There is a different sort of understanding about space here too. When walking on a crowded sidewalk you will see people march boldly into spaces that do not yet exist. When the people meet head-on, instead of the crash you expect, each person deftly twists his body sideways and disaster is avoided. Unfortunately for this foreigner, turning sideways does not diminish my stature. It has taken me several years to learn how not to bump into people when walking. I cannot explain it -- my body knows.
One day my wife and I were walking down a deserted alley which was about three meters wide. A man came riding toward me on a rickety old iron bicycle. As he approached me, he chose not to veer to either side. Rather, he came to a screeching halt right in front of me and stared at me as if he didn't believe I could possibly exist.
On buses and in other crowded places there is no taboo about bodies touching. People press into whatever space is available. One day a man put his head on my shoulder and fell asleep. The strange thing was there were many other seats available. Somehow he ended up sitting in the aisle.
The people are very friendly. it is common to see friends of the same gender walking holding hands or with their arms around each other - pairs of men too. It stressed my western sensibilities the first time a "buddy" put his arm around me when walking. I am still uncomfortable with it. But it warms my heart the way a lovely girl will seek contact when we are walking together. Yes, it is a very different culture.
Is the spaceless writing a metaphor for social interaction? Does the diminished or nonexistent boundary between characters reflect that between people?