The first thing I want to mention is the fast-paced lifestyle especially found in big cities. "Time is money" is certainly a phrase that describes Korean everyday life. This concept is especially noticeable in public transportation. Trevor and I ride the bus often. It is our main source of transportation since we don't have a car. Every time we ride, I hope and pray there is an open seat because otherwise, we are bound to get thrashed around like Willow Smith's hair. The bus drivers speed off as fast as they can and slam on the brakes at the last minute before each stop. I've learned to take a surfer's stance in order to keep my balance especially if I can't cling to one of the poles. There is a lot of pressure to get on and off as quickly as possible and not to waste any time. Heaven forbid if you need to ask the bus driver if he goes to a particular stop because that of course wastes time. We've even been told no they don't go somewhere even though they actually did because the driver just wanted to leave.
You also have to be quick at the grocery store. I feel like we are always in the way because we are trying to compare prices or figure out how much something costs or deciding which brand of something to buy. Get what you want and move on seems to be a more popular approach to shopping. The worst part is getting in line to check out. They are so busy, they don't even bag stuff for you. If you want something bagged, they will hand you however many bags you ask for (so hope you calculate correctly or you're in trouble) and you can either shove everything back in your cart and find a place to the side to bag everything, or frenziedly bag everything at the same rate it is being scanned so you don't hold up the line. Either way, you have to be lightning fast or people start to get annoyed pretty quickly.
I also don't feel comfortable in any sort of shopping scenario. There is a word here called 부담 (boodam) which is basically like social pressure. At a department store, there is a person in every section of the store. And by that I mean someone at the purses, someone at the ties, someone at the socks, someone at the scarves, someone at the perfume, someone at the umbrellas, etc. Their job is to pressure you into making a purchase. If you even glance at one of their items, they will hop over and tell you all about all their other products and give you some prices. I personally do more window shopping especially as a tourist as opposed to going somewhere with the intention of buying. I just want to look! The same goes for farmers markets. Everyone is selling the same basic stuff but everyone of course wants you to buy theirs. Old Korean grandmas will sit on the corner and shout out the prices of their food. One time I was even grabbed by the arm by an old lady trying to get me to buy some fruit. It was a very uncomfortable experience and it certainly makes me NOT want to buy stuff from the 부담 people. Instead of looking around, I walk away because I don't like the workers to approach me. I feel rude just walking away not buying something after they spend so much attention on me.
This next topic I know I should be grateful for but I can't help but be annoyed by it. Korean people are extremely hospitable, almost to the point of being overwhelming. This is especially true when it comes to food. They LOVE giving foreigner's a taste of their beloved Korean food. Don't get me wrong, I am willing to try more Korean food but just like any normal person, I'm not going to love or even like everything I taste especially since most food here isn't like what most people are used to in America. When invited to a meal, you are expected to eat A LOT. If you finish your plate, they will inevitably tell you to eat more and/or put more food on your plate. I just want one plate of one dish and that's it. I know I should be happy that they are being so nice but I start to get overwhelmed with the amount of food and how strange it is to me.
One thing I can't get enough of however, is everything cutesy. Cute and quirky is all the rage. Cute umbrellas, notebooks, socks, stickers, and any other imaginable accessory. Here it's perfectly normal to have a pink and white polka dot umbrella with little cats on it (yes, I have one :D). It brings out a sense of innocence and youth that is so refreshing. One thing I've seen that does take it a little far is how much people cutesy up their pets. Some people even dye the fur of their little dogs because they think it's cute. 
The last thing I'll talk about today is nature. Ulsan is a very big city (and not even the biggest in Korea) and sometimes it is hard to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and be lost among the never ending buildings. One thing I have noticed, is that even in big cities, there is always somewhere to go to enjoy nature. There are several parks (usually with exercise equipment for anyone interested) and hiking trails and if nothing else, trees and vegetation along the sidewalks. In fact, Trevor and I spent some time this weekend at a GIGANTIC park where we rented a tandem bike which was a lot of fun and good for us too!
I have more opinions which I will probably share later but I figured this was enough for now ;)
I agree on the pet thing. I had a couple Korean roommates one time....they had a Chihuahua they called baby and they dressed it all up in fancy stuff and painted his ears pink! It looked a little ridiculous
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