AUTHOR: Shaun DATE: 10/25/2006 09:49:00 PM ----- BODY: It was an interesting discussion... and reminded me of the culture shock I faced when I came here...

My boss (a Korean with limited world travel under his belt) went off to Osan to visit the high school. It seems that he is quite interested at including more English immersion and travelled down to check out Osan's school. I asked him quickly how it went before the bell rang and he just dropped the hint that he was shocked at what happened to him on base... and then the bell rang and I had to scurry to class.. in complete suspense as to what those crazy Americans must have done to him there.

When the bell rang I rushed back to the office to get the details. The story went like this...

"So, I was walking on a sidewalk. And I came to a... not cross-road... crosswalk. I was standing on the sidewalk waiting for a good time to cross. Then, the cars all stopped. There were no lights! There were no flashing lights even! Just paint.. and I was not even on the road. But, the cars. They stopped? So, I crossed the road. Why did they stop? Did I make them?"

I had to hide my chuckle and explain to him that in North America the practice is to give pedestrians the right of way. That even if they weren't on the crosswalk that if it appeared they had an intention to cross that drivers were required to stop. I also explained that even if he illegally j-walked it would still be my responsibility to stop and let him pass.

Well.. if he was completely awe-struck at the courteous nature of it all. I guess it often is the little things that we take for granted that can be the most shocking. At least there's no danger when the cars stop.

I still remember my first attempt at crossing at an uncontrolled (yet painted) crosswalk here. Cars were flying by me.. horns were honking at me for stepping on the damn thing.. and I was essentially playing frogger wondering what the hell I had to do just to get the cars to slow down a bit. --------