First, I am very honored to have Valerie reading my blog. Thank you!
My thoughts about Korean people you ask...I have very mixed fillings. These feelings may stem from being in a different situation than you were with your exchange students. I am in their country!
Most people here are very polite and keep to theirselves. I have met some extremely friendly people who want to talk, but can't understand that my extent of the Hungal language is "hello", and "thank you"! Then you have the shop owners who want to sell something so bad that when you walk into their shops they are literally on your heels. Most stores are very cluttered to start with then the owner is right behind you, for a person who needs her personal space, this can really keep one out of the shops unless you have to have something.
Personal space, that's something I don't think they know about here. In the states if you are on a public bus and had to sit with someone you don't know, I think most of us would make it a point not to touch the other person. Well I have been on a bus here, not the buses on post, but a actual public bus heading to another town, and have had a Korean man sit next to me. Not only did he not ask, but his leg was touching mine the WHOLE time! I moved as close to the window as possible, this just gave him more room to get closer. Needless to say, that was the longest bus ride!
Cheyanne has actually been pushed aside when we were walking down the street. I guess the old lady thought she was walking too slow! Another man actually tried to touch her freckles!
We are taught "when in Rome". We now take our shoes off before entering our home or anyones for that matter. We even take our shoes off at church! We have been to resturants were we not only take our shoes off but we sit on the floor to eat. My friend laughs at me because my right legs falls asleep every time.
There are some people who are not happy to have Americans here. Thank goodness I have not come across those.
This is such a learning experience, in every way I thought it would be, plus so much more.
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3 comments:
Oh Tonya I am so happy that you now have a washer and dryer in your home. But just think of the leg muscels you were building! Very interesting bus ride? I don't know what i would do in a situation like that ( fart alot prob) that'll scoot 'em over -he he.
Oh and thanks for the compliment on Mindi's blog...sweet
Love you all
Wanna
I wanted to impress you with my one expression in Korean, but when I went to look up how to spell it, it wasn't there. I THOUGHT hello was something like, (pardon my spelling and anglo-sizing the word), anya hawseya. When I looked up hello in Korean, it wasn't the word I thought it was. Now mind you I don't usually greet people with this, but it does explain why they laugh on the rare occasion when I do. Who knows what anya hawseya means. Perhaps it means, "touch my leg, pleeeease."
Oh yeah, I meant to add that I love hearing culture stories. Please write more.
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