What do taxi drivers know that most people don't?
"Do you want to know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can’t savor all the… little emotions. In… you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?"- Joker, The Dark Knight, trying to provoke the cop guarding his cell. In a weird way, taxi drivers know things about the passengers that no one else does. Sometimes, not even the person themselves. I'll elaborate. A couple of months back I was returning home after meeting with a friend at around 11 pm. I hailed a cab near a traffic junction. When I asked him to drop me at my place some 15 kms away, he was a little reluctant in the beginning, but finally agreed to. I hopped in and couldn't resist asking why he was hesitant at the start? He said that he doesn't prefer to work from 11-4 at night as he mostly picks up drunk, young people at that time. He continued about how one group, who likely had had a little too much to drink, puked all over his backseat. A few fell asleep and he had to physically carry them to their apartments. Most of them also create a ruckus, which usually ends up in him being stopped by the cops. Not worth the trouble, he said. We continued to talk and things got a little grim. He recollected a young guy, all cheerful (and tipsy), who confessed that he was planning to kill himself that day but got a call from a friend and ended up drinking with him. He was talking to himself, muttering something about not being sure if he should cancel his plans altogether or just postpone them. He ended up escorting the broken fellow to his flat, where he told the flatmates all that was said and heard, hoping they would be able to help him. He had heard many confessions on the road - how they were being suffocated by their significant other but didn't have any choice, how their jobs sucked, their nagging inferiority complex, lamentation of a love lost, failed career ambitions, family troubles etc. He had seen fear, regret, doubt, self-loathing, anger, repressed grief, envy, despair. And all of these from people who are outwardly smart, merry, confident, and strong. Young girls and guys, working 10-14 hours a day at prestigious companies, dining out at fancy restaurants, and successful by all measures. That is both heartbreaking and terrifying at the same time.
Creeped out by taxi driver?
So last night I went out, got a little drunk but not much, and i'm always a bit chatty when i'm drunk. I got a taxi home, and I was chatting to the taxi driver about his job n stuff, he seemed all right. But even though I didn't say anything about having a boyfriend, he kept saying things like "Your boyfriend is really lucky" and "Why didn't you get your boyfriend to pick you up tonight?" I kept just laughing n changing the subject, but then he went on to say "What does your boyfriend do?" And in the end I just said "Me and my boyfriend split up in November" (Idiot move, but I was drunk and nearly home at this point, I just couldn't think straight. Anyway when we got to my house, he asked for my number. I was like "I duno about that..." But he was really persistent and I was a bit scared. I knew he might try calling me there n then to give me his, so I couldn't give him a full fake one, but I changed a digit so if he did try calling I could say "Oops I meant 8 not 0" He did try calling though, so I did end up giving him the right one. Anyway, today he pulled up outside my house in the same taxi. I was watching him through the blinds, he got his phone out and called me. I didn't answer, then after about 5 mins he drove off. I'm a bit scared, is he going to keep doing this? He seems dodgy and creepy and he knows where I live and I don't want trouble... he is about 40 and Asian, I am 22 and Brittish
Why do Filipino relatives always try to make you feel guilty?
(I asked a similar question earlier) Anyways, I have relatives that play the guilt game whenever they ask for money. Then get mad when you don't give them any. Also, my cousin and I wanted to go out last night. Then a relative came out and gave us this guilt lecture about how people are poor and we shouldn't go out. And that we should not spend money and enjoy ourselves by going out. I don't get that!!!! Its my vacation and my money and free time and I should be able to do whatever I want with it. I don't understand why so many people are like this out here. I mean I have Mexican and Indian friends who have relatives from poor countries. But they never experience relatives that act like Filipinos.
Why are foreign men in Korea so close-minded?
@ Coralreefer1 I don't know how my statement says tons of ESL teachers have sex trade for teaching english. What I said was that there HAS been tons and when I say tons I mean enough that people see it in media more than few times about foreigners in Korea TELLING korean women they'll TEACH them english, and end up raping them. This generated that bad image towards foreigners with S.korea women. Also I'm not justifying those people that hate Japanese. Those are not me and I would write same things to them. And I didn't mean to generalize the whole white foreigners I'm generalizing the people that write simply just hate-messages about K-men and ridiculous stuff. Check out some questions by James_H and you'll understand I don't hate or think most foriegners think that. Like I've said some are my friend and myf riend from Canada teaches ESL here. I'm talking about those who refuse to conform to Korean culture or think they should receive VIP treatment and hate on Korea.
Any basic korean language that would be required or used in travel to seoul, korea?
쇼핑 Shopping 얼마예요? /Uhl-ma-ay-yo? /How much is it? 예 or 네. /Ye or Ne /Yes. 아니요. /A-nee-yo/ No 안녕하세요./Ann-young-has-say-yo/ Hello (polite form) 비싸요. /Pees-sah-yo/ It's expensive 죄송합니다./Chwe-song-ham-need-a/ Sorry. 네?/Ne?/ Pardon? 안녕히 계세요./ Ahn-young-hee-guess-say-yo/ Good bye (lit. Stay well) 안녕히 가세요./ Ahn-young-hee-gas-say-yo/ Good bye (lit. Go well) 더 싼 건 없나요?/Tuh-ssan-gun-uhm-nai-yo?/ Is there a cheaper one? 도와주세요./ Doe-a-juice-say-yo/ Help me. ____매장은 어디 있어요? /_______Mae-jang-en-uh-dee-is-suh-yo?/ Where is the place where they sell _________? 신발/Shin-bal/Shoes 옷/Ot/Clothes 가방/Ka-bang/Bag