Feeling of Korea

Today I was up in Seoul for reasons which I will blog about later. But while I was there I couldn't help but feel something captivating about Korea.

Maybe it was the Ahjumma (older woman) shopkeeper who treated me with care and searched within her stock for the right size. Then on the way out the store said, "so beautiful."

Maybe it was the street scene of concrete and tall buildings. Even though at first it was daunting now it seems like Korea wouldn't make sense without it.

Maybe it is how every time I ride the bus down the same path into and out of Seoul I see something newly built or torn down. While riding the bus the feeling of other passengers quietly and patiently riding along till they get to their stop, brings a sense of tenderness to me. Maybe it is those red plastic buttons on the bus that light up when someone needs to get off.

This is a feeling that Korea has become someplace familiar to me. During my first year in Korea I found it so hard to accept the unfamiliar. I was so thirsty and eager to find familiar sights, like houses or Whole Foods stores here. Of course, I knew I was on the other side of the world and what they got here is what they got.

Seeing the trees as I pass by them at high speeds on the bus go from stick-brown in the winter to bright-green in the summer leaves me feeling satisfied.

There have probably been too many days where I have felt contempt towards Korea and its people. Finding their faults and letting it hit me personally.

However, the days that I truly enjoy living in Korea are the ones where I feel at peace with their differences. The days where I almost feel a sense of security knowing that they and their landscape is different. Without which I might just live too much of a boring life.

Somehow these feelings hit me today. ...

Outsourced

A funny new sitcom is coming to NBC about a guy who has to work in India because his boss outsourced his team.

Just take a look:

From what I hear it did good with test groups and so maybe isn't too racey.

Japan Leftovers

You might remember that back in November I did a visa-run to Osaka Japan. There were some pictures during the last full day of my trip that I never put up. They are from when I visited the Chion-in temple in Kyoto.

After visiting the temple I wandered down to Gion street, which is famous for being a Geisha district, and got a bite to eat.

I remember that as I was walking back to the city there was a narrow street that looked interesting. Indeed it was, for there were old style buildings with what looked like really good traditional restaurants.

The figurines in the window display case were interesting.

Looking back I recall that the season was Fall and certainly I enjoyed the foliage.

I finally made my way to the commercial streets and started looking for a cheap yet interesting place to eat. 

As I walked down the street there was a young girl standing near the store fronts passing out fliers and speaking Japanese. I took one and looked at it and there looked like something good to eat. So I pointed to it and asked, "Where?" The next thing I knew she was leading me down a narrow alley and took me inside a very quaint and small restaurant.

It sure was a gem! The restaurant was busy and from the looks of it with local people, so I knew this place was good. I sat down and ordered a Tempura vegetable set. I was served tea and I took in the restaurant. 

In front of me was the kitchen with the staff busily cooking. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the tempura, probably because it was so darn delicious and I was really hungry. Oh how I wish I could easy step into this place again.

Afterwards I did a little souvineer shopping and went back to the hotel. I wonder if I will get out to Japan again or with my next-next vacation time explore China or somewhere else. 

Ahh...who knows... ;)

Asia vs. Asia: A New Look

Two years ago when I was fresh to Korea I wrote a post titled "Asia vs. Asia: (Series: Ugly Korean)" and since then it has been one of my top blog hits. Yet I am not proud of this post and fear that people come onto it in search of reaffirmation of their personal beliefs on Korea. It was my intention to share an experience I had with my ex about his world view amongst other Asian countries. I never really went back to that topic and so now would like to revisit it and offer up my insight after living in Korea for two years.

Issue 1: Asian people comparing themselves amongst other Asian nations.
When I first came to Korea I wanted to find out how Korean people compare themselves against other Asian countries, specifically Japan and China. I have come to discover that generally people tend to center themselves towards their country of origin and then go from there. In other words, Koreans treat Korea as the center of the Universe and their point of reference. We all do this, I believe, when comparing ourselves with other nations.

Yet I do feel Korean people take it to a higher level. To put Korea front and center means that Korean people tend to feel that Korea is always better than their Asian neighbors.

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Take for example, when I have talked about my Japan travels with my coteachers. One of my coteachers asked me if I felt Japan was better than Korea. I said yes but explained why with details from my trips. I told her that certainly living in another country is different from just visiting it. She concluded with, "Korea is better." But gave no real explanations as to why.

My coteacher was merely just being Nationalistic. Yet their eccentric Nationalism I feel sometimes overlooks the truth and gets in the way with critical thinking.

South Koreans are nationalistic. Part of the nationalism stems from the compulsory national service required of South Korean men. Part of the nationalism stems from the fact that they are still at war with the north. Part of the nationalism stems from a desire to prove they are different from Japan and China.

Take that last part there, "...desire to prove they are different from Japan and China." I for one feel that is very true and why when talking about Japan or China with Korean people it can become a touchy subject. It isn't random, of course, because it stems from a long history of invasion and hibernation from the world.

Korea has been invaded, annexed, occupied, liberated, and sometimes unwillingly protected, by Japan, China, Russia/The Soviet Union, and the United States over the past few centuries.Koreans tend to see themselves as members of a "race" that has been fighting for it's independence from foreign domination for centuries. This can result in Koreans being overly defensive towards anything they see as a threat to their way of life. This also makes many Koreans easily swayed to any point of view that plays upon nationalism.

The examples of this that come from living in South Korea are that you can have a really hard time talking about Korea in a critical thinking way with other Korean people. As an outsider one wants to understand why Korean people do what they do and also what they are thinking. Therefore one tries to find these answers by talking to their Korean colleagues. Yet in the end the result is usually of more confusion and that you possibly just pissed off the people you work with.

In my opinion, I don't think Korea has to change its Nationalistic attitude or all of sudden become a nation of people that don't see themselves as #1 amongst other nations. All I know is that when I come face to face with Korean pride that I have to take a step back and let this person have their moment.

Issue 2: How Korean people embrace and interact with non-Koreans.
When thinking about this issue I feel I need to try and get into the skin of a Korean person. To look at their world through their eyes.


What I see myself doing is when I walk down the street and see a foreign looking person that I slow down and stare at them. Maybe the child holding my hand will point and tell me that there is a foreigner nearby. We both stare and nod in agreement. Then move on.

Can I, the foreigner, really look at the world from a Korean's perspective? 

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Let's just say that recognizing and gawking at the outsider around you isn't specific to Korea. I believe that in any part of the world where the majority of people surrounding  you are all of the same type of race will lead you to naturally recognize someone who looks different. Small town America is still like this, but I feel most people in America are use to diversity either around them or on their television set. 

For a long time Korea has mostly been full of, yep you guessed it, Koreans. Day-to-day Korean people see dark hair and dark eyes all around them. Then slowly, more and more, people with different color eyes, hair, skin, body shape, speech and so on started to arrive (and stay). 

The reactions of Korean people vary from the subtle staring to shouting and being aggressive either in speech or within an online group that promotes racism. The interaction of Koreans with foreigners and their acceptance of them is at times horrifying and at other times humbling. Take for example this excerpt from the hate group Anti-English Spectrum:

Bothered by this, and gathering our power together, our consciences would not allow us to overlook this tragic story as if we were looking across a river. We are aware that loving your country does not only mean taking up arms and fighting in a war. Against illegal, low-quality English instructors who prevent our land from learning English and against English Spectrum, who debased and degraded the image of Korean women to that of one country's filthy national brand -- this is our strong fight!

hmm...

It goes without saying that I have experienced being treated like an outsider. 

It comes in various ways:

At work:

• There was a recent quarrel where myself and the other foreign worker became fed up of the overly use of Korean in our office. We get it, they are Korean and communicating in Korean is easier than English. But often we hear our names and then laughing or sighing afterward. We wonder what they are talking about and it leads to paranoia, which ends up festering. We tried to make the point that when we hear them use our names while speaking Korean it makes us feel insecure. That they should think about how it makes us feel to speak Korean most of the time in the office with our presence. They didn't get it. They thought we were overreacting and being silly. They told us that they can't help but speak Korean. But they didn't get that they should include us in their group and when they always speak Korean about work or other issues they leave us out. Leaving us out makes us truly feel like the "other". 
• In a nutshell this is an example of how at work you can often feel like the "other" and outsider due to that your Korean collegues don't see you as truly part of their group.

Outside:

• There is the staring. The pointing from children. 
• Parents make their children speak to the foreigner. 
• Whispering about the foreigner. 
• Note that I have never really had a terrible experience outside the house here in Korea. I have gotten use to the staring and forget the reason why. The hardest part seems to be riding the subway when you are in a tight space and anything could happen. I want to note that other foreigners (especially women) have had unsettling experiences.

Media:

• "Talk with Beauties" is a show that puts up beautified foreign women and talks with them in Korean. The conversations are scripted and most of what they talk about is junk. This kind of show takes the foreign woman and makes them exotic. Something that is really not helpful to our street image.
• Contrastingly there are many shows that show the foreign (especially white) man as a sexual predator. Because of this I have come across many Korean women (young and old) that believe foreign men just come to their country to do bad things and be a sexual predator. 

All of these are examples of how Korean people are confronting and dealing with the foreigners around them.

Conclusion and Reflection:

I am curious to know how Koreans embrace others from different cultural backgrounds. For now I believe that I am sure it is of no real big deal over there. That they coexist in a peaceful and sometimes hostile way. But I can't help but think that underneath the surface that some people may still feel some kind of historical and cultural opinion towards an outsider.

Those were my final thoughts from my original post on the subject. I believe I was definitely wearing rose colored glasses. Certainly the Nationalist feeling is strong here and reflects how Korean people see themselves amongst the other Asian nations.

Yet I think it is important to remember that there are millions of Koreans on this peninsula. Young and old I am sure you can find differing opinions than what was presented here.

In the end I keep in mind a philosophy that I use to keep myself sane while living here. That is: It is their stage and if they want to act and present themselves in a certain way in front of me than that is their choice. I am just the observer. And...the critic. 

*I hope you enjoyed this look back on my old post and that I showed how over time one's opinion can develop and change. It has been a while since I brought up politics like this and I hope I wasn't too broad. Thanks!

Korean Fever

It is World Cup time and never in my life have I ever been in such contact with people so devoted to their soccer (football) team.

They are so devoted that there are thousands in Seoul gathered to cheer the team on in the rain. The TV has been flooded with Pro-Korea commercials and songs, like these:

Tonight they are playing against Greece and already winning. JH is here at the seat of the couch rooting for Korea. I happen to have a little Korean flag and every time something good happens he shouts the chant and waves the flag.

It sure is exciting and gives me something to talk about with the coteachers at work. 

Go Korea~!

Peace through Art?

Something new popped up on the walls at school recently. They are works of art from the students depicting peaceful imagery between North and South Korea. I found this to be a relief considering there has been depiction of other types of school-art out there (here in Korea) that depicts less friendliness.

These of course are the selected paintings from the whole school. I suppose I should have asked but I am not sure what the art project was completely about. I can only assume it had something to do with peace and hope.

The one above has clear imagery referring to the Cheonan incident. I think it is great that students are allowed to think about the current political climate they live in and how to accept it or deal with it. Yet I also wondered what would North Korean children draw if given a similar assignment. Of course I will never know, however, I can assume it would lean towards propaganda.

As one got further down the stairwell the grades got lower and so the imagery became more simple and rudimentary.

The above one there is from 3rd grade and is quite creative and interesting I do have to say. For one he or she pretty much nailed the typical Korean freeway that usually goes straight through mountains. He has a lot of taeguks (Korean symbol) all over the place. Goodness he/she even remembered street lamps for the freeway.

Certainly would be nice if the dreams of these children, as depicted in their artworks would come true. However, I am just glad to see this kind of thought being taught in public schools here and hope it grows a nation of peace-minding people.