What I see

Sitting comfortably while riding the second of the Seoul subway system, I stared out into space. Early Sunday morning, I wondered where everyone was heading. But in this city filled with technophiles, everyone else was looking down, gazing at the glowing screens of their portable devices, which I dare not call cellphones any longer. Because these devices function as TVs, MP3s, gaming devices and other applications I probably cannot think of. The girl to the far right, is clearly distressed by what is on her screen. While the woman sitting directly ahead is giggling softly at the program she is watching. The man next to her, with a slant of his eye, is watching the same program on her 'cellphone' unamused. He stares for a good 15 minutes without her noticing. Those whom are not enthralled by three to four inch screens are in slumbering away. This all makes me wonder, what my face shows at various times? Is there someone in this subway car, observing as I am, and making innocent judgments on their fellow commuters.


Although I have not spent much time at all in front of the TV here, the few times I have caught a glance of it, and with some explanation, I am puzzled by the amount of shows that make fun of people or point out features and generally just make judgments on the contestants ( the best word I can find) on these shows. In one show, a series of women are put against each other, while they compare how healthy they are, if they can break a gourd over their head, or how sexy they are in the photo they send in. In another show, a group of 'boys' stand to be ridiculed, while the announcers discuss which one of the 'boys' is a real girl. Finally, another show brings up middle-aged women, who clearly spend way too much time or money on their appearances because they look younger than their kids who are in their twenties. Honestly, I am sure these shows are amusing, but to what purpose?

Walking down the streets of Seoul, mostly everyone looks normal. Having been fore-warned that people like to dress nicely here, I have not been too shocked when I see people on the street. Never have I seen sweatpants, or a general slothful look that is so common on a college campus. But, never have I seen men, who clearly spent way too much time in front of the mirror in the morning. Often they are better and more intricately dressed than the women they are walking with. Basically, here I will always look like I just rolled out of bed.