There are no rules in Korea

We haven't posted in awhile so we apologize for the long post today..

One of the hardest things to get used to has been the absence of structure and rules in Korea. Situations that would merit procedure and order in Canada seem to function perfectly fine on their own here. Before doing something in Canada, it is common to think to yourself (or should be common) "am I allowed to do that?" or "is it safe to do that?" Here, on the other hand, we have oddly enough found comfort in knowing there are no rules in Korea. Our parents will often ask us questions about the way people here do things, such as buying their groceries, getting to work everyday and even going to restaurants. Something as simple as doing our laundry has caused my mother to even question what we can and can't do here. For example: In Canada, most people wash their clothes in a washing machine and dry them in a dryer. It's a seemingly simple task: You fill up your machine and an hour later the result is fluffy, soft, sweet smelling clothing (unless you live in the Dobsi residence, in which case the result is fluffy soft non-scented clothing). Well, in Korea. there are no dryers. Not even the wealthy and privileged are entitled to fluffy towels and bedding. Instead, they use drying racks or clothes maidens. If you're lucky and your laundry day is a windy one, your clothing and towels will feel more like what your used to and less like a paper bag. So, the Koreans have to get creative. How do they do this? By breaking a cardinal apartment living rule in Canada: they hang their bedding over their balcony railings, allowing the breeze to lift it gently and soften up the fibers. Stores even sell special clothes pins made just for this chore. It is completely normal to walk past an apartment and see dozens of blankets hanging over the edge on a nice sunny day. It is also completely normal to see barbers, restaurants and even pet stores displaying their clean linens outside their store fronts. Is this allowed in Canada? We don't really know, but the fact that we've never seen it forces us to believe no, it is not.

Another example of Korea's lack of rules is probably the most dangerous. Driving in Korea is not for the faint of heart. If you have the guts to get behind the wheel in Korea then you are a much more patient person than either of us. The lines on the road dividing traffic are more like a suggestion. Maybe you should stay on the right side of the road, but...if you happen to drift onto the left side, no one will tell. Those crosswalk lines you see? I bet you think they are for crossing the road. Well, sometimes they are. Other times they are used as parking spots, motorcycle paths and shortcuts during rush hour. Don't even get us started on the traffic lights. We still don't quite understand how they work. But, after a month of observations we have some initial guesses: A green light means go, and go fast. Don't pay attention to speed limits, other vehicles or pedestrians. They will get out of your way. A solid yellow light means you should probably slow down, but if you think the coast is clear at least look both ways and speed the hell up to make it through the intersection. You'd think a solid red light would mean stop, wouldn't you? Don't be silly. It means go faster than when the light is green. If, by chance, there is a cautious driver stopped in front of you at a red light, the only reasonable thing to do is drive up on the curb and go around him. So far the rules of the road seem pretty straight forward, almost like any other major city. But wait - there's more. Some intersections have a flashing yellow light which signals an all-way yield (we think) in which case you have the right to drive as fast as you want and in any direction. If another car is coming, go around them. If a pedestrian is crossing, speed up to greet him, then slam on your brakes, just to teach him a lesson. In the event that two or more cars think it is their turn to go, usually the person with less to lose wins. Other times there is a flashing red light. I don't really see how this is any different from a flashing yellow, since no one stops, no one yields  no one even looks both ways. They just drive and hope for the best. Amazingly though, this organized chaos seems to work for them.

Cars parked wherever they want

Parking is whole different issue. Basically, there are no parking spots - you just find an opening and go with it. Sometimes this is in front of a driveway, in the middle of a crosswalk, in the intersection, on the corner of a highway or even behind other parked cars (thereby blocking them in - hopefully the other car wasn't planning to leave anytime soon).

During our conversations with our families, we will tell them about the un-refrigerated meat that sits out on tables in the markets, the scooters that drive on sidewalks and the children that roam the streets at midnight by themselves. They will always stop us to ask "are people allowed to do that there?" to which our answer is always the same... there are NO rules in Korea.

Now, I know we have said "no rules" several times in this post, but there are some things the Koreans do without wavering. If you buy a ticket on a bus or train, you are assigned a seat number. You MUST sit in this seat. If there are 4 people on the train and you sit in a seat other than the one you've been assigned, all mayhen breaks lose. People are confused, they don't understand what to do and they don't seem to think taking a different seat is an option. They just stand in front of you, point to their ticket and stare, which is supposed to signal to you to get the hell out their seat and move along (in a friendly way, of course). Stemming off of this strange fixation with numbers, when you go into a store or bank and take a number, even if you're the only one there and your number is 5 numbers away, you must wait until your number is called. They will go in order, without skipping any numbers until the beeping finally stops on your number. You are then allowed to approach the counter.

Home Plus on an open day

Finally, and probably the most frustrating is Korea's love for randomly closing stores just because. Costco is closed...it must be the second or fourth Sunday of the month. Today, Home Plus was closed. Probably because it was the third Wednesday after the first full moon. Tomorrow our local grocery store will probably shut down half way through the day because it is one month from the last time it rained during the day on a Thursday, but one week away from strawberry season. Makes total sense, right?

Even though it seemed difficult to get used to at first, adjusting to the Korean way of living has been one of the easiest things to adapt to. We no longer look both ways twenty times before crossing the street. Instead, we look 5 times and commit. The key is no sudden movements, no hesitation - just go with it and the Koreans will figure it out.

A Weekend in Nonsan

Culture Street

A weekend in Canada is very different from a weekend in Korea. In Canada, my weekends were usually very lazy. I'd sleep in, watch TV in my PJ's until noon, slowly get ready and by 1:00 p.m. I was usually ready to go out wherever I needed to go. Mike's, on the other hand, were usually all business. He'd get up, go to work, come home and then get ready to do the same thing the next day. In Korea, our weekends are our time to explore, do some shopping and try new things.

It is hard to say what most Koreans do on weekends. Based on our observations we can say a few things with certainty.

Inside the market - total chaos

Every Saturday, everyone and their brother goes to their local open air markets to buy fresh produce, meat, fish and socialize with their neighbours. Old ladies sit at the stalls snacking on some kind of meat on a stick, rice cakes (not the Quaker kind we are used to in Canada) and kimchi, all of it covered in some form of garlic hot sauce. Next to them are children running up and down the aisles of the market, dodging men on scooters and carts delivering an assortment of goods. Further down the aisle are shoppers collecting the items on their grocery lists which usually include an array of cabbage-type vegetables, over-sized bags of onions, various meat not commonly seen at your local Zehrs store, and gathering leafy greens and nuts from bulk bins in the middle of the market. Surrounding this organized chaos are alley ways filled with teenage girls and boys shopping for clothing while seizing the opportunity to savour "street-meat" and confectionery items. Looking around this little part of the world we now call home, 3 weeks ago it would have been hard to believe that a place like this actually existed.

Entrance to the market

Just stopping for a snack

A typical meat stall in the market

On Sunday, Nonsan seems like a completely different city. The busy and chaotic streets turn into desolate walkways where pedestrians are free to cross the street without fear of being run down by a taxi. That is, until 2:00 p.m. when church-goers have returned to their usual business of getting where they need to go as quickly as possible. Sunday for us means walking around the city, finding new places to visit. Sometimes it also means taking the train to Daejeon for some retail therapy at Costco. However, if you aren't mindful of the dates, Sunday may mean taking the train to Daejeon to go to Costco only to turn back around once you find out it is closed on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, as was the case for us this past Sunday. Starting now, Sunday will no longer mean Costco trips... As the sun goes down and the last few hours of the weekend hang in the air, families gather for dinners at restaurants and homes where stories of their days are retold with a sense of melancholy for the return to the work-week. We know this because we have a sneak peek into approximately 300 kitchens from the comfort of our balcony. As they sit cross-legged on the floor, we watch and wonder: what are they cooking, what part of the animal are they eating...what animal are they eating, did it have a name?

This little piggy went to the market....

Dinner with the foreigners

This past weekend was our second in Korea. Overall it was a nice and relaxing weekend. Thanks to the wonderful advancements of technology, we were able to connect with foreigners, most of whom are fellow teachers, at a welcome dinner they held for us. They took us to a typical Korean restaurant where shoes are removed immediately upon entering. We were then taken to a room in the back of the restaurant where low tables are surrounded by pillows. This is where we sat while eating - yes, on the floor. The low tables each had a BBQ pit sunk into the middle of it surrounded by an array of condiments, side dishes and utensils. The food of choice that was samgyupsal, which is pork belly meat. Basically, it is western style bacon that hasn't been cured. It is then placed on the grill with whole cloves of garlic and eaten with spicy sauce, a sesame oil dipping sauce, kimchi and various other condiments. This is followed by at least one shot of soju which is a cheap Korean liquor, similar to vodka. And when I say cheap, I mean it is cheap. For a 4L jug, you will have to fork out a hefty 5,000 won - approximately $5 Canadian. The Koreans (and foreigners) love their soju. More will come on food and drink in Korea shortly. But for now, let us say this.. I don't think anyone goes hungry in Korea. Or has to eat alone. No matter where you are from or where you are going, someone is always around to keep you company and you better believe food is always involved. We have been very fortunate to meet some really great people in Korea and we can't wait to keep you updated with more stories.

Our first night out in Korea