Actions speak louder than words

The so called language barrier isn’t always a barrier. I have met several restaurant owners and shop owners that speak not a bit of English, yet I have a great relationship with them, as good as you can have with someone who it is impossible to speak with! We have an unspoken relationship, literally and yet it seems to be fine as we share looks or gestures and these seemingly small things mean more to me and I think to them than anything I could say or they could say to me. We don’t have any uncomfortable silences or neither one of us says anything we wish we hadn’t; there are no big debates or arguments over politics or religion or anything else.

A common language can in fact be as much of a hindrance in some circumstances as not having one can be in others.

I have met several people in Korea that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy, they’d probably get on!

I have met an obnoxious Australian, several Americans, who get on my nerves in a multitude of ways and a guy from London who though the sun shone out of his own backside! The single thing we all have in common is our language, but even that is a tenuous link as some of the debate with the Americans is over how they speak and even worse, their criticism over how I speak. It seems that when you share a language you really get to know people, even if you don’t speak to them directly you can overhear a stupid comment or get one directed at you and all the while they have a smile on their face.

Language or lack of it seems to be a great leveller. There is no pretence, no underhanded comments that are said to be heard. There is just honest facial expressions and body language. Things that you wish you hadn’t said aren’t a problem when what you say isn’t understood anyway but I have never really felt like I want to say anything in anger so badly to a Korean, we have an unspoken rule and that is we cant understand each other so lets make the best of it.
I am trying to learn Korean and a few phrases do go a long way to making life a little easier but I think my relationship with Korea would change if I understood everything, much as my relationship with some other foreign teachers is failing.

It’s sometimes nice to be the foreigner and Korea would surely lose some of its quirk and charm if I were to understand everything. Where is the adventure in buying a bus ticket or finding the obscure attractions without a bit of a challenge, where are the stories to tell the grandkids?