The trouble I see with Korea is the fact that every trusts one another.

Or maybe that's the trouble they see with foreigners. Whatever, my point is this: Here I am, I compassionate College graduate, with a 3.6 gpa, Fulbright Fellow, respected teacher, no prior criminal record, steady job holder since I was 14, raised in a loving environment, etc... and it seems like Korea was created to test my morality.

I'm serious. Why does anyone think that it's safe to leave their car or moped running double-parked on a crowded downtown street for MANY minutes?!!? If some moron did that in America, that fool would be minus four wheels, leather interior, and their collection of Judas Priest tapes. Could you imagine going into the local NYPD presinct and filling out the police report? The cops would tear it up, look the guy straight in the face, and tell him in all honesty that he deserved what he cooked on 2nd Ave.

My biggest conscience crises come from the delivery men who leave their open bed trucks unattended for long periods of time. It doesn't take a genius to learn the habits of these numbskulls and acquire yourself a weekly supply of beer and soju(cola if you desire as well). The inherent trust Koreans have for one another is amazing. If I were in the U.S. and I saw a Budweiser driver do that with an open air vehicle, I'd take what I could carry and justify my acquisitions by the circumstantial stupidity of both Anheiser-Busch and their lowly peon.

Now, what boggles my mind is the DISTRUST store owners have for people when they enter a store. I realize that this scenario may be that Korean owners are attempting great customer service, but when they become a physical nuissance to my browsing, I must conclude that they are watching over my shoulder. Example: I walked into Hi Mart yesterday to look at cameras since mine just broke. As soon as I walk through the doorway, I am awarded a puppy-like shadow. He follows me through the aisles until I find the Cameras. I then look at the cameras for a good ten minutes hoping that maybe he'll open up the cases for me, but no. I then turn to him and ask if they have the Olympus Stylus 1000, but he responds with a curt, "Anniyo". I continue to walk through the store just to browse and this guy is watching me closer than Death. I dodge right, left, right, and he's on me like white on rice. Fortunately, the phone rang at the desk and I was able to stuff my pockets with dvd players, laptops, and rice cookers and jet out of there. I don't think my shadow was keen to my tactics, until I laughed mockingly in the phone as I ran down the street.