There's no "Q" in Korea

Coming to Korea - albeit overnight - is a bit of a culture shock. I mean, one only knows as much about Korea as one reads online. There was a Starcraft TV channel at the hotel the airline put me up in for the overnight stay, there is internet access everywhere, there are a hell of a lot of Korean cars on the road (yes, they don't just sell them overseas by the squillion.)

One thing I wasn't prepared for though - particularly given my time in the United Kingdom - is the lack of what we would consider to be basic politeness, particularly when you're trying to buy something or even just walk through the airport. Don't get me wrong, the Koreans excel at bowing and scraping when the occasion calls for it. I think it was a bit of a culture shock to have the smart Korean hotel porter carry my grotty luggage into the airport hotel, closely followed behind by an even grottier me. Another example is leaving the airport - while the Australian customs officials give everyone the "I think you've got 10 condoms full of heroin in your stomach and live endangered species stuffed down your strides" look, the Korean guy examined my passport with a gloved hand and a smile, handed it back, and bowed.

But back to what I was talking about. I have a bruised elbow from being shoulder charged by a Korean woman on the wrong side of 60, no less, whilst waiting to be served at the Duty Free counter. (She was only 5 foot, so her shoulder connected with my elbow.) I contemplated giving her a mouthful, but realised that she probably wouldn't understand me, and there is no glory to be had in yelling at elderly people. I walked past another store selling cosmetics, and it looked like a mosh pit, except everyone was asian and middle aged.

Coming from England, where every English person forms an orderly queue of one, if there is no queue already in place, this was a bit of a shock.

When you can get away from the crowds, the Koreans do manage to put on a nice smiley face. Introduce a crowd situation though, and you release the animal within.

And by animal within, I mean the dog that they probably ate for supper last night.