South Korea has a phenomena called ajumma. An ajumma is a woman that is older than your mom, but younger than your grandma. She dresses in bright colors, wears a hugeee visor, perms her hair into tight little black curls and doesn’t take any shit from anyone. They are tiny towers of awesome! A lot of people don't care for them, but I find them fascinating! They are likely to come at you full speed on the sidewalk with a granny cart in tow... and you better freaking move, because they will win this game of chicken every time! I've seen full grown men in business suits jump off the sidewalk to avoid collisions with an ajumma! Children are lucky to be so small and nimble, it's easy for them to dodge the ajumma bombs! They may also push you out of their way, yell at you, or even lean on you in the subway and take a nap. I believe one drooled on me last weekend, but I was too grossed out to check.
Now that we've covered the philosophy of the ajumma, I've got a great example of how these fine creatures can turn their terror into entertainment! Wednesday are elections here in Korea, and it's a whole different typing of campaigning here! Campaigning doesn't consist of speeches and kissing babies, it is chocked full of music numbers, dances, and vehicles making the rounds of every neighborhood blaring the campaign songs from their loud speakers. Sometimes these trucks park at opposite sides of intersections and have a battle of the loud speakers! Well, the ajumma plays a special role in this carefully choreographed masterpiece!
But wait, it only gets better. The campaigns are full of ajummas in uniform. The ajumma is a vital marketing tool for the politicians. They dress up in their matching shirts (blinding green, blue, or even yellow) complete with sash and oversize visor and congregate at busy intersections. Mind you Koreans walk or take public transit, so these streets are packed! If you walk by they smile and put a card in your hand. If it rains they put on parkas. There is no stopping an ajumma, so seeing gangs of them is thrilling. The best part is… they dance! The most rhythmically challenged dancing ever. Picture your white family at a wedding then take away the alcohol.
In conclusions, ajummas should be put on travel brochures for Korea. No doubt people would flock here to see these wondrous ladies in their natural habitat!
Please refer to my link for more information on the ajumma!
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/03/291_61092.html
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