Jamie is an excellent study of a girl with her vices. Her happiness is in fact controlled by her vices. An example would be Diet Coke. In Korea, it is nealry impossible to find. When you do find it, it is a variation of Diet Coke called Coke Light (apparently it's not the same). And Perrier water- the ultimate hangover cure is very difficult to find. Some more things are bourbon, avocado, good wine, and cheese.
My canadian vices are good coffee and vegetarian food... both are nearly impossible to find here. Here at my cubicle, I find myself drinking some instant coffee after a lunch of pork and seafood soup and sulk that I can't have some freshly roasted coffee and an avocado and eggplant panini.
Things I miss about Canada:
1) As stated earlier, COFFEE.
2) Avocados and most especially avocado vegetarian sushi
3) Deoderant: There is this magical thing about Koreans.. they don't sweat. Or when they do they do not stink of body odour. It is a truly fascinating phenomenon. However, it does not matter how much kimchi and rice I eat, my pits will reek if I do not use deoderant. So, this is a hard thing to find.
4) Regular tasting toothpaste: For some reason I must have pick the worst toothpaste possible in Korea- salt flavoured. Just wrap your head around that.
5) Bread that is not sweet
However, like anything in life, there is an upside to Korea and I am sure I will have some tough habits to kick when I get back.
Things that are going to be hard to live without after Korea:
1) No tipping: Here, it is considered rude to tip anyone. They are insulted and feel as though you perceive them as a beggar. Also, tax is included in prices so splitting bills is never a huge issue with people's phone calculator's coming out.
2) Cheap transportation: A regular city bus ride is $1.30. A train ticket for a 5 hour train ride across the country is about $36.
3) Kimbap triangles: These delicious snacks are delicious (delicious has got to be Koreans favourite English word). You can buy these puppies at any 711 or corner store for about 80 cents and only 1 traingle has 96% of your daily calcium intake! Two of these are a hardy meal for me.
4) Server buttons: On tables at restaurants in Korea, they have this brilliant invention- a bell on each table. So you can look at the menu for a long time without the server awkwardly coming back to your table to see if you are ready yet. Then, once you have your food, you can eat without the constant fear that they are going to come back to do the "check" and you will have your mouth stuffed full of delicious food when they ask you "how is everything so far?". Instead, if you need some more spicy sauce or God forbid you run out of kimchi, you can just ring that bell and they'll come by. GENIUS!
5) Compliments: Being told you are beautiful every day and having little girls ask if you are a princess is not so bad. The flip side though, you cannot go anywhere without being stared at blatantly and even pointed at.
Other cool things:
1) Wedding Halls: I have yet to go to a wedding in Korea but I would really like to. I have talked a lot of them with my Korean co-teachers. Here you have a well-oiled marrying machine. There are halls similar to hotels scattered around cities where you choose your wedding. You rent a dress, go to the next room to have your hair and make-up done, then go to the next room where you have pictures taken with your guests as they arrive. Guests bring an envelope of cash between 30-100$ and then proceed to the buffet of food. As you eat, you watch the wedding ceremony. Wham bam tahnk you ma'am! The whole wedding is over in less than 40 minutes.
1) Wedding Halls: I have yet to go to a wedding in Korea but I would really like to. I have talked a lot of them with my Korean co-teachers. Here you have a well-oiled marrying machine. There are halls similar to hotels scattered around cities where you choose your wedding. You rent a dress, go to the next room to have your hair and make-up done, then go to the next room where you have pictures taken with your guests as they arrive. Guests bring an envelope of cash between 30-100$ and then proceed to the buffet of food. As you eat, you watch the wedding ceremony. Wham bam tahnk you ma'am! The whole wedding is over in less than 40 minutes.
2)Dangerously cheap alcohol: Soju, tastes like watered down vodka and has horrible side effects like: drunkeness and the worst hangovers you will ever experience. The size of a mickey of soju is $1.10 at any corner store. Mekju (beer) is also some dangerously cheap stuff. If you are buying a 2 litre bottle of some Korean beer which tastes an awful lot like Coors Light or Molson Canadian (Yick!) it is about $4. Furthermore, the worst and best parts about drinking culture here is that: A) no tipping at bars, B) cheap drinks at bars, and C) no last call. Take a look at this site to fully appreciate how much Koreans drink... http://blackoutkorea.blogspot.kr/
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