Food
On the whole, Korean food has a reputation for being spicy and flavourful. Garlic and hot pepper are commonly used as seasonings. Kimchi, a fermented dish made of vegetables, salt, and other seasonings, is the best known and most popular type of Korean food. It is popular among Koreans for its taste and high nutritional value. In fact, kimchi is served at almost every meal. While many foreigners find that it has an acquired taste, they readily admit to missing it when they return home.
Being polite and using table manners are an important part of the dining experience in Korea. Some important things to remember are:
People do not point at others.
- Red ink is not used in writing a living person's name.
- You should not squeeze hard when shaking hands.
- At the table you should wait until an elder begins to eat.
- Blowing one's nose at a meal is impolite.
- Do not leave your spoon or chopsticks inside your rice or soup bowl. Chopsticks are stuck into the rice only at offerings for the deceased.
Important Note: If you’re going out for a night on the town in Korea you should know that if you invite someone out, you are expected to pay. If you are invited out, don’t expect to pay, or attempt to contribute to it. The bill for a group is always paid by only one person; if you attempt to pay for the bill in front of your host you can seriously embarrass him or her. |
The Bus System
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The country has 3 major types of bus service. Intra-city, express, and charter (tour). Buses are fast, safe and on time. Although intra-city buses do not have established schedules, they generally leave their home stations at set intervals. Buses are numbered according the route they travel, and major stops are written in Korean on the buses. Signs at bus stops list the buses that stop there, with the number of the route and final destination of the bus (in Korean). Bus signs will be red or blue coloured, and the buses will have matching coloured backgrounds for their route numbers. |
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