One of the Korean habits I think I have yet to comment on is their Instant Messaging mania. Everyone does it, young and old, and as much as people smoke around here, taking a break to message someone is still probably a bigger thing than going to have a smoke. Any time, anywhere, never mind things like walking or trying to drive; if you get a message from a friend, by God, send one back immediately, if not sooner! I thought I was an IM freak till I saw these people in action. As a group, they put me in check in a heartbeat. Yikes.
The only other thing here that's remotely that disturbing is that for a country where guns are outlawed unless you're in law enforcement, or the military, buying a fake one sure is a big thing for some of these kids. Pellet guns, BB guns, all as realistically modeled as any toy guns I have ever seen. I haven't been popped by one of these things yet, thank God, but apparently one of the Korean teachers confiscated one that now occupies a place by the communal computer here. There's a sign for you. Double yikes.
Other minor item involves....squeaky shoes. Remember the Spongebob Squarepants episode about the squeaky boots Mr. Crabs gave Spongebob, only to be driven most of the way to insane because Spongebob wore them all the time? Well, the Koreans have their version, only they're sandals designed for early walkers. Every time the child steps down, they squeak. And, yes, they also have the shoes and sandals that light up, which I think is an infinitely better idea, all the ability to be able to identify your child's whereabouts, none of the annoying excess noise. Aren't there enough toys in this country without this kind of annoying crap? And can you imagine if for some reason the child walked with a limp or something? I suppose then you'd be able to find them in a crowd just by listening, the way some inner city folks do with their car alarms. "squeak, squeeeeaaaaaak, squeak, squeeeeaaaaaak," "ah, Cheon-Yee is over that way somewhere....." And as I may have mentioned before, in the absence of psychostimulant medications, the Korean response to juvenile ADHD seems to be to put the child in a Tae-Kwon-Do class. A 12 year old with ADHD and a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do; tell me THAT isn't flirting with disaster.