Episode 10: Water Is Self (Daily Life)

09/14/23 • 57 min

This week Jun and Daniel take a break from the broad, macro-level topics they have been discussing, and dive into some of the more light-hearted minutiae of everyday life here in Korea. Listen in as Daniel recounts stories from his first months after moving to Korea, and what he found surprising then but is now used to. Topics range from Korea’s complicated trash and recycling system, eating out at restaurants, apartment life, driving, and.. doors. Did you know apartment complexes can be on the scale of a small city? What is a wet bathroom and why is it the enemy of socks? What common American bathroom item in America does Daniel now consider a luxury? Learn about Koreans’ love for color coding, why Koreans are finally coming around to dryers, and what Busan drivers are famous for.
If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! This week we also learn more about Daniel’s love for carpet, what Jun considers one of Korea’s great mysteries, and why Daniel’s father-in-law considers driving in Seoul a metaphor for life.

Support the show

As a reminder, we record one episode a week in-person from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!
Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862
Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast
Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: [email protected]

Support the show

Previous Episode

Episode 9: The 80-Hour School Week (Education)

This week Jun and Daniel take a first stab at tackling a fairly big topic in Korea: the education system. It wasn’t that long ago that Korean students went to school from morning to midnight, six days a week. While this is technically no longer the case, in practice, not much has changed. Why are Koreans so obsessed with education? How does a day in the life of a Korean and an American high school student compare? How much homework do Korean students get? What is a common stereotype that Koreans have of American schools? How does the college admissions process work? What do planes and police have to do with the Korean SAT? How has the role of public school teachers changed? Why does Daniel love the daycare/preschools in Korea? Who are some of the top earners in Korea?
If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! This week we also learn a bit about what Jun was like in high school, a nerdy programming joke from Daniel, and whether our parents really did walk uphill 5 miles both ways through the snow to get to school.

Support the show

Next Episode

Episode 11: I See Old People (Daily Life)

This week Jun and Daniel continue the theme from last week, but this time, they take it stateside. Listen in as Jun takes Daniel on a journey of the senses to describe some of the more light-hearted minutiae of everyday life in the US. What are the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels of America to a Korean? What do Americans take for granted and not realize might feel foreign to others? What is an innocent American gesture that Koreans find rude? Is there actually any science behind how Korean and American people talk? Do Koreans and Americans smile differently? Where does Jun feel most exposed in America? And just how many times can Daniel say “ooh, interesting” in one episode?
If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! This week we also learn about Daniel’s childhood tradition whenever he got new shoes, Jun’s design sense, and a traumatizing memory from Daniel’s college years.

Support the show