Our weekday evenings have been well spent on the Ulsan beach or elsewhere. Because we have toured so many segments of HHI, we are now recognizable to a large percentage of the Ulsan population. When visiting the beach we are often invited to the tables (really low platforms for sitting) of HHI employees where we share drinks, Korean food, watermelon and stories. They are very curious about us and also very friendly. In exchange for the food and drink we introduce them to the wonders of Frisbee.
Political correctness does not have the same meaning (if it has one at all) in Korea. At HHI we have been asked about our religion several times. The person asking has thus far been Christian, and openly shares his beliefs with us. One such occasion lead to our being invited to church, which four of us accepted. I can report that Korean Christian churches (at least this one) are nearly identical in architecture and sermon as American ones. The major differences I noted were that they spoke Korean, and their music was much better. This particular church featured a large choir, with French horn, trombone, clarinet, violin and cello backup. Church was followed by a very nice Korean meal in a restaurant. Kimchi is remarkably appetizing when mixed with pork.
On the same day Dan received a different type of Korean culture experience. Having played Ping Pong in our dorm with some amiable Koreans, they invited him to have a drink with them. Thinking this was going to happen around the corner Dan went with them. Ending up in a car on a nervous adventure to parts unknown, Dan ended up at their house where he was treated to a home cooked meal. Feeling comfortable, he was once again thrown for a loop as he was shuttled off to Foreigner's pub, enjoyed Korean style. The cultural differences in what are and what are not publicly acceptable behaviors were demonstrated for Dan. After quite the experience, he was returned home. For the complete account, Dan should be contacted directly.
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