Korean Culture Shock

I just got back after spending a week in Seoul (for the first time). So take what i'm saying with a grain of salt, I'm by no means an expert on Korean culture. My impression is that bargaining is acceptable in the markets and street vendors, but in established stores, you're expected to pay the price as marked. Generally speaking, if you don't see a posted price, that's a good sign that bargaining is expected or at least acceptable. I've never heard of anyone bargaining on the cost of a hotel room, so if this French person did that, he either got really lucky, or was staying in a really small guest house.

I can't answer your questions about chopstick etiquette. Some of the restaurants that I wen to provided a chopstick/spoon rest, so it was obvious what to do in those cases, but for the others, I usually rested mine on the bowl/plate. You didn't say which restaurant you had been to that seemingly ignored you after serving your food. That seems a bit odd to me. I went to about a dozen different places, and was never ignored. The service was quite good (and they were not all high end establishments). Perhaps the place you're going to just has poor service? I should note that it was not unusual to have to walk up to the counter at the end of the meal to pay, I rarely was handed a bill, or had my server offer to accept payment.

As for the toilets, I've read conflicting reports about whether people need to deposit their toilet paper into the toilet or a basket. I just dumped everything in the toilet, and never had a problem.

I usually waited for a green light before crossing, out of habit. It seems like the safe choice, and I was on vacation, I wasn't in any huge rush to cross a street when I could be looking around at everything.

One more thing i should note, I've been to Shanghai China a few months ago, and the cultural differences between Korea & China were dramatic. Definitely don't assume that what applied in China is also the case in Korea.

Hi:

Bargaining. You won't be able to use your bargaining skills here like you did in China.

Hotel rooms...department stores...are off limits. Bargaining would be quite strange and actually ill-mannered.

In general, the open markets are the places where you can negotiate prices...clothes to produce.

First world country? You are in a first world country! The quality of life here is much better than in many other Asian countries, and your experience will be very different from China.

To learn more about Korea, visit it's national tourist office web site at:

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/intro.html

Besides traveler's information, you will also find free services like volunteer tour guides (there's an idea, bring them with you on a shopping trip or to dinner) and 24 hour tourist information phone service.

Table manners. the above web site helps explain that. Alos, try something novel and visit youtube. Many videos on korean culture.

A good website on Korea from an expat point of view is: http://korea4expats.com/

Using chopsticks is fine for eatting, just rest them on the side of your dish. Leaving them standing up in a bowl of rice is a symbolic ritual used to remember family members that have passed on.

Your experiences are normal. in many small restaurants, staff are few and they are constantly on the go running around serving customers. When Korean's want service they usually shout "adjumah" (women) or "yogiyo" (here). That doesn't work for me. I get up and ask questions.

Bathrooms. In most places you should see waste baskets. Here's a rule, "ask before you flush."

Green light/red light. Most people wait for the light to change before crossing the street, but it's changing.

Word of advice. learn the basics on etiquette, but don't get boxed in by rules. You will see some variety after you've been her a while. Korea is updating customs rapidly due to globalization and changes in generations.

Thanks for the answers! I didn't see anything about table manners among the many food-related articles at visitkorea.com, though.

In the small restaurant that I visited tonight, the old women hovered around me very attentively and refilled my rice bowl, as well as a couple of other dishes (including the delicious fish)! When I had a rice bowl and no soup to put it in (that's what's normally done, right?), and lots of little dishes of food to eat with the rice, I just ate it all with chopsticks, Chinese-style. How would a Korean have eaten it in my situation?

I have another question: What's appropriate bowing etiquette? When a Korean does the slight head-bow to me, I return it, and they bow again, and then I return it again, and then they bow again, and then I give up and go on with whatever I want to do. Should I just always let them give the last bow? Under what circumstances should I initiate the bow? I'm female, if that makes any difference.

Thanks again for the help. I usually try to research the cultures of the countries I'm visiting a little more before I go there, but I hadn't definitely planned to go to Korea on this trip, so there are lots of holes in my knowledge!

RE- Crossing the road. Koreans turn evil behind the wheel of a car. They usually run red lights, sometimes for a few seconds after it's red, so make sure you look carefully before crossing the road.

Eating. It's generally considered rude to lift up your rice bowl to your face and eat it. Rice is usually not free for extra, but the side-dishes (banchan) and soup is refilled for free. It's polite to have no rice left in your rice bowl.

When passing something to someone, especially to older people, give it with your right hand, and put your left hand over your right bosom. It's more polite to give things with two hands, again, old people like to see this.

Koreans don't expect foreigners to understand their culture, so even though it's polite to bow, don't get too caught up in it. Old people like it, the deeper the bow, the more respectful it is. A shallow bow means they aren't giving you much respect either because a) you're young b) they don't know your status in terms of your age, your job, your social standing in relation to them.

It is perfectly alright to bargain in motels during off-season. I have done it consistently in the month of May in a lot of places. You are doing them a big favour by staying there in the first place. Some of the motels are almost empty in the odd months.

When the high season hits, that's another story. You may end up paying more to beg for a place to sleep.