It's that time of year in Korea again. It's yellow dust season which happens for a few weeks off and on around the beginning of spring. Yellow dust is what they call the sand that is blown over from the China desert.
On Saturday, it was so bad that people were advised to stay indoors. I was blinded by not only the sun, but by the thick haze of dust in the air. Koreans are great at handling the yellow dust, as you will see them walking around with surgical masks over their faces. The Koreans make a big thing about this too. It's not unlikely that Koreans will tell you that yellow dust can cause cancer and possibly SARS. Haha!
I'm not sure about cancer, but SARS sounds a little extreme. I've also heard things like, if you eat kimchi, it will prevent you from getting sick. Well, kimchi does claim to have a long list of curative effects on the body, cancer included, but nothing can stop that dust from getting into your lungs.
I can attest that this yellow dust can cause a sore throat, itchy eyes, and a headache. Me and other friends feel the same way. I hope this dust passes soon as I wouldn't want to get too sick. I have to say though, that it is a great icebreaker if you come to Korea around this time. Just like back in Canada, where you'll never go wrong talking about the weather - the same goes for yellow dust talk here in Korea in spring.
Deep Thought: Would I feel more like a Korean, if I wore a surgical face mask? ;)
