A few things that I have done in south Korea that I would never do back home in the States

1. Use toilet tissue for a napkin. (Or my hand, a plastic wrapper, a lettuce leaf, or anything else handy and suitable to the task.) Napkins seem like a precious commodity here. The first day that I was offered toilet paper to use instead, a co-worker said, "Foreigners think that it is very strange that Koreans use this instead of napkins." Hmm, possibly because --- what with it being called toilet tissue, and all --- the product is manufactured with the intention of it being used during the elimination of food, and not as part of the food intake process.

2. Wear sandals. Anyone who has ever talked fashion with me knows that I am vehemently against men wearing shoes that expose the bare foot. Not because mine are particularly unsightly, but because, generally speaking, men's feet are less than pleasant looking. And a double no-no is the wearing of socks with sandals, no matter what your sex. I have seen enough pairs of wool toe-socks with Birkenstocks to last me a lifetime.

But here, wearing sandals --- with socks, mind you --- is pretty much mandatory at work. So I caved in.

3. Held a conversation with a man I have just met, as he either holds my hand or places his hand high on my thigh. This is considered normal behavior here. I swear.

4. Eaten vegetables that I have never seen before in my life, usually without asking what they are. No, I don't do the same with meat.

5. Had random groups of high school girls walk up to me and initiate conversations that include them telling me, "Oh, you're so handsome!" and I stay and talk, rather than running the other way to avoid a misunderstanding and possible jail time. Students of all ages, from kindergarten through college, walk up to me and happily speak English with me. Sometimes all they know is the classic exchange, "Hello, how are you?" and "I'm fine thank you, and you?" Sometimes they know more than many of the teachers I work with seem to know. (That's not a knock; learning English at a young age in Korea has been emphasized much more recently than ever before.) And then there is the ever-popular "I love you!" being blurted out as the second or third sentence, because this tends to be one of the first English phrases Koreans learn.

6. Watched an American movie that I have never had any desire to see, simply because it was on the TV, and in English. I rarely watch TV here, but this phenomenon has occurred a few times. I couldn't even tell you what films they were, and I usually came in during the middle.

7. Gone to the cinema without knowing what films were playing, or at what times. As a matter of fact, I might do this tonight.

This list will grow as I spend more time here, and as I remember the many zany things that have happened to me that I am blanking out on right now.

There are some social norms here that I just cannot adapt to, the foremost of these being --- sorry, there is no way to sugar coat it --- dispensing used toilet paper into a wastebasket rather than directly into the toilet. Even if I clog every non-squatty potty in this country because of my foul deeds, I can't make that transition. Plus, this country is hot and humid in the summer --- do I really need to add to the discomforts of the season?