Lol- I'm not gonna start going all mom on you. So don't run away.
Korean culture requires you to maintain certain manners when eating. Such as:
◎The eldest person at the table starts eating first and that's a signal for others to start eating as well. You shouldn't touch your meal before the eldest one does. It would be rude of you.
◎Never leave your chopsticks sticking straight upward in your bowl. It resembles incense and... people burn incense at funerals so.... don't.
◎Never clear your nose when at the table. Excuse yourself to the washroom.
◎Never attend a phone call at the table unless its possibly urgent.
◎Never let the guy pay if you're on a date. Either split up the bill or pay alternating days.
◎If you have invited someone for a meal, you should pay. If they invited you, they should pay. Also, be aware of both of your financial status.
Now there are some things you should say before and after the meal.
◎잘 먹겠습니다 = I'll eat well!
잘 = well/good
먹다 -> 먹겠습니다 = will eat
It serves as "Thank you for the meal. I'll enjoy it."
◎잘 먹었습니다 = I ate well!
잘 = well/good
먹다 -> 먹었습니다 = ate
Its serves as "Thank you for the meal. I enjoyed it."
◎잘 먹을게! is the informal version of 잘 먹겠습니다. You can only say it to your close friends when you expect them to treat you to a meal. Basically, you tease them as in suggesting them to buy you a meal.
Weird korean eating habits:
I heard some people complain how some koreans eat with their mouth open. Making noises, groans, grunts, moans and so on.
Sometimes they say a loud compliment to the cook (when in the small businesses, the cooks are not hidden away in their kitchen corners.. in that case)
Sometimes koreans even make that weird slurping sound when eating 라면 lol. And if you eat a lot or if you make a lot of satisfactory sounds while eating, it is taken that the food was delicious.
Some korean guys even like those girls who eat a lot. Because of two reasons:
1) They think you are being yourself and comfortable around them that you don't worry about dieting.
2) Some believe that a person who eats well brings good fortune. Especially older people, a lot of them believe in this.
Alright, enough culture for today ;)
안녕♡
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