Nature vs Nurture - What Koreans and I Have in Common

So there are a lot of things ingrained in my personality and mannerisms that have made adjusting to Korean life a hell of a lot easier. I don't know if this a nature vs nurture issue, but it is certainly strange. Ok, so here it is:

1. Koreans eat soup, rice, and various savory side dishes for breakfast. - As a kid, I HATED cereal. My parents made me eat it every morning until about junior high/high school, until I decided that I would eat soup for breakfast. I loved eating soup (or leftovers from dinner) for breakfast. I still hate eating cereal in the morning.

2. Koreans sit and sleep on the floor, actually they love the floor. - As a kid, I loved the floor too. I remember my father barking at me to get off the floor and sit on the couch or at the table. Actually I still love the floor. ^_^

3. They don't wear shoes in the house, they're usually barefoot or wear socks. - Again, I think my parents told me not to wear just socks around the house b/c I would wear them out.

4. Koreans have a different concept of personal space, for example they don't really hang out in their room by themselves with the door closed. In fact they think it is strange if you do. - This is how I was in my apartment after college. I never hung in my room by myself, I was usually in the common space. Though my roommates usually would, and then I would feel lonely! haha. Well not actually lonely, but I definitely feel more comfortable if people leave their doors open if they're home, or if they're milling about where I can see them. This trait is something that has made adjusting to Korean home-life infinitely easier than for other Americans.

5. Squatting, Koreans will squat to rest or chill. - I would do this while waiting for the trains in Boston, usually at Park Street.

6. Koreans are such awkward huggers!!! - Ditto. Though Koreans are super touchy feely otherwise, same sex touchy feely. In my classes, boys will sit in other boys' laps, with their arms around each other. Same with girls. Girls hold hands with other girls, and boys hold hands with other boys. But man, if you try and hug them, they have no idea what to do. I am by no means touchy feely, but I am definitely an awkward hugger!!

7. Koreans don't eat from their own plates, well b/c they don't have one. They're all about the sharing. - Another one of my favorite things. Usually when I go to restaurants, I want to split food with other people so I can try everything. I eat off of other people's plates at home, sometimes whether they like it or not, hehe. That is not strange here, well b/c they don't have their own plate. The food is placed in the middle of the table and it's all up for grabs.

8. They also eat everything at the same time. - They don't have courses or finish one thing first and then move on to the next thing. This is how I eat too. Doug always finishes his salad before beginning on his pasta. I like to eat everything at once.

9. And last but not least, Koreans LOOOVE hitting each other!!!! - This is pretty self explanitory if you know me. Hehe. They like seriously hit their good friends. As a kid I always wanted to play fight with my younger sisters. So I would hit them in expectation that they would hit me back. But they would just cry and I would get frustrated (or in trouble with my parents). hehe. And man, I remember Ryan would get sooooo mad at me when I hit him hard. Well, now I understand where it comes from. If only I could explain that to him now.... ^_^