Yesterday I saw something that broke my heart. I was in a rush heading home to drop my stuff off before heading to Costco for some groceries. And on my way home, I saw 2 old ladies at the road junction. 1 was a paper trash collector lugging a huge cart of cardboard pieces and the other was 1 seated comfortably by her window on her second floor. And then the ajumma on the 2nd floor just threw down a box of paper trash onto the road for the the trash collecting ajuma. The wind was strong, so some of the contents were blown away and that poor ajumma had to go through the trouble of picking up the pieces. I just felt so sorry for her, when it's such a shitty low-paying job and you also have to go through having ill-mannered people THROWING THEIR TRASH AT YOU FROM THE 2ND FLOOR AT THE SAME TIME. Is that even acceptable? She was already struggling to walk. I was just wondering how the ajumma sitting on the 2nd floor could have just dumped something at someone, instead of walking down to give it to her nicely. Isn't this a universally-accepted right thing to do? That gesture of hers seemed rather condescending towards the trash collecting ajumma, so I was pretty horrified at that scene. I don't think she did it out of meanness, but simply out of laziness and ignorance. Perhaps she was just an exception in Korean society. Perhaps I'm too used to Japanese manners and etiquette, I really do expect a lot more from people, but I seem to be disappointed all the time.
An example of a trash collecting ajumma
Similarly in South Korea, in contrast with the Japanese who would always say "Sumimasen" (excuse me) whenever they want to pass or something. It's a rarity to hear the korean equivalent here. Most people just push through. People don't have that much of personal space in South Korea, and personal space is non-existent in China.
On a funnier note, S read to me the news about 3 ajummas getting arrested for stealing chestnuts in a farm. I found that really hilarious because I can totally imagine this situation. In fact once in a while, I can see the local ajummas trying to steal some grapes overhanging from the neighbour's fence. They poke at it with their umbrellas hoping to break the branches. I wonder if they succeeded. But anyway the ajumma culture is something truly fascinating in South Korea. I believe that because they think that they are now middled-aged, experienced ajummas, they can do whatever they want and get away with it. In some ways, that's very similar to the aunties in Singapore as well.
Hilarious take on the Ajumma stereotype
The Singaporean version of the auntie stereotype - hogging seats on the subway
And you have the 40+ year old Japanese obasan who looks 20! (which is fairly common!!!)
Just a kind disclaimer here because my post is definitely not meant to cause offence because the people I've met have been so nice and considerate. From my very limited experience so far, it just seems like when you're stranger to someone, people's general treatment of you is usually of a lower standard than in the Japan. Yet on the other hand, in Japan, people might even treat strangers nicer than their family members, so it's on either extremes! So please bear with some of my personal musings from time to time.
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