Some of these things are cultural/lifestyle differences, while some of them are just information that will make reading my blog a bit easier.
- Seoul is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern time during Daylight Savings Time, and 14 hours ahead the rest of the time. (Korea does not observe DST.)
- The Korean won (KRW, ₩) to US dollars exchange rate is right around ₩1,000 to $0.95. For simplicity, when converting, just knock off three zeroes and you'll have a pretty solid ballpark. So ₩10,000 = $10, ₩5000 = $5, etc.
- Korean bathrooms (in homes) are usually one small room with no divider, and the tap for the sink is connected to the shower head (which is usually handheld but with a holder on the wall). This means wet toilets sometimes, which is annoying when you forget. It also means accidental soakings when you forget to switch the tap. And last but not least, it means slippery and wet floors, so bathroom shoes are actually super important to keep you from falling and cracking your head on the wall.
- AC is usually not central - it's done through large (or small) AC units. Heating is usually through the floor, so I spend large portions of my winter on the floor instead of on my bed.
- Koreans take their shoes off in the house/apartment. The floor is actually slightly a few inches lower by the door so the shoes are confined to one spot and people don't forget - when you have to step up, it's a pretty solid reminder (and barrier).
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