Koreans can be difficult, and the problem gets worse as they get older. There's a lot of interrupting on their part, and a lot of loud, "I know, I know!" showing off the Korean ego. I usually try to go the Taoist route in such cases, getting quieter and letting my interlocutor have the floor until he or she is spent. Talking with M tonight was a lot like that: she's an experienced distance walker, and she knows it, and she thinks she knows this route, and she wants to show that knowledge off even if it means blaming me and my itinerary for being "confusing" (it's not), and while I haven't talked to her husband, I expect to meet someone quiet and henpecked while M blusters away like a typical, pushy ajumma (to be fair, some ajummas are exceptions).
Tonight's phone conversation was courtesy of my Talkatone app, so the connection, while stable, was a bit staticky, and then there was all the interrupting and "I know, I know"s mentioned above. I got through the conversation with patience and a lot of inward sighing, and we've resolved to meet at Ihwaryeong on Saturday morning, although M is convinced that she and I will be going up the same side of the mountain in order to meet, so she thinks she'll see me as I'm making my ascent. She says she's coming from the Mungyeong side, though, which makes sense; I normally walk toward Mungyeong from the Saejae Park Motel in Yeonpoong-myeon. She's starting from the Mungyeong Arirang Hotel if I've understood her correctly, which means she'll be coming up the eastern flank of Joryeong-san while I'll be coming up the western flank. Opposite sides, not the same side. I think she has her signals crossed, but maybe there's still something I don't understand about her situation. We'll see.
Anyway, the whole thing is very annoying, and I'll be happy to get this over with, even as I myself age into a crotchety old man. I hope I'm not quite as difficult as M is if/when I reach her age. Then again, at my rate, I think my old joke is going to come true, and I'm not going to make it much past 60. But if living a short life means not having to spend so much time around difficult people, then a short life is worth it.
Give yourself some credit. I probably would have canceled rather than dealt with all the annoyances.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who will be turning 69 (hopefully) later this year, I must respectfully disagree with your assertion that "if living a short life means not having to spend so much time around difficult people, then a short life is worth it." Better to be shouting, "GET OFF MY LAWN!" than being under it.