Funny Realizations....

I am going to try to keep a list of the interesting things we have learned while we are here including traditions, language, and so on....


"An-ya-ha-say-o" is "pleased to meet to you"

Most of the stone buddhas have no nose because... the Korean women go to the stone Buddhas when they want to have a baby boy. They rub the nose until they get a powder like substance and then they eat that powder. If they still end up having a girl, they give the girl a boy's name and then will normally have a boy on their next baby...

History of the piggy bank....at the second temple we saw piggy banks everywhere! In one of the buildings, there is a wooden pig that was carved into the architecture. Pigs are said to bring wealth. The Koreans never noticed the wooden pig until about 3 years ago and have now set out a bronze and gold pig for everyone to rub for good luck and wealth on their way out of the temple. We all rubbed it! Also, if you have a dream about a pig, go out and buy a lottery ticket as soon as possible! The pig means its your lucky day!!!

Pedestrians DO NOT have the right to go ahead of a car! You better get your butt out of the way because that car is not stopping for you even if you are in a crosswalk!

"Com-Sa-Mi-Da" is thank you

"Ke-yope-ta" is cute girl

Acupuncture must be the cure for everything! They want to do it to you even if you start sneezing!

I am successfully not the first person to have to go see a doctor! We love Travis, but thank you for taking that crown from me buddy!

The parking lots here are CRAZY!!!! It reminds me of that little game where are the cars are facing different directions and you have to slide them back and forth to get the one car that is a different color off the board. Even though there are parking spots, people just park behind them. The funny thing about this is that everyone just leaves their car in neutral when they park. So, if you come down in the morning and a car is parked long ways behind you, you can just push it out of the way and pull out! Schuyler actually got to experience this first hand and help his family move a car. Could you imagine if this were the same concept in Las Vegas!!!!?

Koreans are one or two years older than they really are when you ask them what their age is! They do not celebrate birthdays here!!!! Everyone is 1 year old the day they are born. Everyone gains 1 year on January 1st. So a baby born in October, is 1 years old and January 1st turns 2. Even though the baby is really only 2 months old.... weird right!?

The legal drinking age here is 18, 19 in Korean age. The legal driving age is 20, or 21 in Korean age. I think this is the smartest thing any government could do! Let them drink and figure out ways to get home. That way when they can drive, they already know how to get home without being able to drive! Makes total sense in my head!