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My rant about South Korea. Ok, it isn't a rant, but mostly complimenting and I'll try not to go on and on about their history and such, but it is fascinating as well. Over 5000 years of Korean history can be yours. You could read about their influence on the Japanese culture, of which, the Japanese categorically deny! Anyway...
I can't say enough about the hospitality shown to us by Diane's family. They were so wonderful and accommodating and simply treated us like kings and queens. Korean hospitality, which is probably similar in many cultures, is excellent. All three families we stayed with were excellent and I really felt like I was part of the family, ok I am, by marriage, although is my marriage recognized in Korea?!. I even learned all the different names to call the various uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.. We were fed constantly, and I mean constantly. Whenever we were at Diane's Imo's (Aunt) house, the food just kept coming and coming and you had to eat it. They would feel insulted otherwise. The only saving fact about Korean food is that it is quite healthy. A lot of fruit and vegetable type dishes. I think her family assumed I ate a lot too. I don't anymore. I used to, but it caught up with me! Since we are talking about food, let's talk about how wonderful the food was. I mean, the food was better than I expected especially since we ate was Koreans ate and not that touristy stuff. We ate all sorts of stuff, tried new side dishes, noodles, soups, etc.. We had Korean sushi one night, which was amazing. I tried everything. I couldn't do the pull the head off the squid and suck out its brains thing. Sorry, I prefer not to see my food's eyes staring at me. But I did have the silkworm larva and raw sea urchin.
And whenever we went out for dinner, her family members insisted on paying and they were sooooo slick about it! Most of the time I never saw them pay! I did catch one of Diane's cousins paying once, but just once, and that was because I was really looking for it. I was nervous about weighing myself when I got home, so I waited a few days so I could exercise off a few pounds!
Koreans, like the Japanese, are soooooooo polite. Wherever we went, everyone was so friendly. When we went to the football game, the fans were so enthusiastic, but in a good way. They cheered, but would never show up the other team. During the World Cup, when Korea was playing a team, like Italy or the US, they would send some fans to root for the other team as a sign of good sportsmanship and not to be rude. Is that amazing or what?! They were organized and I think they exemplified everything a host nation should demonstrate when hosting a competition. They were no unruly fans, and they even helped pick up trash after the games. I just can't say enough of how classy that is. Westerners can learn a lot about sportsmanship from the Korean culture.
I suppose I stuck out a bit in Korea, especially since were spent a lot of time in the non-touristy areas, which is what I like. It was quite humorous to see young Korean women giggling when we would pass them in the street. And yes, I did elicit a lot of stares, which was different from Japan. They seemed rather oblivious to me, but the Koreans would stare and I invited it. I would try to make eye contact and sometimes say hello, or "anyungasayo." I especially liked saying it to children who would stare at me as if I wasn't supposed to talk to them or something. Although I did pass one gentleman in the street who was not very appreciatetive that I was holding the hand of a Korean, my wife that is. So there is some of that, they are friendly, but maybe to the extent that you do not take their women, but I think most cultures feel threatened when that happens. But that is an interesting question of its own and I won't discuss that.
I almost began to feel like I really lived there. It is always a privilege and a pleasure for me to experience the life of the local residents. That is why I like to travel and I think I can safely vouch for Diane by saying she enjoys that as well. And it is extra special when you knoe someone who lives at the destination you are going to who can show you around and show you what people in that area actually do. Trying to interact with Diane's family was a memorable experience. I wanted to know how they perceived the world, what their interests were, what they enjoyed doing, etc.. I think that only broadens you as a person, to gain this appreciation and understanding of other cultures. Granted I don't always agree with their beliefs, but I respect them. For instance, in the Korean culture, I think the hierarchy of the family is extremely important. Parents are assumed to be infallible to their children. Even if the child is 50 and the parent is 75, the parent is assumed to be right. And parents are always over their children even if the children are all grown-up. I think I have more of a peer-to-peer relationship with my parents, they respect me and my decisions and don't try to tell me what to do anymore. And yes, you can think I have no idea what I am talking about. These are just my opinions.
Oh, the drinking. We (Kevin and I) drank every night. We would start with Soju (doing shots, they liked to say, 'one-shot') and usually end with beer. I don't think I could, nor would I want to, do this on a continual basis. It isn't healthy and frankly, I would get sick of it, but it is an important part of bonding in Korea. This is similar to Japanese culture where men are often expected to go out together after work and socialize, which means drinking. It is part of their way to help blow of steam and bond. I had a nice conversation with one of Diane's cousins about that. About how Americans go home and maybe not socialize that much after work, especially once theirs kids are born. But that is part of the work environment, if you will, for Koreans. But I was on vacation and didn't care that I drank every night!
Well, that is it for now. I could go on and on as I stated at the beginning, but if you want me to go on and on, you will have to talk to me in person!