Static
I am surrounded by people in this city. Everywhere I go I can hear people talking. From the conversations old women are having at the bakery to the heated argument outside my window at 2:30 am last night, it is hard to escape the chatter of the many Korean people that inhabit this small area. The good thing for me is I don't speak Korean, so I never really "listen" to conversations, I just hear them. It's like somebody left the TV on in this country, but it's not quite tuned into the channel. I can see the body language and hear noise, but I'm never quite sure the exact meaning of a conversation.
I didn't realize what an advantage this was until I was riding on the subway lost in my own thoughts the other day when two American girls about my age got on the subway. It is rare that I see fellow country-persons, so I said hello and they said hi back. We exchanged pleasentries, and then I put my iPod headphones back on and went back to my thoughts. The two girls were talking loud enough that I could hear them over the music on my headphones, just like I can usually hear Koreans' conversations over the music, but this time my brain started listening to the conversation. They were discussing a foot lotion they have found in Seoul. You can't find it in the States and it's great. "Does it smell good?" "Oh my God, yes." How much was it?" It was like 20,000 won but it's totally worth it." "I would pay twice that to make the skin on my feet less dry." You get the picture. I realized I have probably heard this conversation in many different forms on the subway, but this was the first time I actually had to listen to it. I wanted to change the channel, but they were the only English speakers in the train and my brain has been yearning for spontaneous English chatter so much that I couldn't tune them out.
Obviously, there are times when I wish I could understand what people are trying to say, but I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy. I don't mind being left alone with my thoughts most of the time I'm in public. I think it gives me a better opportunity to take in my surroundings for what they are and not have to listen to the little bullshit conversations that surround me.
I gotta go. There's this store on the other side of Seoul that sells this great foot lotion. I'm going to pick some up.
Love from Seoul
I didn't realize what an advantage this was until I was riding on the subway lost in my own thoughts the other day when two American girls about my age got on the subway. It is rare that I see fellow country-persons, so I said hello and they said hi back. We exchanged pleasentries, and then I put my iPod headphones back on and went back to my thoughts. The two girls were talking loud enough that I could hear them over the music on my headphones, just like I can usually hear Koreans' conversations over the music, but this time my brain started listening to the conversation. They were discussing a foot lotion they have found in Seoul. You can't find it in the States and it's great. "Does it smell good?" "Oh my God, yes." How much was it?" It was like 20,000 won but it's totally worth it." "I would pay twice that to make the skin on my feet less dry." You get the picture. I realized I have probably heard this conversation in many different forms on the subway, but this was the first time I actually had to listen to it. I wanted to change the channel, but they were the only English speakers in the train and my brain has been yearning for spontaneous English chatter so much that I couldn't tune them out.
Obviously, there are times when I wish I could understand what people are trying to say, but I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy. I don't mind being left alone with my thoughts most of the time I'm in public. I think it gives me a better opportunity to take in my surroundings for what they are and not have to listen to the little bullshit conversations that surround me.
I gotta go. There's this store on the other side of Seoul that sells this great foot lotion. I'm going to pick some up.
Love from Seoul
posted by Kyle at 1:03 AM
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