대학수학능력시험. A really ridiculous important test is coming up. Mark your calendars kids because the third Thursday of every November is when your life either begins or ends. Right off the bat, I have to mention that the amount of stress the test must cause...well...it's insane. This Hub of Sparkle post paints quite a sad picture of the reality the stress this test puts on students. Some kids are smart enough to see past it all although they too are still held accountable to the test. But I'm getting ahead of myself. What we need is perspective. What do we have in America that compares to 수능? The most common answer is the SAT. Essentially, this monster of a test helps determine the academic ability of hopeful incoming university... Show more

Korean bathrooms. This is clearly one of the first things I should have written about. Korean bathrooms can be summed up in one word: surprising. It's always a experience with every new bathroom I visit. Let's get right into the messy goodness that is Korean restrooms. Allow me to break this post into a few helpful points of interest: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Slippers - Walking into all private and a few public bathrooms, one will undoubtedly notice the pair of clear plastic slippers greeting you upon entry. The curious foreigner might imagine that these were carelessly left by a forgetful family member or perhaps used when the bathroom floods. No, kind sir, these shoes are for you...and everyone else. That's right.... Show more

The Korean Squat. Don't lie. You do it sometimes when no one's around. For the uninitiated, you are in for a treat. The Korean Squat (also referred to as the Kimchi Squat) is a great way to relieve tired legs whilst waiting for public transportation, using a large brown bowl, or just chatting with friends when chairs are MIA. It's not terribly hard to see this on a daily basis. For that matter, there's no shortage of people posting photos of the peculiar act, either. Case in point: Here, here, here, and here. Even celebrities do it. Proof: What I like is that the Korean Squat is not only applicable to Koreans - apparently many different people of Asian decent can do it with ease. White people everywhere are jealous. I can do... Show more

Facial hair in Korea. First, let's take a look at some background source material. A selection from the American literary classic: A Brief History of My Face by Matthew. I'm a hairy guy. I've resisted this natural protein growth by shaving, plucking, waxing and zapping my way to relative hairlessness in order to attract the opposite sex. I've endured scalding hot burns, embarrassing ingrown hair blemishes, and unspeakable pain as I have journeyed to a discover the perfect balance between 'naked-mole-rat' and 'rocky-mountain-man'. I've spent an innumerable amount of precious funds on razors, trimmers, creams, gels, lotions, and toners all in a vain effort to control my undying masculine mane. But now, I shave my entire face... Show more

출생. Birth Order. I would venture that most Westerners don't immediately think of birth order as a common source of personality distinction but that doesn't mean we don't think about it. Sure enough, once we get to know someone, we are not surprised once we find out that they are indeed needy for attention because they're the middle kid. To discover that a bossy 'A' type personality is the oldest in her family doesn't exactly shock us. As someone who studied early childhood development as an undergraduate, I'm particularly interested in how birth order affects children and their personalities as they develop. Take a look at this chart for a typical Western perspective. The main difference I find is that Koreans seem to 1)... Show more