An interesting topic came up today while I was on the phone with my mother.  An avid fan of Korean television, Yeong Sook Duckworth brought up the issue of lawful conduct within new cultures.  Apparently she had seen an interesting (and alarming) episode of a reality television show in which international students who study abroad in South Korea were discussing unusual laws from a number of countries.  She had learned that in some countries, for instance, there apparently are laws that prohibit unmarried couples to hold hands, show affection, or walk close to one other.  There were instances where couples were required to show marriage licenses in order to avoid some sort of legal action.  (My mother then proceeded to advise me to carry around fake wedding pictures and invest in matching wedding bands.  I declined her offer to take pictures of me in a wedding dress to pack with my passport, but if she happens to buy me a beautiful shiny ring to wear, I guess I’ll endure through it).

Whether or not these types of laws are generally upheld and enforced in these countries is another topic.  The U.S. just enforced the “no cell phone while driving” rule (yes, I know all the technical names for all the laws) and yet I continue to see 5-10 people with their cell phones glued to their ears every day on my commute.  Granted, in this country the punishment for breaking that law is a check written out to the department of traffic violations as opposed to being beaten with a cane.  It would also be interesting to find out if some of these laws apply to anyone inside the country or just to its own citizens.  No matter what we find out, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

It is difficult for me, a person born and raised in the states my entire life, to even begin to imagine how life would be with these culture differences.  I think the only thing we can do now is read as much information as we can about each country we visit prior to crossing any borders.  If anyone has any information or links on this topic, please let us know, as we could use it while wandering through Asia, not holding hands or talking on cell phones of course.

Update: I still have not done Plyometrics P90X since my last post.  I continue to walk without a gimpy leg and hunchback.

Random Thought of the Night: A friend of mine, who also happens to be an expert on Iguanadon dinosaurs, has this awesome product that he helped create and is now selling called OrigAudio.  Check out his website!  They are foldable, portable, and eco-friendly iPod speakers that are completely self-powered!  I ordered mine this week and I can’t wait to get them…  If you decide to buy them, use the coupon code “Friends” at checkout and you can pay $10 instead of $16.  You’re welcome.

-Sharon

Filed under: Pre-Trip