But why is everything rotten?

 Today is all about getting used to Korean culture. Being married to one, I have regular mini-culture shocks. For instance: Kimchi. It stinks. If you do not know what kimchi is, it is a Korean staple for every meal (EVERY MEAL...even breakfast.) and it is basically rotten cabbage that has been lathered and drowned in spicy peppers and stuff. Koreans honestly believe, and I was told this in Korea, that if something is rotten it is healthier/better for you. Oh, excuse me, I was raised being told if something goes rotten...you NEVER eat it.  Now, I have been married for over 8 months now and I dated Kyounghee for two years before that. I am used to kimchi. I even like to eat it. <---it is an acquired taste. But on Sunday I think I bought the wrong tub of kimchi at the little international market in Knoxville. The tub said kimchi sukbak. Apparently the word sukbak makes it different from regular kimchi. I get home and start to prepare it. It is not rotten cabbage. It is rotten radishes with a few leaves of rotten cabbage and these mysterious slimy grayish green things that reminded my of squished eyeballs and almost made me throw up when I touched it. Come to find out they are, and I quote from the ingredients...."fish parts". For the love of God...why? Rotten fish parts. Surely that is not ok to eat. But no, Kyounghee scoffed at my squeamishness and happily munched away. I had to leave because the slimy eyeballs were staring at me and mocking. Ergo..mini-culture shock. I foresee a horrible future pregnancy when we live in Korea. I am going to be throwing up over everything. Beautiful.

So that is a  little insight into the daily workings of my cross-cultural marriage. Sound fun? 99.9% of the time, it is. Yesterday just so happened to be one of those 0.01% days. And if you are brave enough to eat da rotten kimchi....make sure it is cabbage kimchi and not "fish parts"/eyeball kimchi. You have a better chance that way.