Blood type. Stop. Ask yourself "What blood type am I?". Chances are you're a foreigner in respect to Korea (seeing as how this is an English language blog written for the benefit of foreigners) and that you probably answered with "I don't know". More importantly, you might have thought "why should I care?" The short answer? You shouldn't. But don't be surprised if other people do. Well I'm here to lay it on the line. It does matter. Kind of. See, this whole idea behind looking at someone's blood type originates from a Japanese belief that blood type determines temperament, compatibility, and pretty much everything else that defines someone. Apparently your blood has been yakking it up. What does it say about you? This sounds... Show more

Eating Dog. I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, it's not one of those posts. I'll keep it civil. First, I'd like to point out a brief summary via everyone's favorite online resource. Essentially, if/when you come to Korea, don't expect to see dogs dangling from store fronts and dog being served at every meal because it's just not that common of a dish. Understandably, some misinterpret the consumption of dog as an insult to their way of life. Like all things, some take the practice to a new level of ridiculous. Like this commentator points out, different isn't always wrong. The history of dog as a food source goes way back to the dog days of summer, known as 삼복 or 복날. These three days had a prescription to beat the heat -... Show more

Fan Death. One of the most tongue-in-cheek moments that expatriates have to share is the beauty that is fan death. So cast away science and come with me on a fanciful journey to discover why exactly these sweet little fans are harbingers of death. To understand fan death is to understand that there are several different theories as to why four small moving blades equal certain death. The more scientific sounding, the more convincing. Also, consider the fact that Korean homes are, in general, smaller than Western homes. Also, it gets crazy hot in Korea. But, enough about me (puns are just rolling today) let's talk about the theories. But keep in mind, I'm way late in posting this. These comedic claims have long been the... Show more

Laughing. Ah, a universal form of communication. Laughter. How could anyone possibly screw this one up? I mean, it must be the same everywhere you go, right? Leave it to Korea to make things backwards. Other than the standard laugh that occurs when something funny happens, Koreans (to include other Asians) might also laugh when embarrassed or nervous. But here's the thing, it looks like it's funny...but it's not. Scenario: A foreign businessperson approaches his secretary and asks why the report he asked for is late. She responds by quietly laughing. She just remembered that he asked for it yesterday. So, in embarrassment, she does the one thing that will surely make him upset. She has grin on her face. He looks like he's ready to... Show more

The Presidents of the Republic of Korea. 대통령. This can be a hot topic because people of different backgrounds and age groups differ heavily on how each president is remembered. Moreso, with each new president, former presidents are remembered somewhat differently. For that matter, there are criteria for judging presidents. Korea has a relatively short democratic history and an even shorter "real" democratic background. In just sixty years, there have been over 200 major political parties come and go. Also, one of the obstacles democracy faces in Asia stems from long-standing authoritarian tradition. Add to the mix Korea's not-that-far-behind agrarian and colonized history and you've got a recipe for political instability. But, far... Show more