the Usual Suspects

I've been perusing the Korea Blog List some more the last few days... there are some clever folks over there in ROK I must say, hopefully I'll get to meet some of them once I arrive. However, I wonder if I'm fated to have such an analogous experience as what's represented in their writings: norae-bangs, late night soju-binges, partying in Itaewon... Not to knock those experiences, they sound like they can be a blast, at least on occasion, but as a routine, I don't know if I can take that. Then again, I know that any experience is what one makes of it, so if I try hard enough, I can make my stay abroad more varied and less alcohol-infused than many make it sound like it must be (? I don't know how well composed that last sentence was, but, whatever). hmmmmm.

Things I look forward to in Korea:
triangular kimbab
language immersion

Things I know will really bug me in Korea:
brand importance/vanity/materialism
xenophobism (?)
racism in kids (actually that bothers me no matter where I am)