Month: February 2014 (Page 3 of 5)

Sexy at home?

2014/02/19 / Nic / 36 Comments

You know how in Korean dramas the guys wear casual but stylish clothes at home? It’s all a lie! This is what they are really wearing (don’t try to deny it Korean guys!).

I really noticed the contrast yesterday because he bought some new clothes and he looked so nice and handsome, but then he changes into this…. it can be a mood killer. 99% of the time this is what he is wearing at home. There isn’t even a tshirt under the jacket! And why do Korean guys complain about their military service constantly but insist on wearing military clothing for the rest of their lives? Haha.. anyway it makes me laugh… and then I go back to watching Korean dramas full of men wearing nice clothes.

So guys in Korea tend to dress really well when they go out in public, seriously some of the fashion here is so great… but it’s a different story behind closed doors.

(The point of this comic isn’t about just Korean guys dressing down inside because most people do that, it’s just my observations of the contrast of being extremely fashionable outside and the interesting style choices at home).

Many things to say

2014/02/18 / Nic / 64 Comments

Today’s comic is a bit sad. I always have many things to tell my mother-in-law but it’s really hard because my Korean is so basic. I studied Korean part time for 1 year but it’s only now that I’m in Korea I’m studying hard and trying to put it into use. However, speaking casually with Korean friends and throwing in lots of English is very different from speaking with my parents-in-law where I have to be speaking at a higher politeness level, and they have no English at all. Also there is the problem of dialect. Although there are things I can say in Korean it is very hard and confidence is such an important aspect of speaking in another language. Even if technically I know how to say something, it can be hard to remember it quickly enough.

I really envy my husband’s level of English because although his English is not perfect, he can express himself really well in English. I want to be able to do that in Korean. I’m studying every day but it is very overwhelming.

My husband told his mother that I have many things to say but I can’t yet, and she said she is looking forward to when I can speak well because it will be fun.

Into the Korean Wilderness… kinda

2014/02/18 / Nic / 9 Comments

We went on a little adventure on the weekend.

Alone for a Day

2014/02/17 / Nic / 13 Comments

Some days we talk all day and are joined at the hip all day, but other days we might not see each other that much even though we are in the same house. My desk is upstairs and it’s much warmer up there so I’ll be working or studying there. My husband has to look after the tiny shop his parents have (mostly snacks for students) while they work in the greenhouses. So some days we don’t see each other as much but I know he is nearby. When he went to Seoul for a day nothing was that different, but not having his presence in the house made me so lonely.

Also, sometimes even though we are in the same house we talk on kakao talk to each other, and some people noticed I tweeted at him the other day to come upstairs… hehe

Ask Korean Guys 8

2014/02/15 / Nic / 4 Comments

Feeding

2014/02/14 / Nic / 46 Comments

This is an interesting cultural difference if you are from a western country where you probably haven’t had someone feed you since you were a child. I’ve had control of how much food I put in my mouth at once for most of my life, especially because a lot of the time I’ve eaten with a knife and fork and can cut things quite small. I often have trouble fitting things like gimbap or samgyupsal wrapped up in lettuce in my mouth. So when someone else does it to me, I often find it really difficult.

However, as my husband keeps pointing out to me, it’s seen as a loving gesture. People don’t do it to people they don’t like. When we were out at a galbi restaurant recently he got me to do it to his parents, insisting that is really nice for them. For me, I just felt like I was invading their personal space, so that is something I will have to get used to. Sometimes it is difficult because even though it’s a nice gesture, you don’t actually want to eat the thing they are putting in your mouth, and other times it’s just the shock when you aren’t expecting it… or maybe it’s just the way my husband does the surprise ram food into my mouth? If you are married to a Korean, do you find this difficult as well?

I have started getting used to it, but I do have those almost choking moments! And in that moment I feel like I’d rather die than spit out any food in front of people…