Floor Sleeping:
Camping is great and all, but no one wants to do it everyday. Sleeping on the floor is the norm here. Just throw down a blanket and lay on it! I can't see this ever catching on in America. Even when they have a "bed," it's definitely fusion. They will buy a mattress sized wooden box with a mini-headboard, then throw down a blanket and sleep on that. I can't understand why they don't embrace the soft sleeping scenario, but perhaps it's a space thing. Most of the Westernization happens through the younger generation, who either live with parents and therefore don't have a choice what they sleep on or live in a whole so small that the bed has to roll up to make the space work.
Octopus:
On a rare occasion, you can get a group of people together who can get stomach fried calamari from an Italian restaurant, provided it's thoroughly fried, devoid of texture or fish flavor, and accompanied with a bucket of sauce to douse it in. In Korea, however, octopus and other seafoods are eaten far more often than chicken or even pork. This culinary contradiction is a reflection of the nature of the two countries, in my opinion. Whereas America is broad, with plenty of land for livestock, and a history of land-animal consumption, Korea can fit into America an almost even 98 times. This combined with being a peninsula and a general Asian affinity towards foods from the sea, means octopus is the new beef. I've eaten octopus steamed on a stick, dried, fried, grilled, sauced, over rice, in soup, and even alive. It's gotten so bad that I walk through street food areas and have to convince myself that it doesn't smell good. It doesn't, but that doesn't mean it can't be appetizing. It took a long time to even reach this stage, where I not only don't notice but am sometimes in the mood for octopus, and it's another thing I don't see America embracing any time soon.
Wrist Grab:
I'm sitting in the office, preparing for class. Suddenly, a hand comes from over my shoulder a grabs my wrist, with the clutch and unexpectedness of a zombie from the grave. It's just my boss of course, but the wrist grab is just a way of getting attention in this culture, like a tap on the shoulder or a psst! It doesn't stop at this one interaction, of course. It is a move of endearment, friendship, even attraction. It's not at all uncommon to see a boyfriend wrist grab his girl on the sidewalk, or watch it be used almost as a pick-up line. To the Western wrist it feels extremely disrespectful in the office and aggressive in the bar, though I know it's not meant that way. I'll stick to words, thanks.
Toilet Paper:
Obviously there's more to this. Sure, we all use toilet paper for it's obvious function, but one way in which toilet paper will never be employed is as napkins. Or paper towels. Or on a restaurant table for customers. There's just that bathroom connotation that, except for the odd bachelor pad, will never be socially acceptable in anything food-related.
Camping is great and all, but no one wants to do it everyday. Sleeping on the floor is the norm here. Just throw down a blanket and lay on it! I can't see this ever catching on in America. Even when they have a "bed," it's definitely fusion. They will buy a mattress sized wooden box with a mini-headboard, then throw down a blanket and sleep on that. I can't understand why they don't embrace the soft sleeping scenario, but perhaps it's a space thing. Most of the Westernization happens through the younger generation, who either live with parents and therefore don't have a choice what they sleep on or live in a whole so small that the bed has to roll up to make the space work.
Octopus:
On a rare occasion, you can get a group of people together who can get stomach fried calamari from an Italian restaurant, provided it's thoroughly fried, devoid of texture or fish flavor, and accompanied with a bucket of sauce to douse it in. In Korea, however, octopus and other seafoods are eaten far more often than chicken or even pork. This culinary contradiction is a reflection of the nature of the two countries, in my opinion. Whereas America is broad, with plenty of land for livestock, and a history of land-animal consumption, Korea can fit into America an almost even 98 times. This combined with being a peninsula and a general Asian affinity towards foods from the sea, means octopus is the new beef. I've eaten octopus steamed on a stick, dried, fried, grilled, sauced, over rice, in soup, and even alive. It's gotten so bad that I walk through street food areas and have to convince myself that it doesn't smell good. It doesn't, but that doesn't mean it can't be appetizing. It took a long time to even reach this stage, where I not only don't notice but am sometimes in the mood for octopus, and it's another thing I don't see America embracing any time soon.
Wrist Grab:
I'm sitting in the office, preparing for class. Suddenly, a hand comes from over my shoulder a grabs my wrist, with the clutch and unexpectedness of a zombie from the grave. It's just my boss of course, but the wrist grab is just a way of getting attention in this culture, like a tap on the shoulder or a psst! It doesn't stop at this one interaction, of course. It is a move of endearment, friendship, even attraction. It's not at all uncommon to see a boyfriend wrist grab his girl on the sidewalk, or watch it be used almost as a pick-up line. To the Western wrist it feels extremely disrespectful in the office and aggressive in the bar, though I know it's not meant that way. I'll stick to words, thanks.
Toilet Paper:
Obviously there's more to this. Sure, we all use toilet paper for it's obvious function, but one way in which toilet paper will never be employed is as napkins. Or paper towels. Or on a restaurant table for customers. There's just that bathroom connotation that, except for the odd bachelor pad, will never be socially acceptable in anything food-related.
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