still thinking about boys…

Korean boys part 2 😉

Over a year ago I posted a blog about Korean men and how they differ from Canadian men. You can read it here. Over the past year I have done my fair share of dating, especially with Korean guys. Here are a few more ways that dating Korean guys can differ from dating Canadians:

Korean men text you back. Like, right away. And they get verrryy antsy if you don’t text back immediately in return. It’s a nice change from the Canadian ‘I’ll give it a few hours/days so I don’t seem needy’ approach however it can get f*&#ing annoying overwhelming. I don’t like being glued to my phone and Korean men sometimes find this a difficult to accept.

Now if any of THESE guys were on the other end… I would be texting back INSTANTLY ^^

They make that inhaling shh noise when they’re thinking. I know this sounds funny but anyone who lives in Korea knows what I’m talking about! It’s usually accompanied by a head-tilt.

Hair and make-up. Yes, you read that correctly. A lot of Korean men wear make-up. Personally, nobody that I have dated has worn make-up (I think!) but there is definitely a growing interest in the man cover-up and eyeliner especially. Make-up withstanding, all the Korean men I know are very well-groomed, always use nice skin-care products and never leave the house without styling their hair.

Doesn’t show BB cream but he totally has it on.

They tend to jump into relationships. At home, I found that dating was mostly to have fun and get to know somebody before you decided you wanted to be bf/gf. Several times at home, I found that I wanted a more serious relationship with guys who weren’t ready to commit, even after weeks or months of dating. In Korea, I have found it’s the opposite. On three separate occasions, I have dated guys who wanted to move way quicker into a serious relationship than I did. For example, saying the ‘L’ word after only knowing each other for 5 days!

“I will make you so happy” uuuuuuuuuuumm..!

Skinship. In Korea in general, you don’t see as much PDA as you do in North America. A lot of couples will go on several dates before they even hold hands. ‘Skinship’ is a Konglish term that encompasses anything from holding hands, to massaging, and cuddling. You will hear in interviews that certain celebrities ‘enjoy skinship’ while others are more hesitant. A few guys have remarked that I like skinship, and while to me it’s fun and innocent to touch someone’s skin, it can mean a whole lot more to a Korean guy.

OMG! Scandaaaaalllll ~~

Work. A lot. Like a lot. I dated a guy who wouldn’t get off work until midnight most days and had to be there at 8 the next day. Dating a K-town man requires a lot of flexibility, because their job will not give them any. Long hours and not much time off… and it doesn’t stop if you get married! My Korean co-workers who are married say their husbands are the same. LG, Samsung, Hyundai (to name a few)… WHY U NO GIVE UR EMPLOYEES A BREAK!

Seriously, I don’t know how they do it.

Love sleeping on the floor. Many Koreans grow up sleeping on floor mats, so having a snooze on the hardwood can be nostalgic for them. Also, it’s really good for the back and you save room space ’cause your bed can fit in a closet!

Sorry adjussi, you’re doing it wrong.

I want to say again that I am not trying to stereotype anyone, I am just basing this on my own experiences. Not all Korean men will do all the things I have described! My boyfriend has grown up in Seoul and acts more American that I do most of the time! Ok, maybe he does a few of these things but that’s why I like him so much 😉 kkkk

On our second date ^^

I’ll leave you with a few more reasons to appreciate Korean guys :)!

The gorgeous Ricky Kim (Actor, half Korean)

Lee Byung Hun (actor)

Seungriiiiii! Aka. VictoRI from B-B-Big Bang

just my mommy and me

As most of you know, my Mum came to visit for two weeks recently! It was an awesome visit –  she really got to experience a lot that Korea has to offer and we got to hang out a lot even though I was working during the week. Here are some highlights:

tofu salad and fish paste soup!

We eventually got to Andong over Chuseok (note: do NOT try to travel on the first day of Chuseok if you have not booked way in advanced). We loved the traditional villages, the mask festival, all the crafty things and of course the food! Mum was very adventurous with her food-trying and generally liked everything that wasn’t too spicy. She even tried kimchi once a day :)!

so handy!

We took a nice hike up Cheonggyesan with Alexis and her Dad. Mum loved the air pressure boot cleaners at the end of the trail :)! Such gorgeous weather!

we are officially a tourist attraction!

We took hilarious sticker photos and when we were at the top of Seoul tower we noticed a bunch of people had put pictures of themselves on the wall. So we are now at the top of Seoul tower for all to see!

story time!

Mum came into my class several times to read books and give out Canadian treats! The kids loved her but were concerned that she was going to take me back to Canada.

dalkgalbi and soju!

Mum was gung-ho (sp?) for coming out with us and participating in our regular hang-outs. She came to Friday night BBQ, the GS several times, a beer bang and of course chicken galbi. Things got a little crazy at the noraebang and she even did a shot of soju!

great way to top off the visit!

On her second weekend here, we took a trip up to Seoraksan, which has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful parts of Korea. Well, apparently the rest of Korea also thought it was the best weekend to go because it was absolutely packed! Now I know ‘peak season’ means ‘don’t even think about it’ season. We had a good time anyways!

So those are my highlights, maybe I will get Mum to write in with her votes because there’s a lot we did that I didn’t talk about. These are things I would definitely recommend if you/your family are coming to visit Korea!

Home for a… rest?

 “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”  ~ Lin Yutang

As most of you know, I just went home to Canada for two glorious weeks. While it was a lovely change from the fast pace of Seoul, my vacation was super busy, visiting family and catching up with friends. It was an awesome time and really made me appreciate some things from home that I hadn’t thought I’d missed.

No beaches like this in Seoul unfortunately…

I loved the fact that I could hop on my bike and be at my grandma’s house in 5 minutes. Biking isn’t really an option in this city, and while there are bike shops and some paths, it’s not a safe or efficient mode of transportation. I definitely took my bike for granted when I lived at home!

I also loved not being glued to my phone every hour of the day. I’m not really a phone-a-holic, but being able to say “I’ll see you when I see you” or “I’ll swing by your place in an hour” rather than texting people constantly to meet up was great.

Reunited and it feels so good 🙂

It was so fantastic to see all of my family and friends again! I keep in fairly close contact with my immediate fam and a few close friends but mostly I rely on facebook to keep me up to date. I know this is so cliche but it really felt like no time had passed since we last saw each other. It’s comforting to know that even though I’m pretty bad at keeping in touch with people, my relationship with them doesn’t change based on how much I talk (or don’t talk) to them.

Some of my favs!

I am still on a high from my visit but I am definitely glad that I decided to stay in Seoul for another term because, as I’ve said before, I’m not ready to leave Korea yet :)!