I realized recently that I really miss meaningful, intellectual conversation. You know when you blurt out something profound, you talk about it in a group or between yourself and another person, and you really disect it? A "dumboff", as Tammy Lucas says...but more than that, just ordinary conversation is really lacking here in Korea. I think I can confidently attribute it to two factors: the obvious language barrier and the less obvious lack of thinking in that "western way". You see, from what I've encountered here, there are few Koreans who engage in conversation about things that are very "deep", according to my standards. Perhaps talking about the discrepancy between generations, respecting your elders, and the production of report cards is meaningful and deep here: that isn't for me to judge. But what I miss are conversations about religion, politics, rules of society: that nitty gritty that you have to be very comfortable with yourself to be able to discuss. I miss it. Sure, on the weekends, when some of my select foreigner friends gather, we often will talk this talk. But regularily, and on a daily basis, I'm devoid of this conversation. I'm starting to really miss its presence.
I guess I need to investigate this as well: are issues westerners think are taboo but still discussable just off the table for Koreans? Is broaching these subjects just beyond the scope of reasonable, respectful conversation, or do they just not talk about this stuff as a nation? I'll do some probing. And in the interim, it's back to talking about food we ate for lunch, how to cook western food using Korean ingredients, and how "bright" I looked with a full face of make up. Sigh.
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