When in Rome

In Korea we have all the same opportunities to wash and get clean but without the luxury of standing, hungover and closing your eyes for a long, hot, theraputic Sunday shower. Why? There are no showers!! Well, I guess the bathroom is the shower. Korean bathrooms are equipped with a shower head connected to the sink. I stand in front of the mirror and shower with water spraying everywhere and eventually going into the drain on the floor. Initially, I didn't understand the drain part and just washed my hair in the sink. My neighboor, like Kramer, taught me the Korean shower but, unlike Kramer, he allowed me to keep my clothes on during the tutorial. This is just one of the many differences (some subtle, some shocking) that I am adjusting to here. I was informed on my first day that Korea doesn't have grass and, as far as I've seen, they don't. Dont' ask me why- I never paid attention to geology. Transportation is another interesting cultural deviation. There seems to be a lot less enforcement on traffic violations and everyone just follows the 'whatever works' philosophy of driving. Just yesterday I saw a bus driver park his bus in the middle of a busy city road and leave. On any given street you will see cars that obviously made up their own parking spots. They honk a lot more and I've yet to see an accident so I guess this anarchy-based driving must be working. But this does make walking much more dangerous and looking both ways before you cross are now words to live or die by. I had my first taxi cab experience Friday night and it surely was an experience. The driver, knowing his opportunities to mingle with foreigners (it's so much fun to be able to call myself that) are slim, was showing off to us. The car was armed with neon lights above, on the sides and, as I learned from my roomate, you can judge the driver's personality by how flashy his car is. Think of a night-club on wheels. He turned some Korean pop music really loud and began dancing- urging us to join in and clap to the beat. Yup, we were dancing in the cab. He then proceeded to sing along to the song and he definately had a beautiful voice. Koreans aren't shy when it comes to singing and I can see why; most can really sing. He informed us that his car is a Night-Rider car and started changing the turn signals and flashing the many lights on his dash through is voice alone. Then, and I had been prepared for this, he stepped on the gas and got the car going twice the speed limit, weaving through lanes in a small tunnel. Wow, this was a time when I wished we could tip, but there's no tipping in Korea- they won't accept it. Not in restaurants, not in bars, not for pizza delivery :( and not in taxis. Oh, and my roomate ordered Chinese last night; it came prepared in dishes which are to be left outside after you eat for the delivery guy to pick up later that night. How convenient. And it's true what I've read: there is a lot of same-sex holding of hands (more with females than males). So, understanding this, I hope you fellows don't think I 'm strange when I come home, hold your hands, park on the curbs and shower in the sink.