So Korea! - Part 2

To continue with Christian's phrase "So Korea!", here is part 2 of the on-going list of things that we have observed while living in Daegu.

5. Kimchi fridge and freezers - Most people know that kimchi is a regular staple in Korea's diet. What I didn't expect is the sheer fondness for this culinary side dish that it is common to have a dedicated set of fridge and freezers to store the plethora of kimchi so that it may be readily available at all times. That hideous pink monstrosity is the main fridge and the 4 built-in located on the left and right side are the kimchi fridge and freezers.

Has anyone seen a fridge in pink before?

Here are some of the containers that are used to store kimchi.

6. Cars in mainly white, black or silver - I've already mention that when we first moved in to the our apartment, the 2nd floor garage was filled with mainly those colors types. I thought it was a coincidence, but as a country, Korea prefers these colors. I wonder if it's because as a homogeneous culture, they also gravitate toward that type of color scheme for their cars. Check out the short video clip below and see how many cars pass by on a busy intersection.

Can you guess which one is my car?

7. Spam gift sets - Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) starts next week and these gift boxes have been for sale at Homeplus. Coming from the Philippines, I'm used to eating Spam, but I have never seen these before.

The price is roughly $24. The conversion rate is usually 1000 won to $1.

8. Personality according to Blood types - Instead of Zodiac signs, most not all Koreans believe that your blood type has a great deal to do with your personality traits and all the other things that go with your horoscopes. Here is a link that better explains this superstition:  http://beyondhallyu.com/culture/its-in-your-blood-the-link-between-blood-types-and-personalities/

Here are some pens I found in Homeplus that are geared towards blood types.

My New Car - Kia Morning

We finally sold the Rav4 (thanks to my awesome friend Maryann) and a few days later, I finally found the car that was perfect for me.  I love my new car! It's a red Kia Morning and exclusive here in Korea. The European version is called a Picanto, but it is not available in the US.

The first three photos were taken in the dealership and the last one is in my parking garage.  Notice that the rest of the cars are comprised of black, silver, and white cars.  So glad that my car is red.  I can easily locate it with no problems.  I thought it was just a coincidence that the cars on that garage floor was the same colors, but Koreans prefer that color scheme.  Rarely will you see a bright colored car on the road.  I wonder if it's because as an Asian county, they are used to a homogeneous type of culture.  I tend to gravitate towards diversity. 

It's a fun little car.  It reminds me of my red Geo Metro that I drove in high school, but a bit sportier and a step up in quality. I hope I'll be able to bring it back home with me.  I will have to do some modifications to have it legal on US roads, but that shouldn't be a problem.

Commute to Work

I find it funny that my commute is still the same.  It took me 45 minutes to drive to Ft. Stewart and it still takes me the same amount of time to walk the 3 miles to work. Unfortunately, the lights are not synchronized to allow the flow of traffic and pedestrians to move efficiently.

A few things I've noticed during my "commute" is that the sidewalk is not solely reserved for pedestrians. Not only do you have to dodge bicycles and mopeds (yes, they are allowed), but automobiles are also allowed to park on sidewalks.  It wouldn't be so bad if drivers were actually respectful when parking or entering the streets. I was extremely annoyed when a car came too close to Jensen's stroller. I guess I have to learn to have my guard up and always be very aware of my surroundings when walking.

I wish the same respect is applied on the roads here in Korea.  Just about every facet of life here shows some type of respect. From bowing to elders and even eating and drinking customs are geared to show respect for each other.  Here is an example of another way they respect not only people, but their property. I wish I had a better photo.  To prevent the grass clippings from hitting the parked cars, ladies hold up a protective barrier while another worker is cutting the grass.

When it comes to driving here, all bets are off. Horns are freely used not only as a warning, but also as a form of gesture. Instead of flashing our lights to let the other car go, using the horn is customary. Forget about the 2 car length space in front of each vehicle. Driving bumper-to-bumper is normal. Also, if an accident occurs, it doesn't matter who is at fault.  Here the blame is 50-50 shared responsibility of both parties involved. I don't quite understand how that is justified, but I wonder who thought that was a good idea. 

Mini Cooper S 2007

Here is my all black Mini Cooper S 2007. Thanks for the great photo, Stephanie. I tried to locate a used one when I was shopping for it, but had a difficult time finding exactly what I wanted. I went ahead and special ordered it from Charleston, SC on my husband's insistence. I bought her exactly a year ago this month.


I recently attended my first Mini Cooper meeting this past weekend. We met at Sonic on Montgomery Crossroads, but the location will be changed to Starbucks on Victory Drive next month. If you happen to read this and you are a Mini Cooper owner, join us there every first Sunday of the month at 10 am.


There were only five members there, but it was really cool to see all the Minis lined up at the front of the parking lot. Christian drove his Lotus Elise and Heather recognized it right away. She's driven a Lotus before and we are hoping to ask her for some pointers since she is a race car driver. Maybe the the group will "adopt" Christian's car since it is a British car, but not quite a Mini. ;-)

New Lotus Elise

My dear husband is a sports car enthusiast and he has been scouring the web for a Lotus Elise. These cars are difficult to come by. It is originally manufactured in England and is put together by hand, therefore a limited amount of these cars are made.


Anyway, after trying to sell the 350Z for over a month and dealing with crazy con jobs on-line trying to buy it, we decided to see what we could get on a trade. There is a dealer that specializes in Lotuses in Jacksonville, FL. We decided to drive there and see what they would give us for the 350Z with no intentions of buying a Lotus. Well they got one from Arizona an hour before we arrived. The salesman had emailed 41 people including us who were interested. Needless to say, we came home with the newly shipped Lotus. It hasn't even been detailed. We will have to go back and have them fix a few things before it is in show room quality. We both can't believe that we own one of these beauties.



The salesman kept calling it an "exotic" car. Keep in mind only a few banks will even consider financing an exotic car. You can't even look up the value on Kelly Blue Book. This is the fourth sports car we have owned. Actually 6 if you count my del sol and Mini Cooper S. Granted I haven't had a chance to drive this one, but I've always liked driving the 350Z even though I always claim that I don't since it isn't my own. God forbid I come home with a scratch oh his new "baby". My mom actually asked if she could drive it. Right.................maybe when she stops driving like a maniac.


One thing about this car is that it is a pain in the @$$ to get in and out of it. It sits so low to the ground and feels like you are sitting in a cockpit. It definitely takes practice and finding your own way of getting in and out of it. It does make is a little bit easier with the top down.


I'm looking forward to having it detailed and seeing how good the thing can really look. We both finally have cars that we consider our "dream" cars. I still can't believe it. Here's hoping we are not dreaming. If we are, please don't wake me up!