Just when you think no one's watching

I’ve been wondering lately if people who live in big cities, by necessity, become less self-conscious and uninhibited.

What made me start wondering was a girl I saw in Hong Kong once. I was walking down one of the maze-like sidewalks in downtown Hong Kong Island, looking for the American embassy, when I saw this young woman. She was maybe 27, about the same age as I, and professionally dressed in a gray, linen suit. However, despite her professional appearance, she was skipping down some stone stairs, tossing her hair, and laughing out loud. Her laugh was so carefree and loud, as if she had just had a wonderful unexpected encounter with an old friend who made her laugh and did her heart more good than she’d had in ages. She didn’t even seem to notice the people around her. If I was being mean, I’d say she could have looked slightly unbalanced, but if I was being honest, I was jealous, and wanted to laugh like that myself.

I thought to myself, “Well, maybe that’s what you have to do in a big city where you are never alone. If you want some alone time when you just let your hair down, maybe you just have to take it, whether you’re surrounded by people or not.”

Kaohsiung’s not nearly as crowded as Hong Kong, although with 2 million packed into about 20 sq. km, it’s crowded enough. And lately, after four years here, I’ve also caught myself taking those little moments. Moments when I start talking to myself or singing or gesturing, and suddenly realize I’ve forgotten that the world is still going on around me. I think it does help me keep sane.

Today, however, I saw a guy who perhaps could have done with a bit more self-consciousness. He was walking down the side of a busy road, and had his arm UP-TO-HIS-ELBOW-!-! down the back of his pants picking a wedgie.

Look at me. I’m laughing now just thinking about it, and right in the middle of a crowd in the park who has no idea why.