Staring is rude

Interesting observation the other day:

Some people at my office ignore me completely, while complete strangers take it upon themselves to stare at me or what I'm doing.

In the case of the latter, you'd think people would at least TRY to be more subtle about it. I was sitting on the train going through some flashcards when the old dude sitting next to me opens up his spaper, starts reading but then turns his head to look at what I'm doing. It wan't a mere glance, but a full stare.

Sure, after texting, sleeping, reading and nose-picking, passengers are least likely to be flipping through flashcards. So fair enough that he had a look.

But then he kept looking with every page turn of his paper. Turning his shiny pate to stare at my cards.

He did it enough times that, combined with the heat, I contemplated sticking my middle finger out while holding the flashcards. Then I remembered that some things don't always translate in the same way across the cultural border.

The SECOND incident of the day was when I went to my favourite secluded spot to chill out during lunch, and again review my flashcards.

For the second lunch time in a row, the same salaryman was sitting at his favourite bench, his legs straddling each side. It was just the two of us, as it has been before.

So everything's fine until I get up and walk past him. And he's staring. Not in a "Whoops you caught me looking so I'm going to break eye contact," sort of way, but a full on "You caught me staring but I'm going to keep staring anyway," way.

Creep!

Incidentally, one of the cards in my pile was 見詰める mitsumeru, "to stare/gaze at". Perhaps I should just keep that on the top of my pile with the addition of a "DON'T".