Intercultural Life

Category: In Korea (Page 7 of 25)

Why do Koreans use toilet paper like this?

This is definitely something that doesn’t bother me while I’m in Korea, but if we were living in Australia in our own place I’d have all the paper in the “right places”. Since my parents usually have Koreans boarding with them my mother has made a rule of no toilet paper in the kitchen. While it’s natural for Koreans to have it with them while cooking, it’s too odd for Australians to be using it as much a multipurpose thing.

We do have kitchen towel in the kitchen at my inlaws house here, but I think I use it more than anyone. I use it when cooking and as a serviette/napkin while everyone else is using the toilet paper. Having meals in Korea is vastly different to what I grew up with as well because the style of eating is so different. I would definitely fold the napkins into nice shapes and place them on the plates for nice dinners or when we had guests in Australia.

What Hugh said about sometimes using newspaper for toilet paper as a child was surprising for me. It is interesting to see how different our childhoods were.

Putting my Hanbok on

Putting on Hanbok

Wearing a hanbok can be a lot like wearing a wedding dress. Anyone who has been a bride or bridesmaid might remember the awkward help the bride pee moments! There are just so many layers, especially in winter when I’m wearing long underwear under it too. It doesn’t help that Korean bathrooms usually have wet floors as well. It can be a bit difficult to manage.

As I was quite sick on Lunar New Year, I needed extra help getting my hanbok on. Usually I can do most of it myself and just need help with the outer skirt and top, but this time I needed my husband to help with everything.

Hanbok Problems

Hanbok Problems

I do like wearing my hanbok, but it’s not the easiest thing to get around in. I spent a lot of Lunar New Year sitting and waiting for relatives to visit, and some objects disappeared under my skirts. When you try a hanbok on at tourist places they are usually not this big and are just the outer skirt and top/jacket, but if you own a hanbok it usually involves special socks and pantaloons, a big puffy petticoat, and an under blouse before you even put on the pretty colourful skirt and top.

I wasn’t allowed to take it off either, those that follow me on Instagram would have seen my photo of my view laying on the floor while waiting in my hanbok. Although, for all the ways a hanbok can limit you, they are very special.

We haven’t put anymore videos up with week because I’ve been sick and we have been busy with Lunar New Year, but we’ll have some up soon.

Living with inlaws

Living with inlaws

There are a few reasons why we are living with Hugh’s parents. One reason is that they are getting older and Hugh probably won’t ever have this type of time with them again, so making the most of it. Another reason is that it is of course cheaper for us to live with them. Hugh could go get a job and work hard and we could have a nice apartment and car, but he wouldn’t be able to do any blogging or edit videos or have much time for me. So we are making those sacrifices so we can get the website and business ideas off the ground, as well as cherishing our time together. We would pretty much have to stop YouTube if he was to get a normal Korean job.

Mostly it’s fine living with his parents. They let us do our own thing, but of course it is hard to have privacy. Not only that, but his parents are an older generation and in the countryside. They never show any affection for each other in front of others, so Hugh can be self conscious about even a quick peck if his parents are around – which is most of the time!

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