One thing which seems to be a bit shocking to most
of the expatriates here at least the ones from western cultures
anyway, is public urination. Now this may happen in our home
countries, but in the USA, which is mine, it is usually done in the
forest or some area away from toilets, then I have seen it done by
those consuming large amounts of alcohol, such as in New York City’s
Central Park during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
There has probably been at least one time
for all of us when we think that we have seen it all, then we step
around the corner and there it gets topped. Now I think that
this may be most likely for a westerner residing in this
culture. Like not long ago there was a boy all dressed in an
attractive, bright–red hanbook, he must have just left the
graduation exercises at the kindergarten which I could see nearby
with so many similarly dressed children around. It was not his
colorful costume or all the people which caught my eye that made me
stop and take notice, but that there in front of some shops, facing
the street he pulls out his little penis to relieve himself.
Well this is something which certainly we
have all experienced in this country, but it was the third time
which since moving here to Sajik-dong, where on each occasion
there seemed to be something particular about the incident which
seemed to be a little striking. Like I have seen little boys
do that before here but not when they are dressed in their finest
nor just outside an educational facility in which he should have
known where the little boy’s room is located.
The first such striking time in my
neighborhood was one morning as I was heading towards work walking
in front of our apartment blocks, there was a man I would say about
the age of sixty doing the same thing. What was striking about
this situation is that it was broad-daylight, about 10:30 am, and he
like the boy I mentioned was facing out towards the street, making
no attempt to be private about what he was doing, and he did not
appear to be intoxicated. It seems even stranger when it is my
belief that he was just outside his own home. Well it did look
as if perhaps he was watering his garden so maybe this was the
reason for the action. (Actually sometime I wonder if this is
all just another expression of the male dominance, “I’ll do as I
please”, in this nation.)
The next time was when I was walking home
one night and taking a shortcut between two buildings there was a
man doing his thing as well. Now this incidence was in the
dark and not on a busy street; what was striking about this case is
a woman was with him. What’s more I think they were arm in
arm, and a definitely remember that she was talking to him. I
suppose this is just like something I recently read on the Internet
in a list of children’s definitions of love, “It is when Mommy sees
Daddy on the toilet and doesn’t think it is
gross.”
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