Today I met with Eugene for tea in the lounge. We've both been having busy weeks, but I'm glad we found a time that worked for both of us. Eugene explained to me that he has been having trouble getting a driver's license here (I guess his Korean license is okay for now, but he has to get a Florida one eventually). He said that he had a bad time at the DMV office the other day, and I explained to him that complaints about them are pretty common. When criticizing government bureaucracy, or just complaining about lines, Americans often bring up the DMV. I suggested he try to find one farther away from downtown that will be less busy (since there must be several in Tallahassee). We talked a bit about transportation in Tallahassee versus his city in S. Korea. Back home Eugene does not need a car (he bikes or takes the subway) since traffic is so bad and gas is expensive. He said that gas is several times more expensive over there. I hadn't thought to look up gas prices outside of the US and Europe before, so that was interesting. He mentioned that the high price was largely because of taxes, which was also interesting.
Eugene seemed very interested to know about where I used to work (Publix). He said that he likes going there because the staff are friendly and often give him advice and directions, but is suspicious that the employees are required to act that way. I thought it was funny that he would notice that, since Americans never seem to think twice about the fact that retail workers are always very friendly. Of course retail workers are essentially required to be friendly, and I told Eugene that. He said that he didn't like that situation, and that fakeness was just as bad as the DMV worker's rudeness. I guess retail workers in Korea are more likely to act genuinely (I've noticed that in my travels as well).
We're planning on meeting again next week for tea time!
Eugene seemed very interested to know about where I used to work (Publix). He said that he likes going there because the staff are friendly and often give him advice and directions, but is suspicious that the employees are required to act that way. I thought it was funny that he would notice that, since Americans never seem to think twice about the fact that retail workers are always very friendly. Of course retail workers are essentially required to be friendly, and I told Eugene that. He said that he didn't like that situation, and that fakeness was just as bad as the DMV worker's rudeness. I guess retail workers in Korea are more likely to act genuinely (I've noticed that in my travels as well).
We're planning on meeting again next week for tea time!
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