Habits I Still Have From Living 16 Yrs In Japan That Make Me Look Really Odd As A Waygookin (Foreigner) In Korea:
1. Saying “Issho” on occasion when I exert myself like picking up a heavy object. 😆
2. Making a ‘chop chop’ motion with my hand in front of my navel while weaving my way through a crowd.
3. Bowing to an imaginary person when I’m on the phone.
4. Eating rice with my chopsticks while holding the bowl up to my mouth with my left hand. (Hubby, a native Korean whom I met in Japan, still eats this way, too!)
5. Muttering to myself in Japanese (my 2nd language).
6. Pretending to be asleep while riding on public transit.
7. Tying my scarf in the back instead of the front.
8. Wearing minimal makeup (or none in my case) and foregoing perfume.
9. After taking off my shoes in the entrance, I turn them to face the door. (I do this with guest’s shoes too, though I read somewhere it might be considered bad luck in Korea 😅), or stepping backwards out of the bathroom slippers upon exiting.
10. Saying えぇ instead of 응.
I’m sure there are more…