People Terrified of Fans
The most popular urban legend in Korea is that if you sleep in a room with the window Closed and a fan running in the same room you will die. The police have actually blamed mysterious deaths due to sleeping with fans on. Supposedly the fans blow air away from The person who is sleeping and this causes the person to die of suffocation. You would Not believe how many Koreans actually believe this urban legend. I would say over half The Koreans I have asked about this believe it. So beware of those fans.
Red Peppers Everywhere
A Korean tradition is to let red peppers dry out in the sun outside. So every August it Doesn’t matter where you are at, the park, your apartment, on post, walking down The sidewalk, driving down the street, etc. your path will be blocked by red peppers drying out in the sun. Amazingly no matter where the peppers are laid out to dry They never get walked on, ran over by a car, or stolen by anyone. Definitely a uniquely Korean experience.
The Wonders of Soju
The national drink of choice here in Korea is called Soju. Soju is made from rice and Has about 35% alcohol in it. Soju doesn't have a very strong taste like whiskey and is easily mixed with fruit juice to make "jungle juice." This allows soju to be drank in great quantities. The locals here do not need to mix soju with anything. They prefer to drink just straight soju. Another appealing factor of soju is the fact it is very cheap To buy and one combat bottle of soju will get you buzzing for about two dollars. Also soju is very unpredictable when drinking and you become drunk very unexpectedly.
Korean Weddings
In Korea the weddings are really something to see. It is more like a sporting event? Or a concert than an actual ceremony. If you go to a wedding expect strobe lights, Bubble machines, smoke machines, cheering, a papparazzi of photographers, excessive music, etc. They even got announcers providing play by play. Definitely not your typical wedding.
People Fascinated With Taking Pictures of Themselves
Koreans are notorious for worrying about their looks. Just sit on the subway and Watch people take pictures of themselves with their camera phones. They will keep Taking pictures of themselves until they feel they got their make up just right or their Hair combed the right way. It is really rather humorous to watch.
Yelling "Yahoo!" From the Top of Mountains
Every time you go hiking you will be appreciating the peace and quiet of getting out Of the hustle and bustle of the city for a while, when the serenity will be broken with hundreds of people yelling "Yahoo" at the top of their lungs at the top of the trail. Supposedly this is something Koreans do to relieve stress.
The World's Best Gardeners
Korea has to have the most gardeners per capita than any other modernized country in the world. It seems like everybody here has a garden either on the side of a hill, in Flower boxes in their apartment, and along the sides of the roads. One woman is actually growing a garden in between the railroad ties in front of my camp. She just gets out of the way of the trains as they come. The Korean security guards at my camp all have gardens planted right next to their guard shacks. Plus no matter where they plant things they grow. The rain and soil here really create some ideal gardening conditions.
Korean Apartments
In Korea, over half the population now lives in high rise apartments. You will see the high rise apartments everywhere. The quality of life in these apartments is actually very good. They are large, well heated, and comfortable for an affordable price, if you can afford the initial deposit. The Korean rent system requires usually around an $80,000 deposit for a three bedroom apartment, which the owner invests and you Pay no rent for. If you pay a smaller deposit such as $20,000, you will pay rent of about $500 a month for a three bedroom apartment. Once your lease is up the owner is then obligated to fully refund your entire deposit. This is a really good system if you can afford the initial deposit so you can live there rent free. It is also a social security tool because people have a sum of money to save up for so when they retire they Do not have to worry about rent.
COMPREHENSION CHECK
1. Do you believe in the urban legend mentioned in the first paragraph?
2. Do you know other urban legend in your place?
3. Is it better to live in the city or in the rural area?
4. Do you think the trend in living in an apartment in your country would continue to rise in the next few years? Why?
5. Why are Koreans so fascinated with taking pictures of themselves or other things? |
