for teaching in rural areas, and are also limited to a certain amount of years at each particular school, before being forcibly transferred elsewhere. The philosophy behind this system is to prevent school dynamics from going stale.
If a teacher has ambitions to become a vice or head principal, they have to achieve their goal through a very regulated point system. Teachers get more points per year for teaching in rural areas, and are also limited to a certain amount of years at each particular school, before being forcibly transferred elsewhere. The philosophy behind this system is to prevent school dynamics from going stale.
14. I can't count I thought there were only 11, sorry now there are 13.
15. Well, 15.
I want to keep going but I just can't. I'm really busy. I have to go make fake ice cream cones for my classroom.
