When I am out and about taking pictures I often get mixed reactions from people. Some smile while others hide or throw gestures at me that I assume mean that they don't want their pictures taken.
I ran into two people today that were pleasant surprises.
An old man saw me and waved me to his shop, where he proceeded to take off his overcoat and face mask, then asked me to take his picture in front of his shop. Afterwards he had me take down his name and phone number because he wanted a copy. I tried my best to get an internet email address instead but neither of us understood the other. I feel very bad that I will not be able to get the picture to him.
What I did get out of him was that he had served in the Korean Army, as a Captain, when he was younger and that he was 80 years old. We sat down in his furniture shop and he asked if I would like some coffee. When I said no thanks, he opened a little fridge and handed me a small bottle that I had seen in all the convenience stores and pharmacy windows in Korea and Japan but had no idea what it was. It is good, he said, in pidgeon English.
And it was! As I studied the bottle more I noticed small English text saying it was Korean Ginseng.
I enjoyed the visit very much, but when I finished the drink I was on my way. It made my morning.
While waiting outside the restaurant for my friends at lunch a hunched over old lady pushing a cart made her way up the road toward me. I had already made up my mind that when she passed I would get a picture of her.
As she approached the restaurant, she let out a shriek and a chuckle then smiled at me and made a gesture toward my camera. I pointed at it and she promptly shook her head up and down and shrieked again.
I took her picture, which made her day. She shuffled off with a gleeful laugh. What she didn't hear was the shriek and chuckle I had inside of me.
No comments:
Post a Comment