First Things First

In Europe, I believe, the kitchen used to be the prime focal spot of every house. It was the one room that every family member had to pass through regularly, where therefore most of the interaction took place. I guess that in many cases it's not like that anymore. Families have grown smaller, their structure is called nuclear, with members living under the same roof, but barely seeing each other.

In Korea it's a bit different. Nowadays the kitchen is usually not separated from the living room. Back in the days it was yet another story, when gender roles and domestic hierarchy determined each member's place to dwell. Today though, most homes have a kitchenette, sometimes spacially marked, that more or less belongs to the living room. So that the kitchen is no longer a single room as such.  

Anyway, I'm trying to emphesize the importance of the kitchen. The first two things I got for my new place were a cooling fan for the main room and a gas range for the kitchen area, which in my case is a windowed and L-shaped odd extension of the entrance. While it does function as a junction, I strongly doubt that I can make a legit kitchen out of it. But still, I'm glad I can now eat properly at home.