12 days and counting.

3 차.

In the Korean culture of professionalism, it is important to work long hours and entertain your boss when he or she wants to drink. It is customary for a group of employees to have at least one dinner together in a year; this is called 회식 (hwey shik). Even public schools reserve some budget to entertain the staff. Typically these dinners will continue into a second or third establishment, for more drinking and snacking. The second is called 2 차 (e cha), the third is called 3 차 (sam cha), and so on. For men, these evenings can push the boundaries of an individual's alcohol tolerance; everyone is expected to match their superior's consumption of soju and beer. In most cases, the seasoned drinkers are the bosses, so the young men find themselves "drunken".

13 days and counting.

Hotrods and hotties.

Graffiti is not a popular menace in Seoul as it is in many other big cities. There aren't many train cars, tunnels, or walls plastered with tags. Instead, graffiti is displayed in a few token places where the medium is more likely welcomed than not. It is unclear why the graffiti trend isn't as apparent; perhaps access to spray paint is too restricted; perhaps there are fewer vandalism prone youth; perhaps middle school and high school aged children are more focused on tests; or perhaps there is such a strong national pride which trumps any desire to deface public spaces.

14 days and counting.

Fan death.

Eastern or oriental medicine has a long standing reputation of healing ailments and saving lives for centuries. Modern western medicine has a short history, but has made great strides through scientific development. In asia, modern medicine is largely practiced, but is in competition or in concert with the traditional eastern medical treatments. In the west, many oriental medicinal practices and beliefs are considered voodoo and unscientific. With these considerations in mind, Korean people employ different day-to-day preventative methods, which seem strange to western people. Some include: opening all the windows for fresh air when the outside temperature is significantly below freezing; self medicating through kimchi consumption; wearing magnetic protective aprons while pregnant at the computer; wearing indoor shoes; not physically touching any food; and avoiding fan death. Fans are thought dangerous during sleep, because they can potentially force enough oxygen away from those sleeping to cause suffocation.

15 days and counting.

I'm high on Valentine.

The most important status in Korea is the relationship status. Young single people spend their time wishing and waiting for their perfect couple. For this reason, the 14th of each month is reserved as a celebration for those with couple status. The most obvious day--perhaps the origin of the number 14--is Valentine's day. On this day, the Korean women is expected to give her boyfriend something special. March 14th is White Day, which is the same as Valentine's Day, except the men are responsible for the surprises. Other days include Music Day, Silver Day, Kiss Day, and Wine Day

16 days and counting.

If War of the Worlds really happened...

The history of the Jongno Tower (a.k.a. 삼성증권 - Samsung Securities Building) told by foreigners is just as unique as the building's architecture. The fable claims the building to have been built by two separate architects at two separate times. The buildings inside the space were built first by one person, then years later another architect designed the three posts and top piece of the structure. Either way, the complex looks like a building surrounded by a giant pizza box support.

17 days and counting.

Taken.

Marriage is arguably the most significant moment in the life of a Korean person; it is a point at which many changes occur. Typically, children in nuclear Korean families graduate college and find careers, all while living under their parent's roof. Once married, the couple will leave the nest, and begin residing in their new apartment. At this time, they will begin the process of procreation, if they so choose.

The typical, nondenominational wedding occurs in a wedding hall. These halls are permanently decorated and staffed to facilitate sometimes three or more weddings per day. As with traditional western weddings, the Korean wedding is a coordinated performance which publicly commits two lives to monogamy. Nonetheless, there are a few small differences: all guests are expected to bring gifts in the form of money, partially to compensate for the cost of attending; from the pre-wedding pictures to the end of the ceremony, the bride may wear as many as five different dresses; the only outfit the bride keeps forever is the Hanbok (traditional Korean clothes) she wears at the end; and last but not least, an average Korean wedding lasts a little more than two hours, from the ceremony to the end of the meal.

17 days and counting. Addendum.

Being taken.

Bow to me.

It's all just a big photo op.