Home > TEFL Blog > Teaching English in Asia > 10 things that are strange Won’t know About Southern Korea
Korea is a country that is truly fascinating and I also defy you to spend some time right right right here rather than fall deeply in love with it. Nevertheless, there are little quirks and oddities that even with 15 months we nevertheless find it difficult to get my mind around. I’ve compiled a summary of 10 things that are crazy Southern Korea that you’ll definitely find strange!
1. The street guidelines
Or maybe, the possible lack of road guidelines is better. Red lights, pedestrian crossings, and offering way appear to mean absolutely nothing right right here. Scooters, motorbikes or even vehicles, drive along the freely pavement beeping at you if you are inside their means. The general rule seems to be that anywhere is fair game if you can fit your car there as for parking. And there’s this strange rule that means you can easily turn appropriate at a crossing, no matter what the light being green or red, that has led to a lot more than a few near misses.
2. The possible lack of queues
Yeah, yeah, I’m a Brit, and all sorts of Brits love queueing, I’ve heard it all before, but really Korea, figure out how to wait your change. Koreans seem to possess this strange and discouraging indisputable fact that they just want to buy a packet of cigarettes, but you have several things to pay for, they can cut in front if they only have one thing in their basket or. Ajummas (see point 7) would be the worst because of this.
3. Koreans have a amazing power to drift off anywhere
With or minus the assistance of a few containers of soju. Entrepreneurs kicking off their footwear and settling straight down for a park bench for the power that is cheeky, builders having a kip in the center of a building web site, drifting off to sleep from the subway yet somehow constantly getting out of bed over time due to their end, plus in course, ideally maybe not just an expression on my teaching. Koreans have possibly the longest working hours in the planet, and lots of of my pupils just get four or five hours sleep per night, therefore it’s certainly not astonishing which they require some down-time.
4. Koreans have actually superstitions
Every tradition has their very own superstitions, and Korea’s are not any complete complete stranger than our concern about black colored kitties, broken mirrors and walking under ladders. As an example, the quantity 4 is regarded as unlucky right here since the terms for вЂdeath’ and вЂfour’ have actually the exact same pronunciation in Korean. You should never give sets of 4 as a gift when you get in a lift the button for the fourth floor will often be F, instead of 4, or sometimes skipped altogether, and. Composing someone’s name in red can also be reserved for the dead, which includes on multiple event resulted in a motion that is slow вЂnooooooo’ through the children while they dive to make the pen away from my hand. Then there’s fan death, the widely held belief that resting in an available space with an admirer on instantly will kill you. There are many theories behind that one, nevertheless the most typical a person is the fact that blades for the fan will chop up the atmosphere particles making them un-breatheable. No, actually.
5. What’s my age once again?
Along side some other eastern Asian nations, Korea utilizes a new means of age reckoning compared to world that is western and thus your вЂKorean age’ will likely to be just one or 2 yrs (dependent on exactly what thirty days you’re created in) avove the age of your вЂWestern age’. Children begin life at one, when you are regarded as one out of your year that is first of, two in your next 12 months of life, three in your 3rd 12 months of life and so forth. Nonetheless, in Korea everyone many years through to the Lunar brand brand brand New 12 months (Seollal) in February, rather than on the real birthday. As an example, a child created in January will be 12 months old once they had been created, and would then turn two on Seollal in February, and even though they’d simply be a couple of days old in accordance with the Western system. This technique is employed in most time life in Korea, even though appropriate system makes use of the Western reckoning. Confusing i understand.
6. Writing and reading the date
While United states English utilizes the format that is month-day-year and British English utilizes the day-month-year structure, Koreans often (based on their training) aim for year-month-day. So 10/9/12 could be October 9th 2012, September tenth 2012, or September 12th 2010. Honestly it is anyone’s guess plus it makes sell-by dates a nightmare that is absolute.
7. Ajummas
Any particular one term is sufficient to hit fear into the heart of perhaps the many experienced expat. Kitted out in clashing animal images, more diamanté compared to the cast that is entire of, and undoubtedly, the obligatory visors atop their standard problem perm, this military of elderly ladies that wander the roads of Korea is really a force become reckoned with. They will push, jostle and elbow their method to the leading for the queue or even to can get on the coach first. They pounce although they are painfully slow when walking down the street, don’t be fooled, as soon as that subway seat becomes free. The thing that is last want is always to invoke the wrath of a ajumma. Never mess using them.
8. DONGCHIP
This strange, and game that is slightly disturbing regrettably remarkably popular among Korean children at present. Where they discovered it, and exactly why sexmatch no body prevents them is totally beyond me personally. The вЂgame’ involves the children placing their hands together such as for instance a weapon, looking forward to the moment that is opportune jamming their hands your bum yelling DONGCHIP! You have got been warned.
9. Magic structures
From the land regarding the eternal tea-break, the price that structures look and disappear in Korea is absolutely nothing in short supply of astonishing. One week you’ll walk past a hairdressers, together with week that is next’s a totally refurbished restaurant. It is like residing in some type or types of time-warp.
10. Kimchi-a-rama
The nationwide obsession with kimchi. I am talking about really, it’s fermented cabbage.