Friday, October 15, 2010

The Pretzel Drop

I'm thinking that Koreans must have a skewed sense of what being a foreigner is like. Namely that we all know each other. And, honestly, they aren't that far off, at least in a town as small as Suji. I am extraordinarily anti-social at times and still I know about every other foreigner I see.

We have already discussed the Secret Suji Foreigner Smile that is exchanged when two Sujians passing on the street, so that just reinforces the notion to all viewers.

The other day an ajashi (old man) stopped me on the street and asked me if I knew his English teacher, Ivan. I didn't really but I had met a guy around my neighborhood that kind of fit the description and there really isn't that many foreigners so I told the ajashi I probably had met him. He then proceeded to try and set us up on a date because we were both foreigners and obviously it was meant to be.

But yesterday, the Secret Suji Foriegner Smile went to a whole new level when I was walking back home from buying k-pop socks. I saw my friend, Jeremy, on the other side of the crosswalk as we were both waiting for the light to turn. He had a lot of things in his hands so he couldn't wave back to me. But when we met in the middle of the street and I saw that he was in fact carrying three large bags of pretzels, the likes of which I haven't seen since leaving America, I had to wonder what he was up to.

All he said was 'Do you want some pretzels?" and when I nodded he handed me the bag and he went on his way being Foreigner Santa and I went on my way with my k-pop socks and lifetime supply of pretzels. I can't imagine what the Koreans watching must have thought. It must have looked like a pre-arranged meeting that we cooked up on our Super Seceret Foreigner Phones.

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