KoreanClass101.com Blog

Swimming Safety.

Koreans have had a long affair with swimming. Korea is a peninsular country surrounded by water so naturally, Koreans have been swimming for recreation for some time. However, danger lurks in those calming waters…but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s set the stage.

In America, typically we teach our children to do three things as soon as possible: feed themselves, ride a bike, and swim. Don’t get me wrong - we don’t throw kids in the pool and hope they resurface eventually. Traditionally though, whenever a family goes swimming the toddler goes in the pool while the adult teaches the child how to swim. Little by little, once the child gains confidence, we typically encourage him or her to swim relatively unassisted until the child can swim all by themselves. Same process with tying shoes, learning how to dress themselves, ride a bike, etc.

All in all, Americans view swimming much like driving a car - everyone knows how to do it so it’s not a big deal. None of us can swim like Michael Phelps but we can float safely and certainly feel quite confident in a pool whether we are using proper form or not.

Well, I’m not sure what exactly where the breakdown happens in Korea, but I notice the vast majority of people terrified of swimming. Like unnecessarily terrified. 8-year-olds practically screaming because of the “lazy river” water current, 11-year-olds complaining about the (not even) 3.5 foot depth, and children of all ages clutching to the closest older relative so as to not drown in the kiddie pool. Not to mention that all the while they are covered from head to toe in safety apparel like innertubes, wingies, lifevests, and bathing caps.

Oh and bathing caps are not optional. Moving on.

The wavepool is where I get emotional. We all know the wave pool, right? It’s a simulated beach with a large motor that forces water to rise and fall producing waves. Most waterparks have them to varying size and strength. I visited the lovely 대명리조트 in 부안 this summer and was greeted with a brand new facility, top-class service, and an attached waterpark that was nothing short of stunning. The wave pool here was decent enough and I couldn’t wait to tackle the cool waters only to find out that I had to wear a lifevest to go swimming.

Have we not gone over this before? I can swim. Everyone I know can swim. It’s not a talent - it’s a learned skill. Alas, if I wanted to cool down appropriately, I had to don a seemingly 25-pound lifevest. Mind you, it is quite difficult to swim in a lifevest. I’m pretty sure they are designed for floating as I felt very encumbered. I got tired after five minutes of flailing my arms and had to take a rest. Fear not! Mandatory rests on the hour every hour are commonplace and as soon as the lifeguards’ whistles blew, the entire pool emptied in less than a minute.

Speaking of the lifeguards, they take their responsibilities quite seriously. Two of them serviced a pool area about the size of a kindergarten classroom and were not only pacing back and forth, they were giving out suggestions (rather commands) to the swimmers so they could stay safe. It’s commendable, if not a little out of place.

The point being is that artificial pools are littered with ill-equipped swimmers who are over-protected and over-dressed with safety.

What really surprises me is the ocean and how people treated the water there. The waves were dangerously violent as I was knocked down several times and the salinity of the water was eye-burningly-high. What was missing? All forms of safety. No bathing caps, no lifevests, no floaties - just a bunch of people having fun when really - it was quite dangerous if you ask me. I left that beach with a headache, sores, and a killer bruise on my leg.

Perhaps it’s like 정은 said in Advanced Audio Blog #17 about how Koreans have misconceptions about swimming. In her case, she was convinced that women that swim would develop broader shoulders. Is this one of many reasons why Koreans don’t bother to learn it? Maybe I have it wrong - maybe Koreans don’t have a long history with swimming.

I know that I don’t have particularly pleasant memories about learning to swim (as myself and my brothers love to bring up to my parents the story of the borderline abusive swim teacher and how no one believed us that she was pure evil) But even with my tragic initial experience with swimming, I can say that I am an accomplished swimmer. But who cares? Apparently Koreans do.

Oh well.

Thoughts?

AC voltage differences.

Physics101. Alternating current (AC) is what is in the wall while direct current (DC) is like what is in your car’s cigarette lighter socket. Today, let’s go over some important things to consider about AC power when traveling to South Korea. We must consider two things 1) Voltage and 2) Plug shape.

You’ll find that plugs that come with two flat pins usually are built for 110-120V and plugs with two round pins  are built for 220-240V. Let’s address the most pressing difference first: current (measured in volts). Korea most generally runs a current of 220-240 volts so that must be taken care of first. But before you go out and buy a new travel razor or cell phone charger, check the backside of your device.

If you take a look at the power brick of most electronics, many mid-to-high end electronics already have the voltage capabilities to function perfectly fine in Korea, as well as other countries. For example, my laptop power brick lists the device at capable to run from 100-240V. Score! But alas, my beard trimmer is rated at 120V only - so it must stay stateside

Once you have identified what will not explode once plugged in, now you must find something to change the plug/prong shape. Below is a cheapie but a goodie that attaches to the end of your appliance. The one pictured below is for U.S.A -> R.O.K. Also, don’t panic - my adapter cost me about 50 cents (500 원) in Korea.

Another common solution specifically for laptops is purchasing a new cord that connects from the power brick to the wall. Consider that the three-prong female-end laptop cord is somewhat universal in design. Where the difference lies is the regional plug shape. Meaning, if you went to a Korean electronics store, you can pick up a professional quality laptop cord to go from your power brick to the wall. I think they run less than 만 원 (around 10 bucks).

Below is a list of common plug types. If you see a red X, you need a plug adapter.

I must reiterate that changing the plug shape is not enough - if you plug something in that is rated for 110-120V into a Korean wall socket with a plug adapter - you will see sparks, smoke, and/or Jesus. Play it safe and check the voltage. Essentially, if you can’t get a hold of an adapter and/or your product isn’t rated for 220-240V (like my trimmer) then that’s where transformers come into play. Hook up with a friend who has one of these little dandies and you are in luck.

Transformers (트랜스퍼머) step down the current to a native-like level for several hours. It isn’t recommend to use such transformers for extended periods such as days, weeks at a time because the electricity being stepped down isn’t always “clean”. Remember those other numbers on the laptop power brick? Sometimes the “stepped down” current can also spike those other numbers after prolonged use. Worried about charging your DS? Don’t be. Transformers are safe, just remember that they are not a good idea for devices like TVs, laptops, or other long-term use appliances.

Some big name hotels and boarding houses geared for foreigners (like university dorm rooms) will likely have a few transformers to check out.

I wonder if anyone has any “shocking” stories to tell (sorry - I couldn’t help that one)

Thoughts?

Hi. 현우 here : )  Haha. You do see these pictures?  Yes, that’s me in my military suit. Haha.

So why am I wearing my military suit (=군복) again? Well I had to attend the annual reserved army training (예비군 훈련) this past Thursday, and I took a couple of photos before taking the uniform off.

I’m sure many of you already have some knowledge about the Korean military system, but to briefly mention what it works like, every *healthy* man in this country has to serve the army for roughly 2 years (now it’s getting shorter and shorter), and after the service is over, they have to attend the annual trainings for the next 5~6 years. It’s *very* difficult to find somone who doesn’t have any sweet memory at all from his military service, and even the tedious and long military service can have its enjoyable moments at times but it doesn’t seem to be the case for this 예비군 훈련(reserved army training), HAHA - everybody hates it, and that includes me as well. I guess this is because you’re working, or studying at school, or doing whatever that is NOT related to the army in any way, and you’re called once a year to wear that unfashionable miltary suit and those uncomfortable/heavy military boots and go to the training center(훈련장) on a regular working day

A day at the 예비군 training camp isn’t exactly filled with meaningful tasks, in other words it’s extremely boring but tiring at the same time, but whenever I have these 예비군 trainings, it brings back my memories of the time when I was actually in the army (which was from 2001 to 2003), so I get to call up or send text messages to some of my friends from the military service - which is also how I know that a friend of mine just took his 예비군 training when I hear from him all of a sudden.

Full Immersion.

We’re talking 99% Korean input here and that’s 100% scary.

It’s no joke - Americans are among the few countries that typically prefer an assisted-approach to language learning. Meaning we generally like to use L1 (our first language - English) to help explicitly learn L2 (the target language - in KC101’s case - Korean). Most people who support this teaching model claim that the stress levels of the students are decidedly lower and that learning can take place in a comfortable L1-rich environment. Koreans are not the only ones who prefer full immersion (the exclusive use of L2 in the classroom) but since we are all students of Korean, let’s focus on that for the moment being. However, I eagerly wait to hear from fellow KC101 students about other countries and their approach to language learning!

Koreans adopt the immersion teaching model out of the thinking that it just works - when you are surrounded by a language, you have an opportunity to learn it. When you have a rich amount of input (i.e. listening) mixed with opportunities to have meaningful output (i.e. speaking) hey! You got yourself a language! Score!

But what about the ones who don’t get past the learning curve? What about culture shock? What about adaptability? What about learning preferences? What about learning differences? What about exceptional learners? What about everything?

No dice. With full immersion, you get it or you don’t. You are either motivated to learn or you aren’t. You either want to speak Korean or you don’t. You either make meaning from the input or you don’t. It’s like Yoda said “Do or do not; there is no try”. Hey, we’ve all heard of this method - it’s the sink or swim model!(Note: the next paragraph is best read with three servings of sarcasm and one gallon of Hatorade to wash it down).

Yea! Sink or swim! What an awesome way to feel unique and special, isn’t it? Man, I love hearing about my friends who “couldn’t hack it”! Or how about the ones who do “make it” but never studied? Oh, I love hearing about those too. Man it sure is cheap too - full immersion doesn’t require an interpreter - cause I understand everything! Sure am glad I spent a month’s salary on that plane ticket and left all my friends and family and life as I know it to live in a strange new environment where up is down and I am finally a minority. Sweet! Oh this is awesome! Gosh, I love waking up all alone in the morning and staring at myself in mirror wondering if today will be the today that I don’t feel like an idiot. Carpe Diem FTW! (Wow - that there’s enough sarcasm to last me a week)

Of course there are obvious pluses to learning a language in an immersion setting. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work for everyone. Some are either unable or unwilling to leave their home life to live abroad. Some cannot get over the feeling of helplessness. In the states, you are your own person - independent and free. But in Korea, you are an imbecile - a foreigner who gets by either by the color of your skin or the sound of your accent. Even still, you are dependent on public transportation and privacy is a privilege that most don’t get. All that “me” time? Gone.

And of course, even though immersion does indeed provide a chance to “speed up” the learning process, we oftentimes are let down by our expectations set by other learners and (of course) movies. Anyone remember Dances with Wolves? Didn’t it take him like a week to be fluent in Sioux? What a jerk.

Perhaps it is fair to point out the cultural expectations of students and how that plays a role in this debate. Typically, American students are expected to “do their best” (which is of course subjective) and become socially competent. Shyness is considered somewhat undesirable while self-confidence is nurtured. We like our students to be well-rounded individuals who can balance responsibilities at home, part-time work, and satisfactory academic achievement. We also instill at a young age that individuality and uniqueness are celebrated and worthwhile. We also like to focus on the process over the product.

Korean students have different expectations. Responsibilities at home take a much smaller role (sometimes non-existent) while their academic workload practically doubles. It is quite common to go to school in the morning, study in the afternoon, go to a 학원 in the evening, and study some more at night. Performance is more important than the process in which you studied or applied yourself. Shyness is oftentimes equated to humbleness while self-confidence can be interpreted as arrogance. Fitting in is a subtle yet powerful undertone that can motivate many outside thinkers to think “inside the box” early on in their academic career.

Having pointed out some of the macro-level differences, immersion-type classrooms seem like not that big of deal now. Seems that life as a Korean student is pretty stressful with quite a lot of responsibilities. Throw in that homogeneity is the norm in Korea and you have a recipe for comparing apples to oranges: immersion in the West is taken in a different context than the East. Here’s a little illustration to how I see two common occurrences in schools.

It’s not that all American students are outgoing, it’s just that doing outgoing things such as initiating conversation, being brash when asking for a date, putting yourself out there - all things are more common in the states and aren’t nearly as stressful as an environment where you can’t understand what’s being said. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but I typically see more tears coming from my American friends in an immersion setting than say, a Korean classmate.

And yet, there’s hordes of foreigners coming to Korea to teach at countless numbers of jobs that require only a college diploma in any field and citizenship from an English speaking country. These thrill seekers and educators alike come to teach in various environments with the full English immersion model being the most common in the schools and academies.

I’d like to tell you a question a love to ask my classmates when learning Korean “Hey, How much did you just get?” (meaning, how much of what he/she said did you understand?) Then I measure it in percentages. When I attended a newcomer’s orientation at 이화여대, I couldn’t help but score myself just at the 30% mark. That’s 30% of the conversation I understood. Here and there I picked up a word or two - maybe a verb ending or a suffix or whatnot. It’s fun to see what your friends got out of it, too. “Oh so what was she saying about this?” or “Did you catch what she said about tomorrow?” It’s funny to see how one person caught one part of the conversation while another caught the part you missed.

To wrap things up, either way, immersion definitely is one of many ways to successfully learn a language. It certainly isn’t the only or “best” method as there simply is no convincing research evidence that points to one method as the best (although plenty of edutainers will swear by their method). However, it is enough to say that certain methods work with a certain amount of success. Immersion does work in Korea; however, it’s not the only way to learn English. Hey, look at the approach that KC101 takes - it works too - given the right attitude, work ethic, and setting, KC101 can teach you some serious Korean. Having said that, if you get a chance to learn Korean in an immersion environment, I say take it - just bring a box of tissues for the tears - you’ll have plenty to shed over the stress

Thoughts?

Kinship terms.

It’s kind of hard to translate the concept literally but these titles are used quite frequently in Korean. Actually, here’s a great lesson on just that.
English can be quite direct at times. Whether that is a good or bad thing, indirectness is more favored in Korean. In English, we like to use names to be polite whereas Koreans prefer the use of titles like 선생님. Certainly there are times when Korean can express some of the most direct concepts possible, but on the whole, Korean functions in an indirect manner most of the time.

One such way to be indirect is the widespread use of kinship terms. Here’s a brief breakdown of a few select terms based on gender:

These four terms are used widely and are quite important. In my case, they were particularly hard to adopt. Not from a pronunciation standpoint but from their implications. For example, I actually have two older brothers. Like for-real brothers. So, when I called someone 형, it felt a little unnatural at first. Like, dude, you’re not my brother. I have two of them and you don’t look like them. All you did was help me find some 만두 at the grocery - so why exactly am I calling you “brother”?

Well, that’s the thing - the titles do have a place in the household in the literal sense. So if a younger sister is talking to her older brother, she will call him 오빠. No qualms with that. Actually, she will likely call her older male cousin 오빠 also. Again, no problem there. But what exactly does she call her boyfriend that is older than her? Oh man - you guessed it. 오빠. Here’s where the lines get fuzzy. No, she isn’t thinking of him like that but she is calling him the English equivalent of “older brother”. So who is the sick one? The 외국인 who over-analyzes the meaning or the Korean girl who has some issues that would make even Freud wince? Sorry guys, this time the 90 pound Korean girl wins…but I’ll be back.

She calls him this title out of respect. When she does, not only does his heart melt (anyone willing to fess up on this?) but he takes on the role of a protective older brother - a role where he is expected to take care of her, be kind to her, and (typically) buy her things. Sounds like a sweet deal, but what if they aren’t boyfriend/girlfriend? What if they are just friends? Same name applies. There are some boyfriend/girlfriend specific titles such as 차기야 (think honey) but kinship and lovey-dovey terms aren’t exclusive like they are in English.

So let’s flip the roles. I’ll take a chapter from my own book and paste it here.

Many of my Korean friends are women that are older than me. So, I call each of them 누나. I have been told that this title (much like 오빠, 형, and 언니) places the older person in the relationship in a particular role. Sometimes this role is desired - I have one friend that likes to be nice to me - she buys me sweets, food, drinks - pretty much whenever I show interest. I get a free meal and she gets the gratification of helping me out - she feels useful and kind. It’s a way for her to show appropriate affection. I know it’s a hard line to translate but this type of friendship is very common among Koreans. Frankly, if she were American, there would be only one way to interpret her actions. Among Koreans, it’s not the same.

But what if the older person doesn’t want to spoil the 동생 rotten? What if he or she has enough already and their plate and doesn’t have time to be pampering someone? That’s when age plays a decisively important role. In this scenario, one would seek out people of the same age - most commonly former classmates (all the way back as elementary and middle school!) as equal-level friends. In this relationship, the two friends can “go Dutch” and split the costs and responsibilities down the middle.

So pretend you are introducing yourself to someone new. When you ask their age, everyone is taking mental notes. Almost like mental friend-shopping. When the answer is desirable (pretend I want an older brother-type to show me around a new city) I immediately strike up conversations with him in hopes that he will help me out. But if he’s younger than me, maybe I’ll think (well he seems alright but I’ve got plenty of 동생 already) and be done with it.

So what if I “take on” a new 남동생? I know he will call me 형 but what will I call him? By his given name with a nice little /야/ at the end for flair . If his name is 성주 he would be called 성주야 but if his name has a final consonant (바침) then simply add an /아/ such as 유빈아.

I can say with certainty that only a small fraction of this type of profiling exists in America. By and large, it is uniquely Korean. It is an echo originating from Confucianism that demands strong importance on social hierarchy. This clashes with the American sense of equality and fairness. In the states, I can talk to anyone I want and make friends with whomever I want with only a few taboo rules in place. In Korean, the lines of terms are very clear - if they are older than you, you must call them this. When things work out, it is a well oiled machine. When things get out of whack, it’s upsetting. Best advice is always play it safe and always play it polite with Koreans.

Pretend you are a male in your 20s and you are shopping in a department store and spot a shirt that looks nice. If you want to find out more about it (or to haggle) the best way to get the male store clerk’s attention is to respect him by calling him 형. If you’re quite a bit older than the store clerk, then the rules change…but not always…

It may seem daunting at first considering that age isn’t always a determining factor in kinship terms.

For example, I had the pleasure to be university classmates with a feisty Japanese woman (and fellow KC101 student!) that is quite a bit older than me but certainly still winning over hearts of young men from all over the world (치요카누나 - remember me kindly ) Even though there existed a clear age difference, it was impolite to refer to her as 아주머니 - a polite title that I would have used had I met her outside of the university in a “normal” setting. But since we were both university students in the same level course, we were in the same social class - so in that case, she became my 누나 - a title that made me very comfortable and probably helped me feel that much closer to her. So in that case, age didn’t matter as much as class . Granted, this isn’t a super-common scenario but it was a real-life scenario that we must be aware of.

Thoughts?

Korean text input.

Insanely logical. The Korean keyboard.

Have you ever sat down and thought about how simplistic the setup is? We’re talking about a keyboard that originally housed 26 English letters but now logistically houses 한굴. Not bad at all, really

Not to mention that if I were to type in English a bunch of random letters such as “awfeiojawcneliawefiawn” the English keyboard doesn’t discern between consonant and vowel - even though in English we actually do have rules about CV order. For example, a”normal” English word cannot have three vowels back-to-back (unless of course it has a French origin or other language whose rules are different). But in Korean, there are only nine possibilities for a syllable block. But keep cool - your Korean keyboard knows this already. “마여두푲닻ㅁ음ㅇㅏㅣㅁㅊ호허ㅏㅣ” See? I can type randomness and they will neatly find themselves a place - kind of like musical chairs. Also a little like a mild case of OCD…

Cellphones are a different matter altogether though.

In order to type in Korean, one must input consonants like usual but “draw” out the vowels. Follow me. The brush strokes for the ㅐ vowel involves three lines. First a vertical, then a dot (or small dash), then a vertical.ㅣ - ㅣmakesㅐ.

So to type a simple word like 한국어, one would enter “8″ twice (first to get a ㅅ then to get aㅎ) then “1″ (to get a vertical line) then “2″ (to get a horizontal line) then “5″ (to get the ㄴ) then “4″ (for the ㄱ) then “3″ and “2″ (to get the ㅜ one must first get a ㅡ) and “3″ again and finally “0″ and “2″ and “1″. Careful not to press “1″ then “2″ in which case you’ll get aㅏ instead of aㅓ.

Confused? It catches on pretty quick. It’s pretty ingenious considering the phone can also seamlessly type in English. What I don’t know is if Korean cellphones have a form of T9 (predictable text). Anyone want to clarify this?

All things considered, I consider Korean a very logical written language. It is quite neat and organized in my honest opinion. Growing up in an English-language majority environment, Roman letter-based languages (Spanish, Italian, French, etc) don’t “scare” me. They just looked different. But with Korean, a whole new “alphabet” is used and from my perspective it looked just as daunting as other East Asian writing systems such as Chinese and Japanese. But now that I have become accustomed to Korean, I feel like I lucked out. Anyone else feeling this? Japanese and Chinese still scare me

Thoughts?

Electronics.

Korea is pretty much the Mecca of electronics. Samsung is here. LG is here. Both Hewlett-Packard and Energizer have Korea-based facilities. Iriver and SK Telecom are domestic-based companies that do serious sales just within Korea itself. This is one hooked up company.

So much so that Korea’s cell phone companies still use proprietary frequencies and encoding. Meaning that fancy new phone you bought in Yongsan probably won’t function in America. Japan had been the more notorious country with this problem for travelers but recently has started to integrate worldwide carriers.

Even the best VoIP software available comes at a premium for users in Korea. Skype has a pay-to-use feature that allows Skype users to call any number be it domestic, international, landline, or cell phone. Note the sad peach colored bar that represents the South Korean Won. Yep, that’s us. That’s the connection fee for each “real” number call made if you do the non-monthly plan. The price is not so good…but hey, at least the calling rates themselves aren’t too bad. Plus, regular vanilla Skype is still free!

Moving on, Korea is a country with so many proprietary gadgets and gizmos that it would make Steve Jobs blush. You thought a Mac was hard to use in a Microsoft world? It could be worse. I’ve got a sweet little electronic dictionary from IRiver that can do everything but make french fries. But all service, manuals, software, firmware updates, and GUI are all in Korean. Although I should say that many handheld products like the Sony PSP work just fine overseas; although the Nintendo DS doesn’t fare as well. Having said that, anyone on the Seoul Subway Metro will notice pastel colored Gameboys and a few PSPs but the vast majority of the electronics are utilizing DMB.

Oh, has anyone ever heard of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB)? Probably not many; and with good reason. It is a native Korean broadcast frequency essentially used to watch cable television on PDAs, mobile phones, and other handheld devices for free. High quality television channels come standard on most cell phones in the ROK. My iRiver dictionary has this feature too but keep in mind; only available in Korea. North Americans actually still use the frequency for VHF and UHF channels (think rabbit ear antennae). Although service is free and plentiful, it is harder to get a good signal out in some rural areas. So long as you are in Seoul, you’ll get great reception.

Speaking of cellphones, I was with a friend over the summer in 인사동 and she broke out her cellphone when it rang. But this wasn’t an ordinary call, it was a video call. She talked to her sister with decent fps and exceptional sound quality. Anyone else remember thinking that “Picture Phones” only existed in The Jetsons and that even if we had them that they would be crazy expensive? Her Korean cellphone ran about 400 USD and had plenty of other eye candy like an English-Korean dictionary and a travel time estimator. If we wanted to find the shortest route from 이대 to 산본 using a bus or subway, the phone would calculate transfer and travel times and present you with the option with the fewest transfers or quickest arrival. And to think I’m still figuring T9 out…

It’s amazing to me how quickly Koreans adapt to new technology. Oh sure - premium Skype features are lame here - but all things considered, the electronics here are phenomenal. It stills mildly shocks me that grandparents on the Metro are text messaging their friends and family. It just tickles me to think of my own grandmother using public transportation, texting, and watching late night TV on her cellphone in a crowded subway train. My hat goes off to you, older generation of Korea.

Thoughts?

Rice.

Come on, you know Korea has some good rice. Tell me you know this and we can get along.

Quick review! So we have “밥” as a rice but primarily as a meal (which could entail any type of food). There’s also the rice itself, “쌀”.

Moving on, let’s get a country bumpkin’s perspective on rice, shall we?

Growing up in central Texas meant that rice took on a bit of a different form that what is the norm in Korea. We’re talking Tex-Mex rice - Spanish rice - the yellow-redish with tomato goodness that isn’t quite Mexican but certainly not Texan. I also enjoyed (and still do) Dirty rice - a Cajun staple from our border-neighbor Louisiana (or as some Texans say “that one state to the right”). Now there was also two other kinds of rice in our cupboard - and it is here that I am most embarrassed.

For the longest time, I called white rice “white people rice” because boil-in-the-bag rice that is white in color isn’t the same as Asian-style rice; also, I noticed my “white” family eating it. How awful! I couldn’t help but propagate a misnomer, but I know I put it together when I noticed that my family ate different white rice from my friends who ate Korean rice. For example, our boil-in-bag rice was prepackaged, not sticky, and usually had a dollop of butter on the top of it with a sprinkle of black pepper. Sorry guys, I couldn’t make this up even if I wanted to. Also, the other boil-in-the-bag rice, brown rice, was usually the bed for a diced chicken dish, but essentially they served the same purpose in the kitchen. So, basically I called Korean rice “sticky rice” pretty much just because it was sticky.

Now that I have moved on from kitchen-based ethnocentrism, I can say with confidence that I don’t discriminate. However, I do eat Korean-style rice almost exclusively now (too many bad memories with that racist rice from before, you know). However, I am not content with the vanilla-variety rice that stares at me with its plainness. Oh no. I’m all about the 전라도 rice. It comes in many different varieties, styles, and names but I have been calling it 오곡밥 (five grain rice) for good measure. I’ve seen it called 오곡미, 칠곡미, and something else that slips my mind but they’re all forms of a mixed grain with rice. Essentially, if you’re ever in 전주 and you notice the rice has a purple/red color to it with a bunch of crazy beans invading the bowl - you’ve found solid goodness. I love this rice. It’s the only rice that when served, I usually ask for seconds.

The mixture was likely introduced way back when when rice was more expensive than other grains. However, to make due with the food that was available, grains were introduced to the mix and were eaten together as a kind of “poor-man’s rice”. That would make 오곡밥 or any other mixed grain rice a sort of food for those who couldn’t afford normal white rice from a long time ago, wouldn’t it? Nuts to that! The mixed rice has a fuller flavor, more nutrients, more purpleness (you need purple in your diet, right?). I’ve also seen it with more of a red tint to it - either way, I get pretty passionate about that rice. We’re BFF.

The only real difference in cooking is that you have to soak the portion that is to be cooked overnight in a bowl of water (to soften the grains prior to cooking) but other than that, it cooks the same in a rice pot. I also try not to over-rinse the rice mix as much. Normally, a good four-five rinse is all that I need with normal rice but usually, I only do three or four good rinses - so as not to lose the rocket-sauceness of it.

Without getting into a “my rice is better than yours” contest, I would like to extend this apology to other sources of good rice - you’ll never get the gold but that doesn’t mean that you can’t be silver Man, those are fightin words…Anyways, what types of rice do you all like? Am i alone in eating the red-headed stepchild of Korean rice? Any ex-pats taken to 오곡밥?

Thoughts?

Drinking Water.

No, not quality. quantity. There is a serious void in the stomachs of Koreans. That void is water.

I drink a boatload of water. Realistically I drink probably three liters of water a day on average. Oh and 3.8 liters to a gallon there people. Most doctors recommend that at least 2 liters be consumed daily to simply replace the lost fluids by normal functions such as excretion, respiration, and perspiration. But if you consume about 2 liters of water in a day, then you’re probably doing fine by most - and probably more than most.

Most being Koreans. Koreans straight up do not drink water at meals. It’s amazing. I go to fill people’s water cups and they haven’t even touched it. Mind you that we’re eating Korean food which is not exactly I.B.S. friendly - many traditional dishes are downright fiery while the rest of simply hot and a few are mild. No matter - my Korean buddies don’t crave fluids the same way that I do. Is it because I’m from Texas and it gets nasty hot here? Maybe, but so does Korea. Is it because I’m listening to doctor’s orders? Partially - but then again, I naturally want to drink lots of fluids at my meal. Is it because they are drinking different fluids instead if water? Well, sort of. 보리차  is a staple at Korean tables but they aren’t exactly downing it. Soda is served in skinny little cans and is quite rare at most restaurants as a main source of fluids.

So why aren’t Koreans shriveling up and dying from dehydration? Who knows? Maybe it’s the huge amounts of fruit consumed - we’re talking daily 수박 intake. 90% of the fruit’s content is water while the rest is downright a crime not to eat - Have you not tried Korean watermelon yet? Missing out.

Maybe it’s the fluid found in the soups, stews, and broths. Come to think of it, I do eat every last possible ounce of fluid in any 찌게 I eat and certainly in every bowl of 떡라맨 - don’t you know it’s sacrilegious to not eat the broth?

Perhaps Koreans know what’s the deal after all. Maybe they just got lucky…

Regardless, the serving cups for water are typically just that - a fluid cup. One cup. Like a measuring cup. What am I supposed to do with that? I feel like a fatty when I have to get two cups just to make it where I can sit down for the majority of the meal instead of always getting up for me. My secret? Sitting in the table right next to the water cooler. Arms distance away is an oasis untapped by the locals. Water~ I am here - wait for me!

Come to think of it, my Korean friends are always asking me if the food is too hot - assuming that since I am a foreigner, I’m eating Korean food, I’m drinking lots of water, I’m sweating like a duck (inside joke - sorry) that I must be tolerating the food to save face. Not true! This food is frakin great and I’m enjoying a nice refreshing shot-glass size cup of water in an attempt to cleanse my palate. I appreciate the concern, but I’m plenty rude enough to not eat the food served to me - okay so I’m not that rude - but I am eating Korean food out of choice - not out of obligation. Maybe you’re the one who needs to cool down? Here, have some water.

Thoughts?

Vegetarianism.

If you are 1 in 5 billion people that are vegan (these are verifiable facts here, people), you must be:

1) Angry at something, or
2) Conscientious of something that doesn’t quite sit with you.

Either way, you have chosen a meat-free life that has almost exclusively alienated all of your closest friends and family. Great job! You will continue to live this lifestyle until you are a tired, old, cynical shell of a human being that is known more for vulgarity than eco-friendliness. Wow! I can’t wait to subject my own children one day to this Hollywood-esque lifestyle!

Hey, I’m okay with it. But many vegetarians react to their diet defensively almost like being accused of racism. “But I have lots of meat-eating friends!” Sure, that’ll convince them that you don’t secretly hate them.

So, somewhere along 37°35′N and 127°’E, there lies a country where vegetarianism isn’t as strange as you might expect. Korean people are indeed eating more meat now, but there is a long-standing history of vegetarian cuisine. Granted, their reasons for a meat-free diet aren’t the same as most western vegetarians, but regardless, let’s go over some key phrases and more importantly, how exactly vegetarianism works for Koreans.

I’m here to tell you that it blows my mind how Koreans look at the abstinence of meat or other animal products. In America, I simply have to tell someone “Oh, I’m a vegan” or “Oh, I don’t eat meat. No thank you”. Some people ask what exactly is a vegan, but most just take a moment to wrap their head around that idea. “…there goes the Whopper, the Big Mac…” but generally, most Americans understand the idea in general. Every so often, someone remarks “Well you can still eat quesadillas or fried eggs at least” In which case you can simply point out that for many vegetarians and all vegans, those foods are like Paris Hilton - you just don’t want to touch that. Some people get defensive (because come on, who wants to feel like a murderer of sweet little chickens?), others attempt to find common ground (”That’s cool - last year for lent I gave up hamburgers” ) while others are simply baffled (”Well, then what CAN you eat?”). But really, when you look at the psychology behind the responses, all of them indeed recognize the philosophical aspect - it becomes like a koan - an unanswerable question or riddle.

But with Koreans, it really doesn’t matter. You can tell the cook “채식주의자임니다” all day long and it really doesn’t mean anything. He will still give me 오징어 or some other 반찬 that clearly contains meat. I find it more useful to order food using a three-step process.

1. say which food you want
2. say what you don’t want in it
3. then tell them you are a vegetarian.

This formula usually gives the person taking the order a logical process to absorb the reason. “He wants this, without this, because this”. I also like to add this little ditty in. “고기를 못먹어요” This means “I can’t eat meat” as opposed to the more commonly heard “고기를 안먹어요” “I don’t eat meat”. The latter phrase implies that you may or may not eat meat, but as for right now, you don’t want to eat meat.

Speaking of meat, the idea of vegetarianism encompasses a plethora of meat. This is generally understood to include bacon, pork, chicken, beef, fish, etc. In Korea, it’s not this way. You pretty much have to specifically say what you don’t want/can’t eat. All too many times I have told the 아저씨 that I am a vegetarian, I can’t eat meat, I can’t eat fish - and I STILL get a steaming hot bowl of 순두부찌개 with happy little 해산물 floating in it. From an American mindset it makes me think “What exactly did you think I was talking about it when I said no fish?” His response: “Shrimp isn’t fish. Clam isn’t fish”. He’s a sweet guy though so I don’t let it bother me. More than anything, I just feel embarrassed that he has to make another one. After all, I’m not there to get anyone mad or upset or preach my values - I just wanted some food.

Also, I would strongly recommend giving the 아주머니 or 아저씨 a little credit. Admit it, you have an accent. It might take them a while to understand you as it is. Also, you’re messing with their menu. Exceptions to dishes are not as common in Korea as it is in America. In America, we can order a cheeseburger with no lettuce, extra pickles, no sesame seed bun, and extra cooked and it not be a big deal. In Korea, it is slightly unusual to make changes to a menu item. They are likely used to people just saying “김밥 주세요” and that’s all. So try to order things that are already pretty close to being animal-free but need only a little tweaking.

Here’s a little formula to remember. (모모) 안먹어요. Replace (모모) with anything you don’t want in your stomach.

• 고기 - beef
• 해산물 - seafood
• 물고기 - fish (also 생선)
• 새우 - shrimp
• 계란 - egg
• 햄 - ham
• 조개 - clam (also 대함)
• 낙지 - octopus
• 오징어 - squid

Keep in mind that many dishes are naturally vegan while others can be modified. Most 순두부찌개 comes with 해산물 (seafood) but as long as you point out to the server that you can’t eat 해산물, you can enjoy the spicy goodness that is 순두부찌개. Also, if you are unsure if a menu item has meat in it, you can ask “고기 있어요?” There is another phrase I use and has been met with huge success. “고기빼고 해 주세요” means “Leave out the meat”. Insert anything you don’t want in your food instead of meat and you have a perfectly good formulaic phrase! But keep in mind, it kind of depends on the food. This is appropriate if the restaurant makes its 짜장면 sauce separate from the beef topping. However, many places cook the beef in the black bean sauce in which case you should order something else.

The word 야채 (vegetables) is sometimes placed in front of something to indicate that it is devoid of animal products. I would like to remind you that not everyone considers 계란 (egg) an animal product. In which case, the 야채비빔밥 while likely still have a bright and smiling egg right on top to greet you. However, I am usually pleasantly surprised that 버섯 순두부 찌개 (mushroom tofu jjigae) oftentimes comes completely meat-free without any special requests. Score!

I leave you with a few suggestions. I hesitate to list some non-standard dishes because I don’t want to get anyone’s hope up. The following dishes are pretty common and well known.

• 돌솥 야채 비빔밥 (or just simply 돌솥비빔밥 minus egg and beef)
• 비빔 국수 (minus egg on top)
• 비빔 냉면 (minus egg on top)
• 떡뽂이 (careful here - usually there’s 오댕 mixed in - it’s your call)
• 버섯 순두부 찌개 (or just 순두부찌개 minus seafood)
• 김밥 (carefully poke out ham, crab, egg - these are usually premade so no special ordering here)
• 김차 김밥 (minus the egg and you’re all set)
• 매운고추김밥 (if you can stand the heat - one of my favorites!)
• 쫄면 (minus egg on top - careful - quite spicey - but oh so delicious)
• 빔치파전 (batter contains egg - not vegan friendly)
• 된장 찌개 (minus seafood)
• 김치 찌개 (varies - may contain pork, tuna, or other meats - just ask)
• 야채 민두 (my veggie mandu will rock your socks)
• 의김치 (my personal favorite)

So maybe you don’t eat because of animal rights. Maybe you are trying to reduce your eco-footprint. Maybe you are trying to get closer to the source of energy in your foods - take on a more natural approach. Maybe you just want a lighter meal. Either way, it is 100% possible to live a vegan lifestyle in Korea. However, one must realize, though that you will be eating out less than your meat-eating friends. It’s just like in America. I don’t really eat out much; I go out to eat maybe twice a week. I most generally cook and eat at home. Although I must admit, I find it so much easier to eat vegan Korean food than I do vegan American food. Plus veggie Korean food is guaranteed hippie-free!  Bonus!

My advice? Grow tough skin, be confident, and dust your shoulders off if you get some uneatable food served to you. Always remain polite about your choice of foods and people will learn to respect your decisions instead of dread your patronage.

Thoughts?