OK. I'll be the first to admit that maybe North Hollywood isn't the most representative population sample.
I had my third major experience of "reverse culture shock" today. The first was in the grocery store on my first visit. The second was at that social gathering with my friend Bob's friends. And now… just wandering around.
I took my truck in to the dealer for its 100,000 mile service (the actual dealer where I originally bought it, which they thought was weird because it's got Minnesota plates and all that). But they took a long time to do it, and so I killed some time by walking around my old stomping grounds in Toluca Lake and Noho (North Hollywood).
Boy, there sure are a lot of weirdos. I suppose there might be a lot of weirdos in Korea, too, but I don't notice them because I'm not as tuned in to the cultural norms they might be breaking. Perhaps because, ultimately, in Korea, I'm the weirdo.