Archive for 'Culture'
Neologism that Reflects the Changing Korean Culture Posted by Flying Oyster on Oct 27, 2020
Even if I live far away from Korea, I still keep in touch with friends that I grew up with. It is fun to talk to them, but I hear some words that I had never heard when I grew up in Korea. My friends are not in their 20’s, but they still use many…
What is K-Beauty? Posted by Flying Oyster on Oct 8, 2020
When I was in school, I had a classmate whose skin was always radiant despite her age. I asked her once what her secret was, and she said that she used olive oil. She added that it was her family secret coming down from her great-grandmother to her daughter. I guess women in many different…
Korean Thanksgiving – Chuseok Posted by Flying Oyster on Sep 23, 2020
Did you know that there are still a few things that South Korea and North Korea share in spite of over 70 years of separation? One of them is that both countries still celebrate two major Korean holidays. One is 설날 (Seollal: Lunar New Year’s Day) and the other is 추석 (Chuseok: Korean Thanksgiving Day)…
Differences in Korean and American Home Design Posted by Flying Oyster on Sep 9, 2020
Because I travel often, I have stayed in many different places in equally many different countries. When I stay in different short term rentals, I like to discover just how different things are from my childhood home in Korea. Living in an apartment is very common in Korea since 인구밀도 (in-goo-mil-doh: population density) is…
Things You Want to Know When You Go To a Korean Restaurant Posted by Flying Oyster on Jun 16, 2020
After I took my in-laws to a 한국 식당 (han-gook-sik-dang: a Korean restaurant) for the first time, everybody fell in love with Korean food. However, I was surprised to find that my new American 시댁 식구 (si-daek-sik-goo: family in law) was so unfamiliar with the culture of Korean food. I certainly was not prepared to…
Proper Titles for Your Family Members in Korean Posted by Flying Oyster on May 27, 2020
호칭 (ho-ching: appellation) is important in Korean. I believe knowing the proper 호칭 is important because of the very nature of Korean language and culture. Korean language has 존댓말 (jon-dat-mahl: the honorific, the form of Korean language). Knowing 호칭 can guide you on how you should use 존댓말. Respecting the elderly or anyone who should receive…
Korean Movie That Talks About Korean Woman’s Life in Korea Posted by Flying Oyster on May 19, 2020
I often talk to a group of friends that I’ve known and grown up with since middle school. Except for myself and one other friend, all of them are working moms. A couple of years ago, my friends were talking about a book called 82년생 김지영 (Kim Ji-young: Born 1982). They were raving about how…