I occasionally spend time out on the back balcony watching the beautiful women walk past world go by, which may seem like a frivolous waste of time.  But you’d be surprised by the cultural insights you can derive when you consider the activities taking place in a small parking lot.

I took the photo above this morning around 0800 which is a quiet time given that most hard working Koreans are already out and about working hard.  Throughout the day however, the lot is a beehive of activity as people come and go about their business.  And generally there are more cars in the lot than there are available spaces.  That this is not a big problem strikes me as little short of remarkable.

Take that small blue car parked in the middle of the lot for instance.  Now, by my count he has at least three other cars blocked in their spaces.  What you can’t see is that the blue car has been left in the neutral gear.  So, when the driver of one of those blocked cars needs to go, he simply rolls the offending car out of the way.  And anyone else in the vicinity will give a hand with the push.  When the lot is full, I’ve seen several cars repositioned in this fashion.  It’s an impressive display of cooperation and no one seems to get angry or annoyed at the inconvenience.   I just can’t imagine a similar system working so well in the USA, at least without violence or vandalism.

Another thing I see on a daily basis is young women hiding out in the back corner of the lot to sneak a quick smoke.  Women may feel comfortable walking about in micro-miniskirts (bless their hearts!) but a female smoking on the street is just not acceptable in polite Korean society.  I’m reminded of the story about a Korean-American woman visiting Seoul who was enjoying a cigarette on a busy street corner.  Suddenly a Korean man started yelling at her in a language she could not understand.  So she just stood there looking at him.  Finally in exasperation, he took the cigarette from her, threw it on the ground, and walked away muttering in disgust.

Less frequently (but twice yesterday) I see young couples seeking out the privacy of the parking lot for a quick little make out session.  I’m talking kisses and hugs here, nothing obscene.  It’s actually kinda sweet.  Although I think I should learn to say “hey, get a room!” in Korean.  That would be pretty hilarious and maybe make me feel like less of a voyeur.

The world is an interesting place.  Or maybe I’m just easily entertained.