Culture differences

Today is one of those days when cultural differences were so obvious to me I had to write them down. I think being here for as long as we have I just don't notice them as often. It's become part of me to ignore them or if I do notice it, to not really pay attention. The first difference happended morning I went for a bike ride around our neighborhood "dong" about 9:30am and was surprised to see the streets deserted. A few shops were open but most were still closed, including our local grocery store which doesn't open till 10am. It's just part of the culture that people do more at night then in the morning. I recall the first day we arrived in Cheonan and being surprised at the many people on the street at 11pm including children. I also remember the shocked look on my Korean friends face when I told her my children went to bed at 7:30pm.

This summer when we first got back to the US and were adjusting to the time change, we had jet lag and napped all afternoon, so in the evening I took the boys to the grocery store. It was probably 8:30pm, the store was empty and the few people who were there seemed to be looking at me like "why in the world are you at the grocery store, with your children at 8:30pm?" I felt like I should hang a sign around my neck saying "we are jet lagged, and slept all afternoon" to explain why we were there.

The other cultural difference happened this evening. I had just finished putting the boys to bed when the door bell rang. First of all not many people just randomly stop by our apt, especially at 8:45pm, and so I was surprised to hear the doorbell, then knocking, then the doorbell and knocking again, all within maybe a minute. Thinking something was wrong I hurried and opened the door. Two Korean men were standing there and by their motions I realized they wanted to come in. I am home alone. NO way, I'm thinking! My face must have showed that and my annoyance because they finally showed me why they wanted to come in. To change my gas meter! Now at 8:45pm?! I was here all day long, somebody couldn't have come earlier?

This was just another reminder to me that we operate differently in my culture and theirs.
Most working Koreans don't get home till after 8pm or later. In their culture it makes sense why the service men are going around at this time and why the grocery store would stay open till 12am. In the US we get up earlier, and go to bed earlier. Here they stay up late. Is one way right? No, just different.

Culture differences

Last week Brett and I had a day together. Joe and I try and do this with the boys a couple times a month, when we each spend individual time with one boy. They are so different when you get them one on one. Brett had asked that the next time I make the trip to our beloved Costco, if he could go along. I prefer to go alone because it usually costs less money! The more of us that go the more opinions are voiced about what to buy. But I made sure he knew ahead of time that the only things going to be bought were the items on my list. Our trip was enjoyable as we dined on the lovely cuisine of hot dogs and pizza, made our way through the rows of American food items we so dearly miss and picked up our items to take home. On our train ride home we were seated across from 4 teenage boys, probably between the ages of 15-17 years old. In this particular train you can turn the seats around to face one another, which they had done. I noticed myself trying not to stare as they interacted. They were seated facing each other, with their legs up and feet underneath each other's bottoms. One boys had his hand casually laying on the boy's leg next to him. I thought to myself this is one thing I have never seen in America! In Korea they call this skinship. When you are friends with someone, one way to show your friendship is by touching. It is not uncommon to see girl friends holding hands and guys walking with their arms around each other. This happens with every age group. I have seen men is their 50's with their arms intertwined. It was very surprising to me the first time one of my girl friends held my hand. I realized how culturally different this struck me. I think the longer I've lived here the more I've become calloused to the differences and then at times like these when I feel caught off gaurd, I remember just how culturally different we think.