Korea

The holidays just keep coming

Dear Reader, Happy Valentine’s Day!  I hope today was a good one.  My wife and I went out tonight for dinner in Insadong, a folk art and tourist area in downtown Seoul.  We ended up eating at an unlikely place–a small Indian restaurant named "Little India" located above Insadong Street.  We thought that we would eat at some out-of-the-way, forgotten Korean restaurant, figuring that all the Korean romantics celebrating Valentine’s Day would mosey over to popular, romantic restaurants where reservations are required.  The Indian food at "Little India" didn’t taste quite as we expected.  Then again, we really didn’t know what to expect.  The nan (flatbread), samosa (crisp bread stuffed with minced vegetable), curry chicken, and lassi (yogurt drink) did not taste like the Indian cuisine we typically ate in the United States.  I surmised that:  1) The Indian food we’re used to eating is Americanized; 2) Indian food at this restaurant was Koreanized; or 3) The food actually tasted like authentic Indian food from some region in India.  I suspect that options one and two are the most likely culprits.  Plus, we have not yet traveled to India, so we wouldn’t know whether or not the food was authentic.  Nevertheless, the ambiance at "Little India" took us back to a time when we found a quaint Chinese restaurant in Luxor, Egypt and dined on Chinese food overlooking the Egyptian street.  It also reminded me of a time when we dined on Thai cuisine together in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i.
 
If you didn’t have someone special to celebrate Valentine’s Day with this year, never fear.  Do as the Koreans do.  In Korea, you have 21 different occasions in which to celebrate your love for someone.  Last month, Reuters published an interesting article called "South Korean Calendar Ladened with Love."  The article explains how Korean companies have tried to mimick the commercial success of Valentine’s Day by dreaming up new ways for couples to express their love for one another.  Here are some events in Korea dedicated to love and friendship (and money making):
  • Diary Day (January 14):  Buy a calendar planner and mark your special days in it.
  • Valentine’s Day (February 14):  Women must buy chocolate and give it to their special someone.
  • White Day (March 14):  Men buy chocolate (or roses) for their special someone.
  • Black Day (April 14):  If you do not have a special someone, eat something black such as a bowl of noodles with black sauce to commemorate your loneliness.
  • Yellow Day-Rose Day (May 14):  Singles gather dressed in yellow for curry and companionship. Those who find love by this day exchange roses.
  • Ring Day:  Couples exchange rings.
  • Sock Day:  Couples exchange socks (new socks, I hope).
  • Music Day:  Couples exchange music.
  • Kiss Day:  Couples exchange kisses.
  • Green Day (August 14):  Dress in green and walk in the woods with the one you love and drink soju, a Korean rice liquor.  Note to Green Day, the American punk band–come tour in Korea on Green Day!  There’s a special day just for you.

  • Silver Day:  Couples’ friends give them money to pay for their date, and couples exchange gifts made of silver.

  • Pepero Day (November 11):  Pepero is a popular day when friends give each other Pepero, a pair of sweetbread sticks dipped in chocolate.  Two is to share, I suppose.
  • First Snow Day:  On the first evening after a snowfall, couples go on a romantic date.

So, if you’re glum about Valentine’s Day, take heart.  There’s always Sock Day!  Or Music Day!

 

Blog Note:  World Adventurers passed 110,000 hits today.  As always, thank you!  I never imagined so many people would stop by to visit my corner of the blogosphere.

Fun at the dentist’s office

This weekend my wife and I took our son to a children’s dentist’s office for a cleaning.  I naively thought that children didn’t get cavities until their permanent teeth come in, but sure enough, my son has a cavity.  Because children have a short attention span, and my son grew restless sitting in the dentist’s chair, the doctor scheduled a follow-on appointment in about three weeks to do the filling and seal our son’s teeth.  I’m proud of my son–he was very well-behaved during his first dentist’s visit.
 
The dentist’s office is located in Apgujeong, an affluent neighborhood in Seoul south of the Han River.  Located in Seoul’s Gangnam District, Apgujeong is a relatively new development that sprung up in the late 1980’s next to Seoul’s 1988 Summer Olympics site.  Today, living in Apgujeong and greater Gangnam (Gangnam means "south of the river" in Korean) is generally a sign of wealth.  Cramped apartments in cookie-cutter apartment complexes routinely sell for more than $1 million.  Those who want to see the upscale side of Seoul need to venture down to Gangnam.  Many tourists who visit Korea stay in the older areas of the city such as Itaewon, never venturing out to experience the more affluent side of Korea.
 
The decor in the children’s dentist’s office reflected this affluence.  I have never been in a nicer, more child-friendly dentist’s office.  The office was filled from floor to ceiling with children’s toys and English and Korean children’s books.  A PlayStation video game console sat in the corner.  A large model train circled the entire office overhead.  A children’s play tent stood in another corner.  Children’s posters and memorabilia plastered the walls.  I even saw a TV-video combo embedded in the ceiling above the children’s dentist chair played a children’s video.  Wow–talk about getting kid-glove treatment!  These amenities made the dentist’s office an absolutely enjoyable place to visit.  This office was a stark contrast to the no-frill dentist offices I visited in the U.S. as a child, where entertaining children consisted of providing a small stack of dog-eared Highlights magazines for them to read before being seen by the dentist.
 
I was really impressed by the high-quality customer service we received from the dental staff.  I expected nothing less in a country that excels at providing customer service.  The dentist treated our son very gently and gave us his diagnosis in meticulous English.  He walked us through treatment suggestions and helped us weigh our options.  As we waited for the dentist, the receptionist served us hot, Nescafe-style instant coffee prevalent in Korea.  She alternatively spoke in English to us and in Korean to Korean customers, making sure we received the assistance we needed.  The excellent service reminded me that one of the positive aspects of Korean culture is that you can generally expect good customer service, especially if you are a foreigner.  Although as a Westerner it is difficult to assimilate into Korean culture, you can generally expect to be treated well.  For example, when we ate with some friends at a western-style restaurant on Friday evening, we were told we would wait 45 minutes for a table.  15 minutes later, we were seated.  My Korean friend told me that the restaurant likely seated us sooner because I am a foreigner.  Appearance, including your dress and mannerisms, is an important factor in how much attention you receive.  t helps to dress professionally–if you wear a suit, tie, and overcoat I as did, you may be perceived as "important" and treated better than if you wear casual clothing.
 
Blog Note:  No Name, let me clarify what I mean regarding perceptions of danger in Colombia.  You’re right–in many ways, Colombia is no different than any other place.  I have heard fabulous reviews of Colombia from my compadres who work there.  In fact, I was–and still am–interested in doing an assignment there.  I’ve heard that Colombians are very friendly, the expatriate quality of living is high, and the country is absolutely gorgeous, a gem that has been given rough treatment by the media.  At the same time, it is still a place that has historically been a hot zone of drug and paramilitary activity.  Until recently, Colombia has been a dangerous place in which to live as the Colombian government battled drug lords and rebel groups such as the FARC.  Bogota was often subjected to violence–although it has subsided under President Uribe’s rule.  Kidnappings were frequent, although less frequently nowadays.  Colombia is still classified as a dangerous assignment, and those who work there receive an additional amount of danger pay for living there.  Moreover, much of the country is still officially off-limits, and crime is an ongoing problem.  I would love to work there, but I have to take my family’s concerns into consideration when bidding on an assignment.
 
I realize that danger is a relative concept, and the reality in Colombia today is different than what plays out in the news.  The same is true in Korea.  Although the Korean Peninsula is still technically at war, it is not generally considered a dangerous place despite the large number of troops facing off against each other at the DMZ just 50 kilometers north of Seoul.  50 years ago, South Korea was once considered a dangerous place, but no longer.  The same should happen to Colombia over time.  It takes time.

Can you spare some change?

We went to E-mart tonight to have dinner and buy a sled.  My wife heard that it will snow this week and wanted to buy a sled for our son.  Unfortunately, E-mart doesn’t carry any sleds this time of year.  Dear Reader, can you believe that?  No sleds in February?  Seasonal items apparently only appear at the beginning of the season in Korea.  If you don’t buy your sled in October, you’re out of luck. 
 
When I ordered and paid for food tonight at the food court, I paid in Korean won.  Cashiers seem perplexed whenever I try to round up payment to get back fewer bills.  Tonight I bought a dish for 6,000 won (about $6.00) and gave the cashier 11,000 won–one 10,000 note and one 1,000 won note.  She looked at me, puzzled as to why I gave her a 1,000 won bill.  I explained to her in Korean that I wanted her to give me back a 5,000 bill in change.  At first she didn’t understand when I wanted.  Then, it finally clicked, and she gave me a 5,000 won bill.  I may be over-generalizing.  This is not the first time getting back fewer bills in change has been a problem.  My previous attempts have all been thwarted, and I end up withdrawing the extra 1,000 bill each time I try to round up.  Tonight, it worked for the first time. 
 
I surmise that Koreans don’t worry about changing money for smaller bills because they’re used to carrying around a big wad of cash.  The largest bill Korea issues is the 10,000 won bill (about $10.00).  Someone told me that this serves an anti-bribery and anti-counterfeiting purpose.  After all, it’s hard to offer a discreet bribe using a huge stack of small bills.  Plus, small bills take more effort to counterfeit.  (Most counterfeit bills are in demoninations of $100 or greater.)  I found another great Korea blog, Here in Korea, that mentioned another possible reason for limiting cash to small bills–namely, it discourages consumer spending.  South Korea has a long history of encouraging public savings and discouraging consumption.  Widespread consumer spending in South Korea is a relatively new phenonmenon, and it’s only been in the past decade that the average Korean has had to worry about carrying around a large wad of bills. 
 
For the past two years, some Korean politicians have called on the Bank of Korea to issue 50,000 and 100,000 won banknotes, and the Bank of Korea responded that it is ready to issue them.  The Korean National Assembly has not yet taken action.  The Bank of Korea recently redesigned the won notes to discourage counterfeiting.  Ironically, it is now fielding many complaints from people who are angry because the ink on the new 5,000 banknote comes off when you accidentally launder (wash) it, ruining clothing.  Ultimately, larger won banknotes might not be necessary, because more Koreans are using alternative payment methods in lieu of cash, including credit cards, funds wiring, cell phones, and debit cards.  My wife has a Korean bank account, and her paycheck is directly deposited into it.  Not only can she withdraw cash at bank branches, but she can use her cash card virtually anywhere and wire money simply by giving her bank account transfer information.  If she has the right kind of cell phone, she can also draw from it if she pays by cell phone.  It’s a very efficient banking system.