I wanted to share a moment of cultural differences with you. We have a Korean friend here named Anton. He understands Russian much better than me and has a larger vocabulary, but it's sometimes hard to understand him because of his accent. He's a very nice, smart, and interesting guy, but our conversations are usually really awkward. And today I figured out why.
Today Anton and I were sitting in my room talking. This always includes a lot of long pauses, during which I usually look at Anton and wait for him to say something. Today, the silence was broken by him asking (in Russian), "It is a burden when we are talking and you are always looking at me."
I didn't understand, nor did I know the Russian word burden. Eventually I kind of got it. "You don't like it when I look at you?"
"No," he said, "Why do you always look at me with your eyes so big?"
"Because," I replied, "I don't want you to think that I'm not listening to you."
"AAAAAH! It's cultural!" Anton exclaimed.
"In Korea, when people are talking, they don't look at each other?" I asked, interested.
"No," said Anton, "I can talk to you and listen to you but I am looking over here."
It's things like this that I never think of as significant cultural differences, but now that I know that when Anton is silent I don't have to wait attentively for him to speak our conversations go a lot smoother. I told him I was going to write about our "cultural moment" for my blog, and he told me to include that my eyes are "like an eagle" watching for prey. I think I made him really uncomfortable. But now we're friends, and he's going to approve this post before I publish it. Riiiiiiiight.... now.
Aaaaaand we got the OK from Anton. He says hi.
Today Anton and I were sitting in my room talking. This always includes a lot of long pauses, during which I usually look at Anton and wait for him to say something. Today, the silence was broken by him asking (in Russian), "It is a burden when we are talking and you are always looking at me."
I didn't understand, nor did I know the Russian word burden. Eventually I kind of got it. "You don't like it when I look at you?"
"No," he said, "Why do you always look at me with your eyes so big?"
"Because," I replied, "I don't want you to think that I'm not listening to you."
"AAAAAH! It's cultural!" Anton exclaimed.
"In Korea, when people are talking, they don't look at each other?" I asked, interested.
"No," said Anton, "I can talk to you and listen to you but I am looking over here."
It's things like this that I never think of as significant cultural differences, but now that I know that when Anton is silent I don't have to wait attentively for him to speak our conversations go a lot smoother. I told him I was going to write about our "cultural moment" for my blog, and he told me to include that my eyes are "like an eagle" watching for prey. I think I made him really uncomfortable. But now we're friends, and he's going to approve this post before I publish it. Riiiiiiiight.... now.
Aaaaaand we got the OK from Anton. He says hi.
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