1) The No-legged Homeless Man
No, I am not yet again poking fun at the handicapped. In fact, most of the beggars downtown do have legs, although they attempt to hide them in oversized, rubber trousers. Oddly enough, the trousers are not like normal rubber pants (if such a thing exist), instead they are about the thickness of a bike tire, which allows the beggar to leave you wondering whether they have actually lost their legs. In reality (I have checked), most of them, at least in Gwangju, still have their legs. Along with the rubber trousers, the beggars have little 4-wheeled scooters which they pull themselves along the ground with. If you're thinking what I was, the answer is yes; these are the same little wooden things most of us had in gym class to assist with crab soccer and try to use as an accident-prone skateboard.
Above is an example of the common Korean beggar. If you're thinking I'm culturally insensitive, think again, I didn't take the picture.
Usually, the men also have a matching scooter to hold an amplifier playing traditional Korean music. The weirdest thing about this behavior, is that ALL male Gwangju beggars have chosen this as their fail-safe method of collecting funds.
While I have inquired to my korean friends and students the impetus for such a phenomena, most of them either a) don't know, or b) believe it's war related. No one has yet provided a reason why it is so widespread.
2) The Ddongchim
Literally "poop" - "sword", the ddongchim is a common phenomenon with a vibrant counter-culture surrounding it. In its very basic essence, it is an act of defiance and humor. However, it is not restricted to the Korean race. Anyone can do it, even you:
[Ddongchim procedure]:
Take your hands and clench them together so that your fingers are interlocking. Take your thumbs and place them together, as well as your pointer fingers. In western culture this would signify a gun, handy for imitating someone like James Bond. Here in Korea, this is your "chim" (sword).
Next, find an unsuspecting friend, co-worker, or acquaintance (if you're feeling particularly daring), who is busy doing something at a table, bar, or (a regional favorite) the copy machine. With a smirk on your face, stick your "chim" (sword) into their "ddong" (poop or hole if you will). They will probably scream, or at least let out some sound signaling their surprise. This is your time to exit swiftly, elbowing your buddies while giggling and snickering.
Be proud my friend, you have just committed your first ddongchim.
While you may think--as i did--that a student performing such an act on a teacher would be a severe sign of disrespect. You would be wrong. Instead, it is seen as a playful act that while not encouraged by parents, is certainly not discouraged. A hearty laugh may be let out of the Korean parents' belly, soon followed by a insincere reprimand. The truth is, most Koreans (in Gwangju) have been dongchimed at one point in their lives. As put by a fellow co-worker, long-time Gwangju resident, the experience is "not gentle" by any stretch of the means. Although many of my elementary school teachers (foreigners) have had this glorious experience--on multiple occasions--i still await this day with anticipation.
With a phenomenon as popular as the ddongchim, it is no wonder that the wave has inspired cartoon characters and superheroes alike. One of my favorites, is the ever-present Captain Ddongchim. He can be seen in the picture above with his Captain Crunch-esque hat. I'm not sure about his sidekick, but I'm sure he's got some tricks up his sleeve as well.
3) Fan Death
In some ways, this has already been too publicized to make a documentary out of, but, seeing as it lets me include the word trifecta in my title, I will include it anyway. Ask any expat in Korea about Fan Death, and you will immediately see a glimmer in their eye as they prepare to give you a 5 minute first-person encounter of the popularity of this myth.
Fan death, for those of you who don't know, is the common Korean belief that leaving anyone in a closed room with an electric fan on will cause them to die by sunrise. This belief is so prevalent, that often the second or third (sometimes first question) asked about someone's death is whether or not a fan was involved. Oddly enough, although the phenomena is clearly spread throughout the entire country, there are different methods and explanations for the homicidal tendency of this appliance:
1) Most common in the area of Gwangju is that the fan creates a cooling vortex that chills the body beyond point of return and causes rapid hypothermia to set in.
2) A more spiritual interpretation is that this same vortex is strong enough to pull your soul out of your body, which, of course, causes death immediately.
3) The fan uses up all the oxygen in the room, causing fatal levels carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, electric motors do not use oxygen, and thus this doesn't really make any sense.
4) My favorite is one I saw on wikipedia; that the fan actually chops up all the oxygen particles, leaving none left for respiration. This explanation violates both mass conservation as well as well-known properties of molecules and gases.
So yes, fan death is an odd superstition. You might be wondering how deeply Koreans believe in it. For example, what happens when you ask a smart and worldly Korean about fan death? My roommate Mike has equated it to the backpedaling that comes with asking a devout christian to reconcile their strict interpretation of the bible with common scientific beliefs. It becomes difficult as they directly contradict each other in many ways. I don't suggest doing so. It becomes quite awkward.
One interesting explanation i have heard for the existence of fan death is a conspiracy theory surrounding the extremely high suicide rate of korean youth. Extremely image-conscious and pressured to perform well in sometimes 12-13 hours of school a day, young koreans often take their own life, for which fan death is a prime scapegoat. I'm not saying I subscribe to the issue, but at least it provides a reasonable explanation for this ridiculous myth.
