1. As a rule, it's better to eat and not ask questions. I enjoyed several large bites of what I thought was a tough noodle cooked in some yummy spices before Soo-Min informed me that it was squid. (Admittedly, it's still delicious and I will continue to eat it, but it's definitely not what I expected).
2. The floor, in a home, is a sacred place. While Soo-Min's family does own and make use of a couch, most of their sitting is done on the floor. Soo-Min's mother has multiple steam cleaners and vacuums to keep the floor sparkly. P.S. The floors can be heated during the winter. No central heating here.
3. Korean drivers, while reckless by american standards, are expert drivers. On our way into the apartment parking area yesterday, Soo-Min's father came within 4 inches of another moving vehicle without so much as a flinch. I was gripping the armrest of my seat and praying they wouldn't scrape each other.
4. No air conditioning here. And strangely, as it stands, it's not needed. The weather is GLORIOUS today. It can't be more than 65 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside right now. All the windows in the apartment are open and the breeze coming through feels awesome.
5. When eating, there are no individual plates. Everyone eats out of the collected plates and bowls at the center of the table. Talk about community! I like it. It actually helps you eat less, believe it or not. Just a few bites of one thing is enough.
6. Although they make adapters to let you use your appliances in foreign countries, companies that produce them don't realize the voltage matters. My hair dryer is useless to me this summer. It will turn on, but it would take me two hours to dry my hair at the speed it blows. Guess I'll have to make do. At least my straightener works.
I think that's all for now. There will definitely be more later though. :)
-B
Yay im so happy for you!! Glad you're off to a great summer :)
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