Now that it is getting a bit warmer in our apartment, we have been leaving the doors and windows open in the evening. Soon enough, it will be time to bring the big fan back into the bedroom, which for Koreans, might be a bit of a problem. You see, there is a fear of "Fan Death" in Korea. They do not close a door to a room if a fan is on. Or if they close the door, they make sure the fan is off. Every fan you buy in Korea comes equipped with a timer just to be sure that the fan will turn off in case someone accidentally closes the door. Apparently, the fan cuts up the air particles which will suffocate you and then you will die. The government actually has campaigns to warn people about this. It is crazy to me that a country so technologically advanced could still believe something like this. But alas, it is a huge fear in this country, one not to be taken lightly or joked about in front of the Koreans.
Another thing one should never do if in Korea, is write a person's name in red. I have been told it is bad luck for the person, but moreso, it means that the person is dead. This might never be an issue, however, my classrooms are all equipped with red and black board markers. I got into the habit of writing everyone's names in black, but there are days where I just simply forget or all that is left are the red markers. When I slip, oh the outcries of the children. "NOOOO Teacher!!! I not die!!!!" plus whining, fear, and Korean speaking. Yesterday I was marking some of my students work with a red pen and wrote "Great job Iris!" I noticed that when I gave the paper back to her, she immediately got a black pen out and wrote over her red name in black. It can be frustrating sometimes and I want to say "Get over it!" But I realize that we do some things that they think are really strange and that this is just how they've grown up.
These are two pretty good things to know if you are ever visiting or moving to Korea!
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