Things we love about Korea, Volume I

1. Little kids try their English out on us all the time. They see a "white" person and start shouting/whispering/giggling whatever English they know. They typically say "hello", "How are you?" or "Where are you from?". The conversation pretty much ends after we respond with lots of giggling from the kid and/or us or an encouraging parent patting their child on the back and grinning proudly. In a culture which has a reputation for rudeness between strangers, these little interludes bust that stereotype open wide. Our deepest feelings of connection happen when some little kid gives English a shot and we try to reciprocate with some Korean. Priceless.

2. Mushrooms. Mushrooms, and again I say mushrooms. For those of you who hate mushrooms, I hate you. And you can skip right along to number 3. The variety of mushrooms here blows our minds. Did you know mushrooms have a flavor? Did you know they can be pungent or meaty or crunchy? Did you know there are furry mushrooms? Did you know that mushrooms can be had here in any size for next to nothing? I cringe every time I think of that little blue container of flavorless white button mushrooms back home. No, sir. Korea has cornered the market on mushrooms.

3. The subway system in Daegu puts Chicago's L to shame. I've mentioned this before, but it deserves a second shout out. We have never once been "stalled on the tracks because of signal problems", which I think is just the CTA's code phrase for the conductor is takin' a sammitch break. We have never had to contend with the overpowering odor of a bum who has cornered off an area of a car for his own personal sleeping space. The subway has never felt as though it might tip over or lose a wheel. You can barely hear these beauties move. They are sleek, efficient, clean as all get out, and cheap, cheap, cheap. Ah, and there are bathrooms at every station. Which brings me to my next point.

4. There are bathrooms everywhere. E-vree-whir. It's awesome. Unlike some European countries, you do not have to pay for the privelege of doing your business. It is fine to walk into any restaurant and ask to use their facilities, whether you are eating there or not. The subways and train stations all have huge bathrooms. Everything has a bathroom and it's yours for the taking! Granted, the bathrooms might be befouled with bins of used toilet paper and/or mysterious moisture coating everything, but no matter--the fact is, they are there for you. There are no bitchy signs admonishing non-patrons for using the pot.

5. Food here is plentiful. If you go into a Korean restaurant, be prepared to have your entire table covered with dishes. They don't mess around with food here. And it's all delicious and for the most part, good for you. You eat and you eat, but because it's mostly vegetables and rice and aromatic pickled/stewed/steaming things, you don't feel as disgusting afterward as you might if you, say, went to TGI Fridays and put down some apps.

More to come...