This photo of my friend Ashley and I was taken at a Buddhist temple in Insadong. We met the photographer, Craig Woods, just an hour before at a Buddhist English library. We were there to see if Ashley could settle into the Buddhist community there. She and I were perusing the books when this other gentleman finished his conversation with the Korean secretary, turned to us, and said, as if we were already friends, "How are you ladies today?"
The three of us chatted for what felt like an hour and only stopped when we realized the library closed 25 minutes ago. We walked out and continued our conversation until our paths diverged. Craig Woods had been so kind and helpful and friendly, I gave him a hug when we left.
We ended up bumping into his twice more as we wandered around Insadong, and he took this picture of us at the Buddhist Temple there. I've gotten to see him a few more times since then at Korean class and other expat events. We're always glad to see each other.
If I didn't have to work, I'd spend so much of my time walking around Seoul and talking to strangers. There are so many! I love Seoul, and I starting to think that I love cities in general because of all the people there are to talk to.
I think it's wonderful that you have the gift to talk to strangers and make new friends! Glad you had a nice time at the Buddhist temple and looking forward to our postcard swap! :)
ReplyDelete