Before I came to Korea, I naturally studied the culture and read many personal blogs about what to expect. Thankfully, I had already been interested in East Asian culture for sometime, so I was only interested in the smaller nuances that the general overview of a country cannot provide, and knowledge that can only come from someone living in the country for longer than a year or two.
If you notice in the background of the picture, there are double barbershop poles. Now before I left, I had thought that I learned the truth of these from various sources and people who seemed to be authorities on what can be seen on almost every street, since there are single and double poles everywhere. I had been told that the single poles are signs for a barbershop.
OK. I'm familiar with that.
I apparently was lied to by these same sources about the double poles, however, when I was told that they represent sexual massage parlors and are only really seen above family businesses and bookstores and what-not.
This is as true as the first statement about them, because I have only noticed them above small restaurants where businessmen get drunk or regular barber shops.
The red sign is NOT advertising a children's play place.I have met many people here, and one of my most reliable sources on everything Korean is Phil, who is an Korean-American (from California) who has lived here now for close to five years. in foreigner terms, that is long as hell. He also is the best interpreter I have met in translating, and he explained the true meaning of the double barbershop poles, as he was puzzled about it himself long ago but has since learned the truth through experience.
Double barbershop poles are only advertising barbershops.
We're harmless.For older men.
Combined with a sexual massage parlor for these same old men. So its a business specifically for older men who need a haircut, and an old prostitute (because they are old, too).
How that was lost in translation I'll never know...
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