Oh, Korea.

There are many things in this country that make me turn my head and ask myself why, but I usually forget about them an instant later.  This morning my commute to work in a snow storm left me with some unforgettable moments.  The first is that everyone here uses umbrellas in the snow!  This means that umbrellas are used here year round, what a great industry to be a part of in Korea.  Koreans use umbrellas in the summer to block sun, in the fall/spring to block rain, and in the winter to block snow.  To me, in the wind and snow an umbrella just does not make sense.  But, then again, I was told that "raincoats are for children".  Second thing that got my curiosity this morning was that to prevent the subway stairs and hallways from getting wet from all the snow, they put down carpet!  I am talking like the old, flea market, maybe in grandma's apartment carpet.  It was so funny to me.  I always imagined cardboard boxes were the way to go in subways, but Seoul goes a little more classy than that.  Umbrellas and carpets in the snow.  Oh, Korea.