6 Months in the South

Hello.  We have been present and accounted for in South Korea for the past six months.  We have had a blast and we have also met some amazing people.  We are also missing our family and friends.  Brothers, sisters, babies, Mom and Dad, cousins, Aunt's and Uncle's, and last but not least, grandmothers.  

However through all of this we have come up with a list of information of things one should know for a visit or a longer stay in this lovely place.


1.  forks are easier to come by than originally thought

2.  Korean food is still delicious

3. "We are really in Korea" moments still happen

4.  Have only cooked in our penthouse apartment maybe  5 or 6 times

5.  Korean fashion is awesome

6.  Going to dinner every night with friends is still fun

7.  The bathroom is not bad but I won't use a squatter unless I have no choice

8.  We like not having a car.  Public transportation should be wider accepted and used in America

9.  Korean debit cards sometimes don't work after midnight. Foreign ones do.

10. Cash is your best friend.

11.  Always carry wet wipes and tissues

12.  Bring personal items from home...

13.  Getting stared at here is normal.  Especially if you have blond hair and blue eyes

14.  Chewing with your mouth open is completely normal (and still gross)

15.  So is slurping noodles and soup

16.  It is normal to hear F15 flying overhead every day.  Nothing is going to happen

17.  Always carry an umbrella. Period.

18.  If you are trying to make a deal with a Korean, using the word "okay" binds the contract.  Do not use "okay" unless you are prepared to do what you are talking about.

19.  You will always get gimchi and/or yellow radish as a side dish.  All of the gimchi tastes different at each location so if you have a yucky experience they are not all created equally.  Try another piece somewhere else.  The yellow radish is delicious and we have been told many, many times, "it aids in your digestion."

This is just a snapshot of our culture experiences in this first 6 months of living in South Korea. 
We have had a million of them but these were just a few that stood out the most.