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
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