what i think i like about Korea - take one

i never thought i'd say this, but:

1) bidets. there's nothing nicer on a freezing day than to pull down one's pants (and multiple layers of long underwear) and to plant the hiney on a nice, warm toilet seat. My workplace has one. So do nicer restaurants and retail establishments.

2) Anglicized Korean. in other words, the popular usage of English terms in the Korean language. actually, this is one of those things that really breaks my heart. sometimes I wonder if Korean vocabulary is on its way to extinction. instead of a nah-moo-jip (Korean for 'tree house"), these days you'll see it written out in Hangul as te-lee hah-woo-se.

but i did put this on the "what I think I like" list for a selfish reason. it's easier for me. for instance, when i first arrived in Seoul, i was trying to stock up on supplies. i picked up something pink wrapped in packaging, but couldn't figure out what it was. thank goodness for Anglicized Korean. the package was labeled in Hangul: sha-wuh tah-wul (shower towel). i bought it.

but aside from the convenience it bestows upon me (not having to learn Korean vocabulary), and that Koreans are "sorta" learning English in this manner, i really think this co-option of the Korean language is tragic.

3) technology. i think Koreans have Americans beat hands-down when it comes to technology. have you ever walked into a U.S. bank to open a new account and walked out with an ATM and/or credit card ready to use? none of this "it'll be in the mail in 7-10 business days" funny business. and if i want to pay rent, i can just go to an ATM and transfer funds into my landlord's bank account. just.. like.. that. or if i owe my friend some cash, same thing. easy as pie.

it also took me approximately 45 minutes to buy a cell phone. that's from walking in, picking out the phone i wanted, choosing and setting up my phone number, getting it activated on the desired plan, and walking out the door with a charged and activated brand new handset. it cost me 50,000W (less than $54) to buy a nice compact slide-open handset with a ton of features (MP3, Korean-English-Korean dictionary, schedule planner, games, camera, etc.).

4) being green. i love that most grocery and general merchandise stores charge you for shopping bags. in other words, BRING YOUR OWN. i also love that you can buy refills of laundry soap, shampoo, air freshener, etc. in plastic bags. i mean, the brand-name stuff like Dove, Pantene and Febreze. i've always been curious why we need brand new shampoo bottles every time we use up the previous batches. what a freaking waste.

5) lockers. everywhere. chicken or egg, not sure. but lockers everywhere mean that people are more mobile to travel by foot, bus and subway rather than feeling like they need their automobiles for portable storage.

6) dental hygiene. okay, this is might not be a Korea thing. it might be specific to the capital city, but it appears that people are avid brushers in Seoul. it is not uncommon to see people brushing their teeth after meals in restaurants, at the workplace, etc. i'm a huge fan of good dental hygiene, so this one makes the list.

on a different note, i saw "The Last Empress" this past weekend with Alan and Katelyn at the National Theater of Korea. it is a Korean musical about the... well, last empress of Korea. She is a historical figure who has gone through as much turmoil after death as in life, due to the much-divided sentiment of her role in Korean history. she has been both criticized and revered as being the real power behind the throne in the final years leading up the Japanese annexation.

the musical, while simplistic in its historical presentation (most likely for wider audience appeal), was a treat to watch from cultural and entertainment standpoints, incorporating singing, dancing, swordsmanship and acrobatics.

Alan, Katelyn and i are going to see another cultural performance next Thursday (27th) at Sejong Center of the Performing Arts: "Grand Presentation of Korean Traditional Dance". seeing as i have never seen a full-on professional Korean traditional dance performance, i'm super excited!

posts are a-comin'

i'm in an apartment of my own now. pictures, descriptions and further news will be coming next week.

meanwhile, this is a bookmark for updates:

1) i moved into an apartment
2) i'm working two jobs right now, about to be three
3) my apartment got broken into (the first full day i was there)
4) i'm going to travel again for 3 weeks to Thailand & Laos (leaving late January)
5) i'm most likely going to stay in Asia longer than originally planned