This isn't a competition

One of the things I don't really like about Korean culture is the all-or-nothing approach to hobbies. It seems like, if you want to go on a hike, you have to go all in and buy the full hiking outfit.

It's the same with biking. I've never seen any Korean person under the age of 60 riding a bicycle without full cycling regalia -- helmet, spandex shorts, and tricked out bicycle.

I was asked in a conversation with a friend recently what I like to do in my free time. When I said I like cooking, and he asked, "How many knives do you have?" It seemed like a really weird question. "I don't know ... three?" I replied.

But I realized the question was just another manifestation of the strange mentality behind hobbies here. Just like you can't go skiing without the right jacket, pants, and goggles, you can't even start cooking unless you have a gazillion different knives.