Following my conversation with Osama, I met with my other conversation partner, Sung, in the lounge area of CIES. He is 22 years old and from Seoul, South Korea.
Almost immediately, I was impressed by Sung's impeccable style. His clothing was obviously chosen with great care and attention to detail. I remember feeling underdressed in my khaki shorts and polo. The overall effect evoked memories of my time in Asia, recollections that I warmly greeted.
I noticed that Sung spoke quite fluently, but his nervousness stuttered his speech. I offered to make some tea (to calm his nerves), but he insisted on brewing it. After receiving the cup, I offered an grateful "kamsahamnida", which lit his face up. He quickly became animated and spouted out rapid Korean. I awkwardly explained that my knowledge of the language is quite paltry, as I only know "thank you" and "hello". I think he appreciated the gesture though.
One fascinating portion of our conversation happened when I inquired about any dislikes he might have of America. There were two: the price of vegetables and traffic laws. The latter stemmed from an incident the week before. You see, the rules are followed differently in Korea. In his country, a driver is not allowed to turn left on a green light, even if the coast is clear. It is only permitted when a green arrow is flashed. This difference made Sung sit through an entire light change, while the enraged cars behind him conveyed their disapproval using hand gestures. There was no cultural misunderstand there though.
We agreed to meet again at a local Korean restaurant. It's been so long since I've tried Galbi beef.
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