Monday, August 13, 2012

Mannerisms

Being married to a Korean and around so many Korean friends, I have found myself absorbing and integrating many little cultural elements into my everyday life, so much that I find myself behaving in certain ways around Westerners that is completely Korean!  Most of the time, I don't even notice it, except for when somebody points it out to me.  Let me elaborate a little bit on this:
  • I offer and accept objects with both hands.  Everything from pens, cups of coffee, menus, cash, it all is transacted with two hands.
  • I say "아이고" instead of sighing.  This raises a few eyebrows from people who either don't know me very well or aren't Korean.
  • I don't mind sharing a dish or double-dipping.  I do make sure to check with someone, first, if they are comfortable with this.
  • I hesitate before calling someone older or more senior than me by first name.  I feel like I need to add a 님 whenever I do this.
  • I bow when I meet someone for the first time.
  • I think American food can be too sweet, too greasy, or too salty.
These are just a few observations.  I'm sure there are more that I am not aware of or are subconscious.

No comments:

Post a Comment