The Universal Language

Some of my favorite moments in Korea are when I witness something ordinary that remains unaffected by being on the other side of the world. This alone makes those moments extraordinary to me. They are little things like watching a mom with her little toddler blowing dandelion fluff. Or a group of teenage girls giggling over a cute boy. I love moments like these because they reveal the humanity of all of us and remind me that we aren't so different after all.

One of my favorite experiences here occurred when I was shoe shopping (and not just because I was shopping for shoes...) In the store display window there was THE pair of shoes. The kind that I drool over when others wear them. I HAD TO BUY THEM. First, I had to figure out what size shoe I wear in Korea (240 - if you were curious). Then I tried on THE shoes and they fit like a glove. I perused the rest of the store while keeping my new found treasure in my vice-gripped hands. A mother with her teenage daughter took one look at me and said, "You can't buy those shoes."
My first reaction read, "Why on earth would I not?"
She explained, "You are pregnant. Your belly is huge. You should NOT be wearing heals like that."
Her teenage daughter only rolled her eyes and brought over a new pair of shoes for me to try on. They were black and glitter with at least a 6 inch golden stiletto. The girl had style! (yes, I tried them on, just for kicks).
Once again, the mother said, "don't buy those shoes! What if the heal breaks? Buy some sensible flats!"
"Mom, if she doesn't buy those shoes, I'm going to. Now leave her alone!"
Grateful for the girl's support on such an important matter, I helped her decide which pair of shoes she should get too.

Did I mention the mother and daughter team didn't speak English? Oh, and I only know 2 words in Korean. Even with the language barrier, there were no communications issues that day!

See, we aren't very different after all.