Top 10: Unique Korea

The following list is inspired by Ms. Carri Jean after a Facebook convo. :)

Korea certainly has many items I have not before seen in the US -- food, video calling on cellphones, technology, floors and floors of clothes, etc. Below is a list of the 10 most unique tidbits of Korea that has caught my eye thus far, or that I can remember at this posting:

1) NO public trashcans. More of a nuisance, really. Lately, I have seen more trashcans in the streets. And along with that, "taking out the trash" means putting trash in a specific colored bag and laying it somewhere outside where it will magically disappear by the next day.
2) Korea is most definitely a drinking culture. Many times after work I see the Korean businessmen walking around either stumbling, or with a young woman who is clearly drunk. Mind you, it's only around 10pm, sooo they must've started drinking only a few hours before.
3) No dryer. This makes doing laundry a tad difficult. There is a laundry room of sorts where I hang clothes to dry (as seen in the video), but depending on the sun, it can take hours or days to dry. My clothes, especially my pants, can also end up wrinkled, sooo finding an ironing board needs to be high on my to-do list, but that means I'd have to carry it on the subway, or take a taxi back.
4) Pedestrians do NOT have right of way. You either cross when you feel like being a daredevil, or when you see all the Koreans walking. Blend into the crowd and hope you're not somehow singled out by those crazy delivery vans or on a mission cabs.
5) The streets of Seoul are a fashion show. I want in on this fashion show.
6) You haven't had spicy food until you've eaten Korean spicy. Your lips will hurt. Your mouth will hate you. Canker sores might form. Ouchhh. Unfortunately, your water is served in the equivalent of a sippy cup. My coworkers and I feel like whales... or maybe just wimps... when we have to continually re-fill our cups.
7) If you want to take a warm or hot shower, you must first remember to push the button in your room that turns it on. Then enjoy drenching the bathroom. At least you come out clean.
8) Korean streets have some of the most interesting, and not so pleasant, smells.
9) How do you prevent the American way of buying more food and things than you *really* need? Simple. Follow this motto: Buy only what you can carry, and what you can eat within a few days. Food does not have our preservatives, so things will spoil quickly. Hope you can eat a dozen kiwis or bananas in 4 days.
10) Never before have I seen so many Dunkin' Donuts or Outbacks. Dunkin' Donuts I can understand... but Outback? How often do people really say, "Man. I could really go for some Outback."

Happy weekend! Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) now begins!!! No class until Thursday, so I'm headed to Suwon tomorrow for a few days to see Brittanie. Then, she will spend some of her break with me.