1. Children that bow to me. I'm all for respecting your elders, but something about these little guys bowing their heads to me, makes me very uncomfortable. It always catches me off-guard, whether it happens on a street corner or in a school hallway... I get the cultural cringe. I do admit I've started bowing to my elders here, out of respect for them and this cultural custom, but I guess I just don't feel worthy of such a display of public submission myself. I'd rather a high-five or a "Hi, teacher!" or even just a shy smile, but some of these children have been taught to be very respectful of their teachers. Others, of course, are little rugrats, of similar breed to those found in every other country I've visited! Don't worry, there's always an element of craziness in my classroom.
2. The parasol-carrying women.
Au contraire to the deep, nut-brown tan craze of white North Americans, Korean women do their utmost to protect their skin. It's probably a healthier way to go, but carrying these frilly sun shields reminds me of an 18th-century English novel... I've even seen skin-whitening sunscreen and face bleaching creams here! I am personally quite fond of the intoxicating feeling of sunbeams kissing my face, and will probably pay for it, in later life. I get scolded by women here for standing in the sun instead of the shade at bus stops! It's really quite amusing. But hey, I've always thought wrinkles were beautiful, they are like storylines, displayed on faces.
3. No seatbelts. I always do a double-take to see babies bouncing on their father's knee while he drives the car, three monkeys (children) tumbling around in the back seat, or two crammed together on the front passenger seat, no belts. It just amazes me, especially with the number of traffic accidents around here. How many times do we have to make mistakes before we learn from them? Seatbelts, people... seatbelts!!!
2 comments:
I've always wanted to carry a parasol.
you would... mary poppins!!! ;0)
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