Bubble space. 개인공간. To fully appreciate the invasion of personal bubble space, allow me to narrate my first bromance experience. You never forget your first: Wow what a great party. Good friends, good food, good drinks. Oh hey, there's one of my new buddies now. Oh he's coming over here. Cool. Maybe he has something to tell me. Nope. Just standing. Smiling. Oh, standing and smiling a little closer than usual. No problem. Woah. Uh...I hate to pop his bubble but he's standing too close to me. Seriously. What? You want to hold hands with me? Wait...why are we walking together with our arms around each other. Am I drunk? Am I gay? Heterosexually unintoxicated, my Korean friend was just being friendly. But who deserves to feel weirded... Show more

Membership Training. 엠티. What exactly are you training for? Not sure, but bring an iron stomach because things could get a little drunk crazy. Essentially, what we have is the time-honored Korean tradition of building strength and unity within a particular group. Typically, a company or university major will go on MTs to become closer and improve relationships within the group. Keep in mind that Korea, like other parts of Asia, operates by thinking that the group is paramount. Generally speaking, the individual is of lower importance. This isn't to say that one person is not important; rather one person when viewed outside of a group is of little concern. Suffice it to say that the group is more valued than the member. Any... Show more

Korean Drinking Water Habits. Part Two. It is highly recommended to read part one. Even if you already read it, I added a photo and it makes me giggle when I look at it. Just FYI. It's been over a year since I wrote about drinking water with a meal in Korea. Since then, I have tried my best to school my friends in the healthy ways of water; "Water is your friend" and such. However, I may be wrong in thinking that water has my best interests in mind. Perhaps water is no friend of mine... The most recent convincing argument comes from this article. Take a moment, read and come back. What do you think? Still convinced that water should be drunk at the table? I'm not so sure. After all, most of the arguments I hear either sound like... Show more

대학수학능력시험. A really ridiculous important test is coming up. Mark your calendars kids because the third Thursday of every November is when your life either begins or ends. Right off the bat, I have to mention that the amount of stress the test must cause...well...it's insane. This Hub of Sparkle post paints quite a sad picture of the reality the stress this test puts on students. Some kids are smart enough to see past it all although they too are still held accountable to the test. But I'm getting ahead of myself. What we need is perspective. What do we have in America that compares to 수능? The most common answer is the SAT. Essentially, this monster of a test helps determine the academic ability of hopeful incoming university... Show more

Korean bathrooms. This is clearly one of the first things I should have written about. Korean bathrooms can be summed up in one word: surprising. It's always a experience with every new bathroom I visit. Let's get right into the messy goodness that is Korean restrooms. Allow me to break this post into a few helpful points of interest: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Slippers - Walking into all private and a few public bathrooms, one will undoubtedly notice the pair of clear plastic slippers greeting you upon entry. The curious foreigner might imagine that these were carelessly left by a forgetful family member or perhaps used when the bathroom floods. No, kind sir, these shoes are for you...and everyone else. That's right.... Show more