Musings on South Korea

I haven't made an update for a while because I have been musing on how I would describe this place as a whole.
I have been trying to go out as much as possible and force myself to do things I would not normally do. Oh, I still follow the wind like I was made out of leaves but it has been blowing me all around.

For example, I went to a bath house Sunday. Without going to much into detail (as I plan a whole update about it later) lets just say wearing anything is not an option. Truthfully, this factor did not bother me one bit and it surprised me that it didn't.

The feeling of South Korea is one mixed between hopelessness and possibilities. The hopelessness comes from the farming environment that accounts for more than half of South Korea. This leaves most of the older people riding buses every morning to the Kimchi fields for a hard days work. With the money they make they usually spend it on sending their children to better schools and buying them all they can. On a side note the reason kids are pushed so hard here in the field of education is because all their parents, who live in that endless cycle of farming, want their kids to break the cycle and do something better with their lives. If anyone reading this has ever lived in a small farming town they know the ramifications of this cycle.

However though all of this I have never met such a collection of people who are always smiling, always joking, always curious, always respectful of their elders not so accepting of their 6 days a week 12 hours a day schedule. They truly take pleasures in the small things and are happy just being around each other. They don't care so much about politics or religion differences (like in the states) they are just care about having fun and enjoying the life you are given.

To say that South Korea's culture is one of family (whereas the West is one of individuality) would be completely accurate.

I am so use to caring about politics and it being an everyday event. I am very use to worrying about all the small things and how things will work out. I am not use to not checking news sites. I am not accustomed to letting go. However I find the things that always gave me problems are now starting to go up in smoke and it feels like a heavy weight has been lifted of my chest. I care more about finding the next adventure, no matter how small or big, than how America is fucked on healthcare.

Don't get me wrong, I still think and debate on things that make my heart increasingly heavy but being here has breathed fresh air into these tired lungs. My fear, and one of the few ones left now, is that when I leave here this feeling will not travel with me.