아마! AMA!

After having lived in SK (South Korean) for about you, I feel like I am in a culture-shock boot camp. It was at the end of the ngiht tonight that I realized this living-culture similie. This is how you could enter a culture-shock boot camp.:

1. realize a year after working here, that the social-work situation is the EXACT OPPOSITE of a typical American, and in another way, Northern Indian (another place I lived and worked), work situation. Most South Korean people seem dedicated to "bal-li (빨리) concept." This is when a person, or group of people, will move as fast as they can to get to work, but, once at work, socialize almost as much as they work. This unique occurence, at least as I know so far, is specifically Korean: Most Koreans spend very little time eating, not talking much and eating as fast as possible when they have work to do. In addition to this fact, many SK sarams (한국사람들이, or SK people, do not sleep enough due to their work loads. Yet, ironically, or most interesting, most of this occurence happens partially because of the agricultural social hsitory of Korea. Since most people were farmers working with their families for most of Korea's history, the families would focus more on working, and the talking/enjoying style working while plowing the fields, than focused socializing time. As a consequence, a current Korean work place has a very social atmosphere while the food table does not. (Next blog will connect the drinking culture within this premise.)

--- Please keep in mind, all this information will come from conversations with Korean friends, articles I have read, or my own musings. Please understand that none of it is a fully verified and researched opinion...It is just me figuring things out by the end. Please, now enjoy!^^----

Number two in next blog: Couple break-up, make-up(?), break-up, re-make-up(?) lessons: A cross cultural affair....

Good night. I apologize if this rambling was a little bit hard to understand. It is currently 4:20 AM here. (Any pot-loving person will find this time humourous^^) Night!좋은 밤 보내세요