Page 93 - EAMMV3

NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
talk to strangers. In the West, it’s very common to say
“Hi” to strangers as you walk in the park or wait at a
station, but try that in Asian cultures, and you’ll be
greeted with raised eyebrows unless you know the
person.
In the US, yes, we actually talk to strangers, but we
just throw out the easy “Hi” and “How are you” with
no real meaning. People don’t really care how you are.
It’s just a gesture, a social thing.
If you walk around in Scandinavian countries
saying “Hi” to strangers on the street or in the park,
they might regard you suspiciously or think there
might be something wrong with you mentally.
Yet, the pandemic of 2020 made us realize just how
much we crave the company of strangers. But just who
are these strangers?
Familiar Strangers
Close your eyes and picture some of the strangers
you see frequently but never speak to. The ones you sit
or stand next to on the bus or train every day or pass
by at the office or school. You see them regularly and
they see you too. You recognize them; you might even
93