Well it's been exactly 9 1/2 months that I've been in Korea now; away from home, friends, family, my girlfriend, my yoga, Landmark, meditation, and Men's communities. I miss them ALL SO MUCH!!! I never really thought I would actually miss home as much as I do, but what can I say?? I miss many many things abouts about home; especially my mom & dad, my girlfriend (if I had a pet I would insert name here), the men on my Men's team, Bikram Yoga class in Hoboken, and of course I miss good Italian food, esp. pizza from Benny Tudino's (Home of the LARGEST Slice). How much do they charge for a slice of pizza there nowadays? I believe it was $2.25 when I left. You can buy an entire pie for six dollars here in Korea. Granted it's run through an oven on a conveyor belt, and the cheese tastes like plastic, but hey, you get what you pay for right? Plus they put corn, pickles and sweet potatoes on their pizza here. I actually like the sweet potatoes, but can do without the corn and pickles. Those crazy & wild Koreans, I tell ya....
So now for some more musings on Korea:
During our weekly culture club meeting here in Miryang, we were talking about the differences between weddings in Korea vs. weddings in America. My buddy Rich & I were talking about how fancy, elaborate and expensive weddings are nowadays in America. It can cost anywhere from $10,000-$50,000 for a wedding these days in America. As I've said previously, weddings in Korea are very low key, boring, and not very expensive. The customary amount to give as a gift is $50 ($30) if you are not very close with the person. I learned of this info. for a Korean friend of mine from Seoul. So as soon as our Korean friends heard how much us Americans spend on weddings, our one friend, Sunnie, "My goodness, for that price, you can't have many weddings then!" I kid you not, that's EXACTLY what she said!!! I responded by saying, "Well I would sure hope that people don't have "many" weddings. She really said it with the understanding that because weddings are so much cheaper in Korea (consists of a basic wedding hall & going out to a regular restaurant for an inexpensive dinner), that it's reasonable to "have a few weddings". I don't know if this reflects the typical opinions of most Korean women these days, but after reading some statistics of marriage and divorce in Korea, I think marriage might not be the sacred institution it once was once. A lot has changed for Korea over the past 20 years. For example, in 1983, only 5% of Korean marriages ended in divorce, but by 2003 the rate had risen to a whooping 47%. Korea's divorce rate had doubled between 1995 and 2006. In the early 1980s Korea's divorce rate was one of the lowest in the world, but by 2003, it was 3rd highest behind the US and Sweden. Times are definitely changing around the world and especially in Korea. One reason that contributes to this factor is the fact that Korean parent-arranged marriage became obsolete. No longer obligated to respect their parents' wishes, modern Korean couples are less willing to stay in marriages that turn sour.
One other Korean English teacher here, who hasn't traveled much outside of Korea, is going to Australia for 4 weeks during the summer to improve her English communication skills. When asked what she wants to while there, one answer was, "one thing I really want to do is smoke mariwuana". Marijuana is no where to be found in Korea along any other other illegal drugs, unless of course you go to certain sections of Seoul. I found it interesting and rather funny for her to blatantly say something like this at our Miryang Culture Club (MCC) mtg. I was impressed by her and admired her self-expression.
Speaking of self-expression, (that is one thing I definitely miss about being away from NY) I was so happy to see two little Korean boys (brothers) beating each other up on the subway when I was up in Seoul last time. The reason why I enjoyed seeing these two kids wrestling, grabbing, hitting, and carrying on with each other is because this does not the type of behavior that is typically demonstrated by Koreans. Most (all) of the time when I've been on the bus, subway, train, etc. there is this extreme reticent atmosphere as people sit patiently, very still, calm, subdued. There is almost this orderly aire of conformity and subordinate behavior that all Koreans adhere to while commuting via public transportation. So to actually see these 2 little boys fighting, being loud,and causing a raucous, it was so exciting, enlivening & refreshing for me to see. The parents didn't do or say anything. It kind of reminded me of how some parents handle (are oblivious (hands-off) to their children's behavior). Either way you look at it, it was good to witness and see some "realness" being expressed by these young children. That's the way life should be when your four, five, or six years old, right?? I think so at least. I' d welcome and appreciate any and all comments.
Thanks,
Darren
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Korea and Japan, So Close.....Yet So FAR FAR away!!
I recently took a trip to Fukuoka, Japan which is just 115 miles from Busan, S.Korea (2 1/2 hrs. by boat). I was excited to visit Japan to compare & contrast the two countries. Can there really be such a difference btw. 2 countries that are so close? Well, I was about to find out...The first thing you notice is the infrastructure of the roads, buildings, bridges, etc. They are much more modern in Japan. You can tell immediately that Japan is a much wealthier country, a much cleaner country, more western, diverse, and international. Fukuoka is a big port city of over 1.3 million people. The Japanese businessmen walk the streets (many even riding on bike), all wearing suits and ties. In Korea I hardly ever pass men in suits & ties. The few that I do see refer to themselves as "Salarymen" (I guess they mean businessman). I've noticed that the Koreans like to "make up" words in English/Konglish and think that they are speaking English. Like instead of "cell phone", they say, "hendafone" (can you figure that one out?). Let's turn to pageee 35, let's have some fisheee, for lunchee, etc. etc. etc. I pass many many old men & women selling fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. on the side of the street (or in the markets) on my way to work in the morning.
I was immediately BLOWN AWAY by the level of professionalism, sophistication and class that the Japanese people possess. You would never see a Japanese person spitting all over the place, right in front of you, on the streets as you walk by. You especially wouldn't see Japanese men taking a pee in the middle of the street, in broad daylight, without even hiding behind a tree, a wall, a car, etc. This is a far cry from the all too familiar sights & sounds of Korea. The Saturday & got back to Busan, I saw a young HS girl spit on the street in front of me.....very lady like!!! Being in Korea for 9 months, you don't really notice these idiosyncrasies until you travel outside to another (more western) country. The Japanese people just seem to be a much calmer, relaxed, confident, serene (zen like) group of people. The Koreans tend to be a lot more rushed, always on the go, stressed out, etc. I don't know if it has anything to do with being under colonial rule by the Japanese for 35 years, or being attacked all throughout their history. The poor Koreans have been picked on & abused for many centuries by many different people simple because they are strategically located in between China & Japan. (a much sought after gateway for many).
The cleanliness in Japan really impressed me a lot. It doesn't smell there of garbage, urine, or "funk". Even the air and the sky is much cleaner, clearer, brighter and crisper. Korea always seems to have a foggy, hazy, thick cloud over head. People say it's the "yellow dust" (sand) that blows in from China. Apparently it doesn't blow over to Japan, or maybe it's because Japan isn't as crowded as Korea. Korea is the world's 26th most populous country with 48 million people. Having 475 persons per square km, Korea has the third largest population density in the world.
Prices of goods are 2-3 times more expensive in Japan than Korea. It costs me $.70-$1.00 for a 2 Liter bottle of water in Korea. It cost me $2.40 only for a 1.5 Liter bottle. Beer, drinks, food, transportation, etc. is much much cheaper in Korea than Japan.
The most impressive experience that summarizes just what type of people the Japanese are, occurred when I rode the subway. The people actually lined up, single file, in rows of two and stood for several minutes at the gate where the subway door would open. I watched, waited around, walking on the platform, sat on the bench, waiting for the train to arrive. When it did, I witnessed the MOST ORDERLY procession of people exiting the train (people actually moved aside, and made room for them to exist) and then I was SHOCKED as I watched each person calmly & casually walk into to train. I had to resist the urge to walk (barge) right up to the front of the line and just push my way in. I was able to stop myself once I looked around and saw the orderly procession, then I simply got in back of the line and slowly walked in. This was SO SO IMPRESSIVE to me!! I've never seen anything like that anywhere else in the world (I don't recall that happening in Tokyo).
So, all in all, me 2 night weekend trip to Japan was an absolute joy, pleasure, and fun getaway from the very conservative, strict (boring), old-fashioned, suppressed society of Korea. Korea is the most homogeneous country in the world, and the most "Asian" country in Asia. Singapore is the least "Asian" country (called "Asia Light") As is Hong Kong, Philippines, et al.
I'm off to Seoul this weekend where I'm delighted and pleased to be assisting on the Production Team for the fourth ever Landmark Forum in Korea!! The Landmark Forum is a unique, dynamic, weekend course that is designed to give people the freedom to be absolutely at ease no matter where they are, who they're with, or what the circumstance - the power to be in action effectively in those areas that are important to them. Such as:
• The quality of their relationships.
• The confidence with which they conduct their lives.
• The level of their personal productivity.
• The experience of the difference they make.
• The degree to which they enjoy their lives.
It's a MOST TREMENDOUS self-discovery program, one that is more like coaching vs teaching, more like conversation vs lecturing. In fact, it's the MAIN (sole) reason why I'm even out in Korea in the first place. Since graduating from college in 1996, the idea of living, teaching, and traveling in Asia has always been a dream of mine. I had simply forgotten about (gave up on) this dream (stopped talking about it to others)...Thanks to participating in the 2006 WISDOM COURSE of Landmark Education, I re-visited this long-lost dream, and the rest, as they say, is History (or the present moment actualization of my dream) However you care to interpret it....either way, it's all good; as Jim Carey said in "Bruce Almighty" "B-E-A-UUUU TIFUL!!!" Life certainly is BEAUTIFUL!
What a Wonderful World!!
Have a Great Day everyone, please remember that all you have to do is simply "speak up" open your mouth, move your lips so that the dreams, goals, and aspirations you had as a little boy or girl starts moving through your lips again. That's what I did during my Course, and look what happened to me!!
For more information about the Landmark Forum, please visit their website at:
www.LandmarkEducation.com
I was immediately BLOWN AWAY by the level of professionalism, sophistication and class that the Japanese people possess. You would never see a Japanese person spitting all over the place, right in front of you, on the streets as you walk by. You especially wouldn't see Japanese men taking a pee in the middle of the street, in broad daylight, without even hiding behind a tree, a wall, a car, etc. This is a far cry from the all too familiar sights & sounds of Korea. The Saturday & got back to Busan, I saw a young HS girl spit on the street in front of me.....very lady like!!! Being in Korea for 9 months, you don't really notice these idiosyncrasies until you travel outside to another (more western) country. The Japanese people just seem to be a much calmer, relaxed, confident, serene (zen like) group of people. The Koreans tend to be a lot more rushed, always on the go, stressed out, etc. I don't know if it has anything to do with being under colonial rule by the Japanese for 35 years, or being attacked all throughout their history. The poor Koreans have been picked on & abused for many centuries by many different people simple because they are strategically located in between China & Japan. (a much sought after gateway for many).
The cleanliness in Japan really impressed me a lot. It doesn't smell there of garbage, urine, or "funk". Even the air and the sky is much cleaner, clearer, brighter and crisper. Korea always seems to have a foggy, hazy, thick cloud over head. People say it's the "yellow dust" (sand) that blows in from China. Apparently it doesn't blow over to Japan, or maybe it's because Japan isn't as crowded as Korea. Korea is the world's 26th most populous country with 48 million people. Having 475 persons per square km, Korea has the third largest population density in the world.
Prices of goods are 2-3 times more expensive in Japan than Korea. It costs me $.70-$1.00 for a 2 Liter bottle of water in Korea. It cost me $2.40 only for a 1.5 Liter bottle. Beer, drinks, food, transportation, etc. is much much cheaper in Korea than Japan.
The most impressive experience that summarizes just what type of people the Japanese are, occurred when I rode the subway. The people actually lined up, single file, in rows of two and stood for several minutes at the gate where the subway door would open. I watched, waited around, walking on the platform, sat on the bench, waiting for the train to arrive. When it did, I witnessed the MOST ORDERLY procession of people exiting the train (people actually moved aside, and made room for them to exist) and then I was SHOCKED as I watched each person calmly & casually walk into to train. I had to resist the urge to walk (barge) right up to the front of the line and just push my way in. I was able to stop myself once I looked around and saw the orderly procession, then I simply got in back of the line and slowly walked in. This was SO SO IMPRESSIVE to me!! I've never seen anything like that anywhere else in the world (I don't recall that happening in Tokyo).
So, all in all, me 2 night weekend trip to Japan was an absolute joy, pleasure, and fun getaway from the very conservative, strict (boring), old-fashioned, suppressed society of Korea. Korea is the most homogeneous country in the world, and the most "Asian" country in Asia. Singapore is the least "Asian" country (called "Asia Light") As is Hong Kong, Philippines, et al.
I'm off to Seoul this weekend where I'm delighted and pleased to be assisting on the Production Team for the fourth ever Landmark Forum in Korea!! The Landmark Forum is a unique, dynamic, weekend course that is designed to give people the freedom to be absolutely at ease no matter where they are, who they're with, or what the circumstance - the power to be in action effectively in those areas that are important to them. Such as:
• The quality of their relationships.
• The confidence with which they conduct their lives.
• The level of their personal productivity.
• The experience of the difference they make.
• The degree to which they enjoy their lives.
It's a MOST TREMENDOUS self-discovery program, one that is more like coaching vs teaching, more like conversation vs lecturing. In fact, it's the MAIN (sole) reason why I'm even out in Korea in the first place. Since graduating from college in 1996, the idea of living, teaching, and traveling in Asia has always been a dream of mine. I had simply forgotten about (gave up on) this dream (stopped talking about it to others)...Thanks to participating in the 2006 WISDOM COURSE of Landmark Education, I re-visited this long-lost dream, and the rest, as they say, is History (or the present moment actualization of my dream) However you care to interpret it....either way, it's all good; as Jim Carey said in "Bruce Almighty" "B-E-A-UUUU TIFUL!!!" Life certainly is BEAUTIFUL!
What a Wonderful World!!
Have a Great Day everyone, please remember that all you have to do is simply "speak up" open your mouth, move your lips so that the dreams, goals, and aspirations you had as a little boy or girl starts moving through your lips again. That's what I did during my Course, and look what happened to me!!
For more information about the Landmark Forum, please visit their website at:
www.LandmarkEducation.com
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