Miscellaneous Praise, Criticism, and Judgement

In this post, I'm going to do a little bit of complaining. Maybe do a little bit of unfair generalizing about Korea and people who live there. Maybe even make some judgmental, biased comments. But that's not all I'm going to do. Oh no. I'm also going to make some very POSITIVE generalizations. I might dispense praise effusively. I might even dispense it RECKLESSLY.

Maybe it's because it's a crowded country. Maybe it's because, as a people, they've developed a passive-aggressive response to unfavorable situations (such as long lines). I'm willing to give them all these excuses, and more. But the fact remains that Koreans will habitually and unabashedly cut you in line. Young and old, big and small, male and female. They'll just kind of sneak in there, avoid eye contact (just like the Dane Cook sketch) and then before you know it, BINGO. You've been CUT. And what can you say? NOTHING. They would probably pretend not to understand you anyway.

If I was in America, I would have options. I could make a scene and almost assuredly get my way (not to mention make an ass out of myself!). I could choose a similarly passive-aggressive response, and do that thing where you shuffle forward a little bit at a time until the CUT has been RETURNED. I could make those little frustrated exhalations and exchange indignant looks with my fellow queue-rs. I could assume a Buddhist magnanimity and choose to not care about who gets to check out first.

It's a good thing that I generally go with that last option in the USA because right now, it's the only option I feel comfortable with here.

Moving on, I'd like you step into the Twilight Zone with me for a moment. Imagine a world where Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks--all those places where we love to stop and get coffee first thing in the morning--DIDN'T OPEN UNTIL TEN AM. Wouldn't this be simply, unimaginably, INCONCEIVABLE!?

Well start conceiving, my stateside compadres, because "Angel-In-Us Coffee," probably the largest coffee shop chain in the country, doesn't open its doors until 10am, long after the average worker needs his or her commute-coffee (at least, this goes for the one near my apartment). Welcome to the middle ground between light and shadow, science and superstition. Welcome... to the Twilight Zone!

Alright, time for the effusive praise. In America, what is the GENERAL sentiment about people who live there, but don't speak English? Pretty negative. (Most people never mind the fact that almost everyone in the US who doesn't speak English DESPERATELY would like to but lacks the resources for doing so, but that's another story.) On the other hand, many Koreans are extremely impressed that I even know ten words of Korean, and will never ever be difficult or impolite (at least not my face) if I DON'T know how to say something. A flawlessly well-mannered people, even if they are spitting poison about us "waegu" behind our backs--and even blaming some of their national problems on us!