Comments on: Mind your own business. http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/905 Crunky! This is a blog about an English teacher living in South Korea. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:56:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: torgodevil http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/905#comment-3441 torgodevil Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:51:09 +0000 http://blog.torgodevil.com/?p=905#comment-3441 Uh, if grandpa wants to start a conversation with a foreigner, he needs to learn NOT to touch another man's thigh. Also, I've had totally awesome conversations with elderly Koreans telling me about how they escaped the North Korean attack on Seoul, or how they fled to Busan by foot. These people spoke English, but they also didn't start their story while I was busy doing something else. There is about a 1% ratio of good stories to pointless questions though. If an old person starts talking to me I need to drop everything and listen? I don't think so. I'm happier being left alone, and I have the right to share that. Most of the time, I'll give a few cursory answers to some old guy, but I strongly dislike being put in a position where I am forced to lie just to make some old guy happy. Uh, if grandpa wants to start a conversation with a foreigner, he needs to learn NOT to touch another man’s thigh.

Also, I’ve had totally awesome conversations with elderly Koreans telling me about how they escaped the North Korean attack on Seoul, or how they fled to Busan by foot. These people spoke English, but they also didn’t start their story while I was busy doing something else. There is about a 1% ratio of good stories to pointless questions though.

If an old person starts talking to me I need to drop everything and listen? I don’t think so. I’m happier being left alone, and I have the right to share that. Most of the time, I’ll give a few cursory answers to some old guy, but I strongly dislike being put in a position where I am forced to lie just to make some old guy happy.

]]> By: newspaperman http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/905#comment-3437 newspaperman Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:57:51 +0000 http://blog.torgodevil.com/?p=905#comment-3437 I feel for you. But wouldn't it be better to just avoid any unpleasantness/possible offense for the sake of diplomacy? I mean, theoretically an old guy who wants to talk with you may be remembering the "GIs" who saved his family or something. Do we younglings really have a right to spoil the goodwill that our grandfathers (US, Canada, Oz, etc) paid for in blood? I think if the fellow had gray hair, then your actions were rude (or could be construed as such.) I feel for you. But wouldn’t it be better to just avoid any unpleasantness/possible offense for the sake of diplomacy? I mean, theoretically an old guy who wants to talk with you may be remembering the “GIs” who saved his family or something. Do we younglings really have a right to spoil the goodwill that our grandfathers (US, Canada, Oz, etc) paid for in blood?

I think if the fellow had gray hair, then your actions were rude (or could be construed as such.)

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