The intent people swarm onto subway cars: overwhelming. I am suffocated as we move, their flow pushing me on. Alien babble seeps through the air with intention, before settling into a subdued silence. I still don’t understand all of their customs/aged tradition. They know, these South Korean people, know that I am learning and so they try to understand me. This soft patience forms the basis of our mutual respect. I learn to modulate loud tones in my voice, whispering words (my speech a noisy cacophony). This is unfamiliar. For now, foreign, but if given time this strange culture so different from my home, will become mine.