Thousands of years ago Aristotle, one of the most greatest minds that human race has ever faced, said “The primary source of human knowledge is experience”. On the basis of this Aristotelian proposition if we ask a question to our selves that can a mere experience be of such a great significance in our lived? The answer is simple and straight, yes off course, But more important is how and why types of questions. To answer these questions I will refer to you some experiences that changed the whole course of human history. These experienced are of two types, individual and collective or some kinds of social experiences.
Magna Carta (1215) was one of the greatest and most impacting experiences for mankind. In western world it changed the life and afterwards it influenced the whole earth. Holocaust was another terrible but influential experience and its consequences are shaking the bases of humanity even now a day. Let me furnish some individual experiences here that made a great impact on us in any ways. These days we can feel race between different countries to settle themselves on moon and space. Man is conquering new planets every year and Mars is no more secret and mythical for the man of 21st century and our eyesight is increasing everyday. But have you ever poured down what became the basis of all this research and search about space and development of space crafts? What made it possible for man to float in such a huge universe and maintain its control while central gravitational point is still earth? Answer is “An experience” by Isaac Newton. Yes that experience of falling of an apple. On the basis of this experiment he was able to furnish the law of gravity and recognizing earth as center of gravity. If he could never have experienced fall of that apple may be moon was still a myth of beauty and far cry as it was once. If George Stephenson would have not experienced the power underlying the steam what was going to be condition of our mechanical development. Off course terrible. And please remember these were not experiments they were only the experiences on the basis of which later on experiments were carried out. So basis of all these experiments were experiences of these genius minds. Our experiences are basis of all this development and progress whether it is material or non material around us.
I am going to talk about an experience that may be not affected mankind or world but it had such a deep impact on my life that I am not the one who once I was. This is my experience of cultural exchange with Koreans. Before going deep in gaining and loss that I faced through this experience I would introduce myself as a learner of Korean language and culture but I always tried to leave an impact on whoever I met in my life during my stay in this 5000 years old country and off course civilization. I will try to make it as simple as much I can and will provide you an essence of my learning and summarize my experiences one by one.
When I came on this land of love, joy and happiness I already had a little knowledge about Korean life style, people and culture but I was not aware how far my thirsty soul was from this oasis with all its pleasures. As soon as I landed on the Incheon airport I experienced the efficiency and best management of the nation. Although my subject is about my experience of interaction with Koreans I don’t want to miss the most influential thing I face “The Korean weather”. Although it was end of February but it was freezing cold in Incheon where is the country’s biggest airport Incheon International Airport. And I confess the first feeling was inclination to go back to my country because I am an animal of mild weather. But soon I was so mesmerized by automatic doors, heated bus stops beautiful and stylish girls that I even forgot that I wanted to go back ten minuets before.
Let’s come back to my subject, my experience with Korean people. The first ever Koreans I met personally and talked were my Korean language school teachers. Before meeting these teachers I could never imagine such a great commitment and devotion from a teacher. Their attitude, preparation for lessons and specially patience was worth appreciating. They made the process of learning so interesting that we were learning without any strenuous and hard work. They supported me, taught me and sometimes even bore me. Yes bore me because sometimes I was not good in discipline but they handled me so well that if I think about that now I just smile. They taught grammars vocabulary Korean expressions and some times even necessary abuses so we could be prepared to enter the society. But the one thing that is worth mentioning is that I experienced very closely is continual of experiencing Koreans hard work, commitment, devotion and professionalism that can be seen through every section of their life.
Before entering in the Korean society in general I had some extra experience that helped me to prepare for my life in Korea and that is Korean buddy, a Korean student assigned by university to foreign students who help them in settling in university. This experience gave me understanding of what Korean youth feels, their problems, their foresight, their potential and being honest this program first time introduced me to real Korean society. Before this I was just
studying about Korea, Korean life, Koreans and Korean culture but first time now I had real experience .It helped me a lot. But there was a bad thing I learnt so many abusive words that I could easily fight verbally even to a native speaker. But as a whole it was one of greatest experience here in Korea.
My next step was entering university to study my major and because it was all in Korean language I was so afraid. In fact it was first time in my academic life that I was terrified of learning some thing new. There were so many questions, like will I able to understand a lecture in Korean? How will be my classmates and their behavior to me? How will be professors? But after one week of commencing my studies it was such a great fun that everything bad in my mind was vanished. And frankly speaking I can say I love my education here.
Above all this the most exciting thing is my entry in Korean social life or my general life. As a foreigner the most interesting for me is Korean Alcohol culture. These guys are in love with alcohol. You can not imagine life without alcohol. If someone wants to be frank with you he or she will invite you for drink. Despite all of greatness of this culture some people think this culture is one of reasons of high rate of rapes in Korea but if you ask me I will oppose. I never felt any thing like this. Their drinking style is fully mannered and cultured. Korean romance also inspired me. One may find so many couples even on campus and on side of roads kissing and hugging each other. May be for some one it is bad but if you ask me, I love it.And off course I am not going to tell you anything about my emotional life because it is personal and private. Next thing worth mentioning is dedication and support of these people for foreigners, if you ask someone about address you will get as much help as they can. If you luckily become guest of a Korean they feel it an honor to buy food for you. But even if you are frank to them they avoid inviting you to go inside their houses. There are some Korean greetings that annoyed me first but now as I understood I respect.Hand shaking and bending are most popular greeting styles after verbal greetings. They asked me about my age, marital status, did I eat meal and where are you going so much that I got crazy sometimes. They are so great in greetings that sometimes they will ask you, How was it? When you come back from toilet and I start laughing when I was greeted first time after getting back from toilet.But now I love this culture of greetings. New year, thanks giving day, national foundation day etc are major holidays. The one thing that annoyed me at first and is still annoying me is common bath. I will never understand philosophy behind this culture. Koreans are in love with music that’s why K-pop is getting popular around the world and music rooms can be seen around the country.
As a foreigner only once I was discriminated due to my nationality from an old person but it is not that common. Its very rare to discriminate someone on the basis of skin color or nationality or at least I should say openly. Women and men are thought to be equal and society is progressing fast towards a society where there will be no discrimination on the basis of sex. It’s a great society to live and Koreans are great people to be friend. Almost everyone hates Japan either openly or in heart and if you study the gloomy part of Korean history you can understand the reason.
I have hundreds of things to tell about Korea, Koreans and Korea to me and Koreans to me but because space is too short so I can not count everything but I have to say I love my life here and I love Korea and Koreans. May be Columbus was not that happy after discovering America that I am here in Korea. I should say “I love you Koreans”.
