Please stop touching me.

I think it's time for me to go home. I'm tired of random people grabbing at me and babbling at me, who then get offended when I brush them off. The last week or so I gotten grabbed at least once a day by someone either trying to sell something or trying to convert me. Please, leave me alone. One I can't buy what you are selling even if I understood you and I don't want your Jesus(I'll rant about Korean Christianity some other time).

The thing is I know they are not being rude or invasive, because in Korean society personal space is a concept that really doesn't exist. I know this for fact because I've lived with it for almost a year now. Part of it stems from the way the families live. Culturally, there really isn't personal space(unless you're beating your wife, then no one is going to call the cops because that's a personal affair which is different as a co-teacher found out). When you brush into someone in American you usually say you're sorry, not so here. And you would never grab a strangers arm and hold on to it because you wanted to tell them something, but here it's no big deal. Sometimes this is especially worrisome with drunk ajashi's. Another side affect of no personal space is Korean tend to not be really aware of others because it doesn't really matter if you bump into someone else you do it really hard. I don't know how many times, I've narrowly avoided some one because they decided to stop and turn around at full speed. Or the times I've had to push out of an elevator because some one is pushing their way in. Ah, yeah. I can't wait til I'm back in a country were people actually walk and stop grabbing me. This is just a little grit in the wheel.

The flip side is of no personal space is they tend to be really close. I still have students who walk arm and arm with their mom(and yes they are male). The families live in such close quarters, that they are often more physically close and physically affectionate. And it isn't' just families, it's also with friends. Often I see friends walking around arm and arm, both male and females. One of the things I noticed is that many young children travel alone. This doesn't seem to be a big deal, the parents aren't worried and don't believe they are in danger(and luckily they aren't). They are more likely to have a old ajashi tease them than them getting into trouble. There isn't the fear of strangers instilled in the children that you see back at home. Actually, a popular shirt right now reads,"A world with out stranger." And in Korea, I think that is really the case often. They are a warm people in many ways. So warm they'd like to save my soul. ; ) Ah, just a little grit and procrastination(from resumes and cover letters).