Five long, highly anecdotal, and wildly bipolar takeaways from A Taxi Driver:
1. Song Kang-ho truly deserves the international attention that he’s finally receiving, and it warms my heart that people around the world are now familiar with the hilarious mannerisms of the stereotypical Korean ajusshi archetype: a persona he perfectly embodies in nearly every role he’s ever played.
Though an ajusshi strictly translates to “middle aged man”, the term, which can be used interchangeably in contexts of endearment or condescension, carries an avuncular connotation: in that it resembles the associations we have with the ‘uncle’ epithet in the West.
About three months into my five year tenure in Korea, I met an ajusshi named Jae-il while hiking. Quickly, we…