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Friday, August 25, 2006

Cultural Oddity Moment #6

So, I came home from the IYC welcome party on Thursday night at almost exactly midnight, which is pretty good timing considering the subways all stop running at about 11:30 or so. I came in, said hi to the family, had a brief discussion on Skype with Brooke, then proceeded to tell the family goodnight and hit the sack (and by sack I mean board). All is well, right?

Let's interject the story with some back story. Being in a new culture, whose hygienic values are unbeknownst to me, I have taken particular care to be extra clean. Err on the side of safety, if you catch my drift. I've showered every morning, been more diligent about shaving and brushed pickled garlic out of my teeth with rigor and vigor. I could never have expected what was about to come.

Umma: indiscernible Korean sentence.
YongHee: She wants to know why you didn't shower last night.
Steven: Because I showered yesterday morning.
YH: indiscernible Korean sentence.
U: indiscernible Korean sentence.
YH: I'm sorry, not shower, indiscernible Korean word. Do you know that word?
S: Excuse me?
*dictionary usage*
YH: Wash your hands. Why you not wash your hands yesterday?
S: Excuse me?
U: indiscernible Korean sentence.
YH: Last night you are using the computer, then you just go to bed.
S: Oh, yeah. I didn't think about it.
Steven's Mind: There's no sense in washing any part of me before I go to bed because I just wake up covered in a film of sweat.

What did we learn? That the Koreans must wash their hands before bed. The subject came up twice more over the course of the day. We also learned that the family is watching me and my hand hygiene habits, so.......weird.

1 comment:

  1. duh, even in america we wash our hands before going to bed... oh wait..... no we dont even wash them after the potty normally X_x whoops!

    (I've been moving my comp and have not had internt.... so thats why i'm behind on reading the wonderful posts you make here.)

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