Neither Good nor Bad – Just Funny
When travelling to another culture, you will always find things that will be different from your home country. Sometimes things are better, sometimes they are worse – and then there are things which are neither bad nor good. Somehow they are just funny. Here are some funny things about South Korea that I generally just found amusing when I lived there for two months.
1. Hair Rollers
It is not uncommon to see girls walk around with hair rollers in their hair. Usually, it’s just one for their bangs (or fringe if you’re British). You can find them in the subway or on the street. I actually thought this was super cool that no one cared what they looked like and when they got to their destination their hair would look great. If you did this in Switzerland you would for sure get tons of weird looks.
2. Excessive Use of Garlic
I don’t know why but Koreans are obsessed with garlic. At least it seemed that way to me. Don’t get me wrong I like garlic but the amounts of garlic that were used just seemed excessive.
I know their garlic is a bit different to the one that we use in Europe. It feels a lot less strong, hence, it’s not a problem to eat lots of it.
And it’s not only in Korean dishes but also in other cuisines that you can find in Korea. For example, one time some friends and I went to a tapas place for some drinks and also ordered some food. Look at the amount of garlic that was left after we finished the pasta.
3. Bibs
In some restaurants, they give you a little mini apron (it looks like a bib for grown-ups). As a clumsy person and sometimes messy eater I really appreciate this. Especially, with greasy food that has some sauce on it. So Dakgalbi or fried Chicken are meals for which you definitely should ask for a bib.
Does it look ridiculous? Yes. Is it practical? Also yes.
4. Plastic Gloves for Finger Food
Similar to the bib you sometimes also get plastic gloves. A friend and I went to a Mexican food place and they gave us plastic gloves so we could eat the tacos without getting greasy fingers. It’s actually quite smart if you think about it, but definitely something I haven’t seen in Europe before.
5. Their Use of English
As an English speaker, it’s sometimes funny to see how English is used in Korea. I’m sure the same thing happens to Korean, Japanese, Chinese etc. speakers that see people using their language incorrectly (sometimes even with tattoos).
But my friends and I had great fun reading some of the phrases we found on clothing or signs. One of my British friends bought a hat that said “Pickles” which actually looked quite cool.
I was looking for an oversized shirt because I had an outfit I wanted to try. Finding one that was actually long enough for someone my height was incredibly hard. One day I found this shirt and I really liked the colours so I just bought it. Only later did I read in more detail what it said: “Have no fear of perfection. You’ll never reach it.”
I’m not really sure if that’s meant to be inspirational or offensive.
6. The No BrandTM Illusion
There is a brand called “No Brand” and I find that the most contradictory thing. No Brand is not only a grocery store and food products but it’s also a fast food chain. I have both purchased food at the grocery stores and I’ve had their burgers. Overall I always enjoyed their products. However, the idea behind No Brand seems a bit funny to me.
The promise of the brand is to offer consumers an alternative to brand products and to focus more on the quality of products. However, No Brand in itself is a brand that makes use of common marketing practices. I find it quite hilarious to think that the main USP (unique selling point aka their advantage) is that they are “different”. This for sure must be the pick-me-girl of all brands.
7. They Expect You to Share the Smallest Cake
Last but not least their relationship to food. The Korean beauty standards are incredibly strict and expect women to be skinny and tiny. As a mid-sized European woman who is even taller than the Korean male average, this will never be a goal I could and would want to reach. It’s still funny to see how they interact with food. Although it is an incredibly important part of their culture and they tend to come together for meals, there is an expectation to be skinny.
Some of my friends and I had the experience that when we ordered cake or dessert, we were expected to share. No matter the size of the cake. One time a friend ordered a piece of banana cake (and it was tiny tiny) and received 5 forks to “share” it with us. This definitely made us giggle.
Bonus
Here’s a little Bonus picture of some costume handcuffs that made me laugh out loud. I’m not sure if this is a product where they just adapted the language or if it’s intentionally a white man on the packaging.
Angela
Angela, the mastermind behind theslowtravelista, is a passionate traveler who embraces slow travel's essence. With a knack for immersing herself in diverse cultures, she treasures connections formed across the globe. Beyond her adventures, Angela's vibrant personality shines through her love for spontaneous hair changes, hitchhiking escapades, and culinary delights. Join her for travel insights, laughter, and unforgettable adventures.
