Busan: 65 degrees Farenheit, 18 degrees Celsius, clear. Heather's view outside: easily 70 degrees, and oh, so clear. Spring is here.
But this is not why I thought I would write about the beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Not too long ago, Renee, one of my neighbors, walked with me to school. We walked along my usual route, down "Market Street," turned south towards Allak Junction, and then turned west at Allak to school. We waved at one of the grocers where I stop to buy groceries often, looked in at the man in the pharmacy (he is the father and the husband of the lady and the student with whom I meet for my language exchange), waved at the lady who cooks gimbob in the morning, said to hello to one of her customers who usually waves to me, waved at another friendly grocer near Allak who recognizes me, greeted another man at the corner of Allak junction who politely greets me every morning, and shook hands with a jogger who passes me a couple of mornings a week.
Renee thought this was funny.
She said I might as well be Mr. Rogers with my little neighborhood. I change my shoes when I get to work. I even draw funny pictures for the kids. I don't have a train, though.
I don't know why I was thinking about what Renee said this morning, but I was thinking about how lonely it is: I greet these people--I can say hello and good morning, now, but that is about all--and I have my strange little routine, disconnected and strange as it probably is.
I enjoy it. Mostly, I would rather blend in, so people do not notice me so much. It's interesting, though, to have lots of people happy to see me on a regular basis. It would be nice to talk to people, though, beyond the five words that I know in Korean.
I wonder if Mr. Rogers felt this way, too. Not about the Korean part, I mean.
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5 comments:
That is awesome heath but I think it's Mr Rogers. "..a beautiful day for a neighbor, won't you be mine."
Thanks. You're right. Mr. Rogers.
It sounds like you are touching a lot of people on a daily basis. That's really cool! Love, Dad
The weather there is about the same as the weather here now. Busan...Hawaii...75 degrees and sunny! I can't remember my stupid login again...this is mandy.
Well Red, some things remain the same. You still say hello to everyone within earshot. The difference is that instead of your neighbors walking by us when we sat on your balcony, you walk by them. I wonder if it's because the water rotates the opposite way in Korea that you walk by your neighbors....
Woah, that was deep! i gotta cut that out! Uh, come back soon and we'll grab some chicken wings!
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