Gooood morning :) Today as I was crossing a major street, the little green man was up but for some reason I saw people sprinting across the road, not walking. So I did what all people who have no idea what they are doing should have done- RUN FOR MY LIFE. Once I'd reached the other side almost immediately cars began flying past me. Turns out this little man didn't have numbers to count down on it and apparently all Koreans are born with a built-in counter and know when to saunter slowly and when to haul ass. So moral of the story- when in a foreign country, monkey see? MONKEY DO. And do fasssssst... @.@
On the sidewalks, there are deliverymen who regularly zoom around. They are fast and they are aggressive so you just have to learn to notice them and avoid them. I've also heard about how the Korean standard of personal space is different from the American one...this is very very true. They get riiiiiiiiight up in your business in shops and stuff, while I'm mentally squirming away in discomfort. It's not that they're being weird or anything, it's just different than what I'm accustomed to.
For example, when I'm waiting in line the people behind me will be so close to me they are putting pressure against my backpack...and not moving. I keep turning around because I think they are tapping me to get my attention or something lol; in America you don't stand anywhere near close enough to be pushing against your back constantly. On the sidewalks too, people will pass you by brushing up against you even though there's plenty of room on the sidewalk. It's not that they are being rude, they just don't think a deviation in their path of walking is necessary. When I'm waiting at a crosswalk I've turned to my left or right and been startled to find a man or woman literally in my face (I'm talking like the kind of close to your face you reserve solely for your boyfriend/girlfriend/grandma here; I could count the nose hairs in this guys nose once he was so close -.-). They are usually just peering around me at something or gazing off at something, but I was disconcerted to find that even when I noticed they were there, started a little, and looked at them, THEY DIDN'T MOVE. They just chilled there, far too close to my face for comfort, apparently completely at ease. What.
For example, when I'm waiting in line the people behind me will be so close to me they are putting pressure against my backpack...and not moving. I keep turning around because I think they are tapping me to get my attention or something lol; in America you don't stand anywhere near close enough to be pushing against your back constantly. On the sidewalks too, people will pass you by brushing up against you even though there's plenty of room on the sidewalk. It's not that they are being rude, they just don't think a deviation in their path of walking is necessary. When I'm waiting at a crosswalk I've turned to my left or right and been startled to find a man or woman literally in my face (I'm talking like the kind of close to your face you reserve solely for your boyfriend/girlfriend/grandma here; I could count the nose hairs in this guys nose once he was so close -.-). They are usually just peering around me at something or gazing off at something, but I was disconcerted to find that even when I noticed they were there, started a little, and looked at them, THEY DIDN'T MOVE. They just chilled there, far too close to my face for comfort, apparently completely at ease. What.
When I walk down the stairs of the subway I've often had to shoot quickly to the right or left to avoid incoming adjummas or adjusshis who are zooming haphazardly across the stairs like diagonally on a collision course for me. Instead of walking straight down to give others room (think of like a ski slope; you hate those slow people who zoom alllll the way horizontally across the slope, then allll the way back, effectively preventing anyone from passing them) they just walk down whichever way they want, even if they end up practically on top of someone's back or at their elbow. I've been startled a few times to notice someone was like on top of me and I've instinctively moved away so they had more room to go down. I don't know if this is making any sense, it's kind of hard to explain this concept without seeing it for yourself. It's just strange to me...keeps me on my toes haha.
Also, they don't say sorry when they bump you or push against you by accident. I was expecting this since a lot of my Korean friends told me this. It's not that they are being rude or anything, it is just such a common and unavoidable thing in such a busy, crowded city that the people take it as normal to be jostled or run into. My friends told me I'd be looked at weird and thought of strangely if I said sorry when I ran into people, but I can't help it lol, even in American society I'm super polite by nature. I say "chue-song-hab-ni-da" before I even realize I've said it -.- Whatever. Better to be that weird overly polite foreigner than that super rude foreigner, right?
Also, they don't say sorry when they bump you or push against you by accident. I was expecting this since a lot of my Korean friends told me this. It's not that they are being rude or anything, it is just such a common and unavoidable thing in such a busy, crowded city that the people take it as normal to be jostled or run into. My friends told me I'd be looked at weird and thought of strangely if I said sorry when I ran into people, but I can't help it lol, even in American society I'm super polite by nature. I say "chue-song-hab-ni-da" before I even realize I've said it -.- Whatever. Better to be that weird overly polite foreigner than that super rude foreigner, right?
Subway = chi-ha-chul 지하철
Store = soh-jahng 저장
Store = soh-jahng 저장