Me First!

Just back from the UK. My first taste of Korea came at the airport. The plane was delayed and, when we got to the departure gate, there were alot of people already sitting there. Alot of Korean people. I queued up in front of the economy check about ten minutes before boarding to get the baby on quickly- airlines usually seat you first, away from the other passengers, if you have reserved a place for a kid under two years old. People queued up behind us. An ajjuma pushed me in the back and stared at me stone faced. Children ran around screaming while their parents gazed peacefully into the middle distance, doing nothing (Digression: the contrast with the shopping mums at TK Maxx was enlightening. I remember one Arndale mum threatening her kid with the unfinished statement "If you don't sit down in your push chair I will hit you so hard...". The kid sat down.). Finally, predictably, inevitably, a middle aged ajjoshi and his family sidled up to the side of the queue and started their own line. With them at the front.

At that point I realised I was still 12 hours away from Incheon and told him, in a crude combination of Korean and English to join the back of the line. I don't like personal confrontation, but it worked on this occassion. I wouldn't have bothered, but others might have decided to join the new queue, being as it was nearer the front, or maybe even started a third one. We all know what that means...