so cute
The Lil Buddha was a big hit today with the denizens of Seoul. It ebbs and flows. Today she had her mojo I guess.
The most common phrase is "so cute". Today, in crowded parts of town, it was like a steady hum of "so cutes," said so often and by so many people in succession that it becomes something like hearing a 17 year cicada chorus. "So cute" is always in English too. I had this theory that there is no word for "cute" in Korean, in keeping with the lack of kitsch. Nope, there is a word, three actually according to Langenscheidt. In this case, I think 'kwiyoun' is the word.
Today we also couldn't go anywhere and not be stopped for pictures. This is invariably amusing. I mean, what the hell?
I only captured one on film, a mom taking a cellphone picture of her daughter with mine.
The other really notable episode was a 20 or so year old man who said, in perfect English, "I can't stop looking at your baby, she is so cute. Can I take a picture with her?" He had his friend take the picture.
Now, in the US this would have seemed creepy and uncomfortable. Here is just seemed business as usual. Strange, yes, perhaps even insane, but not uncommon.
The most common phrase is "so cute". Today, in crowded parts of town, it was like a steady hum of "so cutes," said so often and by so many people in succession that it becomes something like hearing a 17 year cicada chorus. "So cute" is always in English too. I had this theory that there is no word for "cute" in Korean, in keeping with the lack of kitsch. Nope, there is a word, three actually according to Langenscheidt. In this case, I think 'kwiyoun' is the word.
Today we also couldn't go anywhere and not be stopped for pictures. This is invariably amusing. I mean, what the hell?
I only captured one on film, a mom taking a cellphone picture of her daughter with mine.
The other really notable episode was a 20 or so year old man who said, in perfect English, "I can't stop looking at your baby, she is so cute. Can I take a picture with her?" He had his friend take the picture.
Now, in the US this would have seemed creepy and uncomfortable. Here is just seemed business as usual. Strange, yes, perhaps even insane, but not uncommon.
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