Ajossi

Got of the bus and hailed a taxi. Put my luggage in the trunk. Got in the car. Greeted the ajossi with the formal greeting: anyong assimnikka? Told him my address and added the respectful ga-juseyo (i.e. I want to go there, please). You can never be too formal, respectful, and overly friendly with an ajossi. Nonetheless, he still complained because I needed to pay with my credit card, since I haven't had time to stop at an ATM once I got off at the airport.

Patricia Park, at her blog, New Yorker in Seoul, gives some tips on how to handle ajossi. Especially those taxi ajossi.


To get a musical introduction to who/what these ajossi are, listen to Michael's song below.