One may think that people are people. We may do a lot of the same things and react to things the same way. We know, in general, what makes up a person, and that's how we identify them in our head. We see them and our brains light up, thinking, “Hey, that one is like me!” However, what happens when you think someone is a lot like you, but then you find that certain things make them not like you? Confusion? Maybe even sadness? A new culture, at first, feels like a realization that not everyone is like you, or your family, or even your friends down the street. In fact, they can be shockingly different. At the same time, people's intentions may be surprisingly similar.
I first experienced different perspectives when I realized that South Koreans do not talk nearly as often as Americans do. Not on the trains, not in line at the grocery store, not even in the car! Everyone minds their own business, typing away on their phone or happily listening to their music. If they do have conversations, they hold their headphones' microphone piece close to their mouth so that they aren’t loud. At first, I assumed that everyone just did not want to be involved with others very much. Maybe city life made people not want to speak often.
