About a month ago, I was travelling on the subway and there was a man sleeping on a whole subway bench except for enough spaace for me to sit by his feet. NOw by western standards this would be considered rude, especially during busy periods where there are not enough seats. I am not expert enough about Korean standards. But as the subway filled up, and looking at their faces, I could see at least annoyance at this man.
So…I decided to induce some humor into the situation. What did I do?
First, I made eye contact with several koreans standing and sitting down. This is important if you want to make them laugh, you want to make sure you have their attention.
Then, I help up my arm with my elbow to the man, and pretended to poke the sleeping man. This got some smirks. So i did it some more.
Next, I took my hands and pretended to push. This got some laughs. Some Koreans even encouraged me to really do it by nodding their heads enthusiastically.
Finally, because I am sure some Koreans think westerners are rude, I decided to give a reason why. As i was leaving the subway, I leaned into the guy’s ear and yelled WAKE UP!. I got some laughs. And left the subway.
I don’t know about the Koreans, but I was thoroughly entertained and i certainly wasn’t crusty after the crowded ride.
