Hang in there, Mai. I grew up in the South and have lived in the Midwest and the North; I'm in NC these days. You're welcome to any advice I can offer, and if you don't want it, hey, that's cool too.
I appreciate you, and I'd gladly take any advice you've got. My hardest struggle is the frequency of strangers just talking to you about NOTHING. I cannot leave the house and expect to just experience life alone for even ten minutes haha. But that's another post, let me save some frustration for then.
Oh, bless your heart - you're stuck! I'd... wear sunglasses and avoid eye contact, or even just smile and move along like you're in a hurry. That interaction is DEFINITELY one of the major behavioral differences in the South, and I totally (TOTALLY) understand how inconvenient it can be... it enforces a different pace of living for a lot of people from other regions.
I really would do the "smile apologetically and hurry along" thing; most people in the South should be able to pick up on the cues. If you make it overt enough ("Hey, I'd love to talk but I really can't right now, I gotta run") you shouldn't have too many problems except with the worst tentacle-people.
I will try those, much thanks. Perhaps yet another future post, but these instances throw me so off guard that I immediately slip into customer service mode and they've got me before I realize that the interaction is pointless. Another weird thing is people walking up to me with two items asking which they should buy??? That's gotta be strange even for the South.
Hah, the request for advice is NOT strange for the South! And it's actually praise for you. It can be annoying, but your best bet THERE is to lean into it - give it your best shot, people apparently like you, you don't glare at them enough! :D
Hang in there, Mai. I grew up in the South and have lived in the Midwest and the North; I'm in NC these days. You're welcome to any advice I can offer, and if you don't want it, hey, that's cool too.
I appreciate you, and I'd gladly take any advice you've got. My hardest struggle is the frequency of strangers just talking to you about NOTHING. I cannot leave the house and expect to just experience life alone for even ten minutes haha. But that's another post, let me save some frustration for then.
Oh, bless your heart - you're stuck! I'd... wear sunglasses and avoid eye contact, or even just smile and move along like you're in a hurry. That interaction is DEFINITELY one of the major behavioral differences in the South, and I totally (TOTALLY) understand how inconvenient it can be... it enforces a different pace of living for a lot of people from other regions.
I really would do the "smile apologetically and hurry along" thing; most people in the South should be able to pick up on the cues. If you make it overt enough ("Hey, I'd love to talk but I really can't right now, I gotta run") you shouldn't have too many problems except with the worst tentacle-people.
I will try those, much thanks. Perhaps yet another future post, but these instances throw me so off guard that I immediately slip into customer service mode and they've got me before I realize that the interaction is pointless. Another weird thing is people walking up to me with two items asking which they should buy??? That's gotta be strange even for the South.
Hah, the request for advice is NOT strange for the South! And it's actually praise for you. It can be annoying, but your best bet THERE is to lean into it - give it your best shot, people apparently like you, you don't glare at them enough! :D
But like I said, I get it. It can be unnerving.