Korean Home - 5 Culture Shocks & Differences
Home Sweet Home.
It's been exactly two years since I left my home in Sweden to live here in Korea, so I thought it was about time to document some of my thoughts and experiences with the culture on this island (or peninsula) here on the blog.
My plan this year is to share at least one post with this culture-meeting-theme per month and because I could think of quite many points I categorised them a bit.
Also if you have any questions or suggestions please leave it in a comment. 😉👇
This post will be about everyday things that are different in a home - of course not every home is same but at least in our home this is the way it is.
FYI - The list is in random order. I think. 🤔
1. The practical balcony.
First up on the first list of all lists; the balconies.
Where I'm from people love their balconies.
If they have a big one you will probably hear them proudly talk about it and show it to you when you visit. When people go looking for new houses and apartments a balcony is most likely on the list of requirements.
Why is this? I can't speak for everyone but I feel like a lot of swedes value their balcony high.
There are few things as cozy as a summer breakfast on the balcony, or sitting there with a friend and having a simple 'fika'.
And since the summer is usually short and often rainy it's a life saver to have a balcony to escape to and catch some sun rays between the cloud barriers.
Or even better - cozy chatty evenings with candle lights while listening to the chirps of hunting bats. You probably already understand the recreational value that a balcony possess.
Anyway with all this said, the purpose of a typical balcony in Korea is very different.
It's simply a cold room where you put everything less pretty - washing machine, a place to hang the laundry, tools, trash, etc etc...
So it's basically a practical thing in a home.
However I saw that our neighbours were sitting and talking on one of their balconies so maybe I'm wrong?
2. The freezing & wet bathroom.
The typical Korean way to warm up a house is thru the floors. The floor is usually cozy and toasty. In Sweden radiators are mainly used and if the floor is warm you are probably standing in a bathroom. In Korea it's of course the opposite. Everywhere else but the bathroom has heated floors. The bathroom is always freezing during winter. Even the shampoo and shower gels get more solid during winter months. 😂
And yes, we have a typical all-wet-korean-bathroom where the whole room IS the shower. This means the toilet gets wet while showering and the whole floor is wet (and cold - which is why the use of shower slippers is obligatory!)
3. Washing with cold water
Before going to Japan and Korea I had never even thought about washing in cold water. Back at home 30°C was classified by me as "cold wash". But here it's really just basic cold water from the taps that we wash our clothes in - no heating up. This felt a bit weird for me at first like "What? Can it really get clean like this?" and yes, it can. Well, most of the times.
I realise that this is an option. There are many many different kinds of washing machines and new and high tech products out there, but I still think this is the basic. People here are used to washing cold. Anyway, I don't think the environment complains. 😉
4. The love for flourescent lights
Oh Korea. The country of studying hard, working hard, being efficient and being practical.
But you really don't seem to care much about soft mood lights. Those cozy lights that makes a house look and feel like a home. 😊
No, why would you need those lights when you have that perfect cold flourscent light illuminating your world, shining bright wherever you go?
They are practical, I give you that. That one lamp is enough for one room and let's you see everything very clear.
But at the same time it's the death of a nice atmosphere. 🤣
5. Where did the oven go?
I love baking. And during my first long stay in Korea I got the urge to bake several times. Even before I went there I started planning for what I should make during my stay there because I wanted to treat the family on some homemade goodies. I mentioned this to TY but his answer shocked me - "We don't have an oven though?"
"Eh.. What do you mean? Is it broken?"
"No, we never had one."
😲 😲 😲!!!
Ok. So, when cooking Korean food one doesn't need an oven.
Usually the food is made by steaming, frying, boiling or roasting.
Anyway, when we moved into our own home we got an oven for me. ^^ It's small and is also a grill and microwave but I'm happy because it works fine and I can bake and be happy. 😊
Again, some people have ovens at home but often those are not used for much other than storing stuff and pans.
Bonus! Relocation Cleaning 없어? 😂
Here comes a little bonus that is related to the house but not an everyday thing - the non existing cleaning when moving out.
It's probably not only Korea, it's just that it shocked me.
If I move into a place I'm expecting it to be clean. Like super shiny clean. And it just feels natural that when I move homes, I want to take care of all the mess I made during my stay.
It's just one really boring thing everyone has to do upon leaving. That doesn't seem to be the case over here..
Before we could move in we painted and renovated and we also had to do the dirty works too. ã… ã… And it wasn't like pulling out the vacuum for ten minutes or so. No I spent like a day on only cleaning the bathroom. 😔
OK. That was all for this post.
I also want to add that these things I listed doesn't apply to all homes and places in Korea, and I'm not saying it's all bad and that I dislike it. It's just different from what I have been used to and I thought it would be fun to share.
Again, I'd be happy to see some cute comments below so do write me one (simply because there is more happiness in giving than in receiving and I want all of you to be very happy! 😃 haha!)
👇 👇 👇
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