Saturday, March 10, 2007

Die Patriotin

It's a reality of life where we live that some of the local vegetable vendors, rather than set up in a fixed place, will tour around the neighbourhood in their blue vans advertising their wares through a loudspeaker. After a couple of hours this can get very repetitive and annoying, and it has a disturbing Orwellian quality; I feel as if I could step outside into a world where everyone wears grey and black helicopters watch the citizenry from above.

At least I have the advantage of not knowing what they are saying. I do occasionally get translations though, and today's vendor deserves particular mention for the following sales pitch: "Dear patriotic citizens of Busan, we are selling fresh squid for 500 won". So perhaps we're not so far away from that Orwellian State after all. I almost feel compelled to go out and get some of that seafood - after all, if national honour is at stake...

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