A Visit to the Neighbors

When I was seventeen I assumed I lived in the greatest part on Earth. Now, ironically 15 years later I still believe that is true. I can affirm that the San Francisco Bay Area is the most awesome place on this small planet. However, when I was a young naive lad I had never been to another country, and I was quite ignorant in believing that it wasn't necessary to go anywhere else. Like a typical Californian youth, I felt like all one needed in life was a job that provided the income for unlimited Taco Bell, convenience store stops, a Blcokbuster Card, a guitar, and a car to provide an occasional weekend beach visit. Yes, when I was young I was at the center of the world in northern California. The Bay Area for many of us was, is, and will always be 'hella cool.' It wasn't until a year later when I graduated high school that I realistically gave any thought to seeing another country. Like many young people who live in the land of a 21 year old minimum drinking age, we discover a place south of our tightly controlled border as a respite for tequila popping and cheap burrito binging. I was one of those creatures who, at the ripe young age of 18 discovered Mexico as a place for a young man to partake in such enterprises.

So in the summer in 1994 I visited our neighbors in Mexico. I came, drank, ate, and left with the experience that there are other places out there. When I came home, the visit to Mexico left me with an impression that there was so much more to see in the world. Actually, it had quite a huge impression on me, since I've spent most of the last eight years living in foreign countries. Now looking back at my life it seems mind boggling how many places I've seen; and to think it all started with a visit to the neighbors, where I discovered that foreign countries have something different, unique and interesting to offer.

As this blog is about life in Korea, I told myself I wouldn't write about other countries. Despite this, I will make an exception this week. The reason being is that I have just returned from a visit to Korea's Neighbors, Japan. Since Korea is Japan's neighbor I think it is fitting that I can state that another great thing about living in Korea in fact is its' proximity to Japan. Since many millions of humans have visited Japan, I won't go into too many details about things to see or do there. I will just tell you that if you haven't been, then you are simply missing out.

If you are an American and if you have been to Mexico, you will see that there is a huge difference between the two lands. I can attest that despite the relative close geographical distance both countries are both appealing, and compelling in a variety of their own separate ways. For example in America, everything is readily available. There is nothing like American convenience. Whereas in Mexico, things tend to move at their own pace-and if there is a soccer match on, then the pace becomes immeasurable. So for us living in Korea, Japan is an amazingly enchanting country to visit, which has many differences to life in Korea. Many people living in Korea seem to think that there aren't many differences between the two countries so they ignore Japan come vacation time and travel to more 'exotic' places like Thailand, or The Philippines. There are indeed differences.

The Koreans like to eat really spicy ramen soup, but if you like cheap sushi, and salty ramen visit Japan. In Korea you can learn taekwondo, but if you want to see a great baseball game, come to Japan. If you want to be left alone when you travel, come to Japan. Although, many of us know that if you want to be greeted by an innumerable amount of adorable children, come to Korea. The kids like to greet foreigners here, so if you are in Korea for a short stay, it's a wonderful experience. In Japan, you won't feel like an honored guest or anything, but if you like anonymity, then it's a good break from life in Korea. Additionally if you like to improve your language skills, then Korea is a better place to carry a phrasebook. Less people use English in Korea-with the exception of Seoul, where English is widely used in tourist areas. In Japan however, you can speak English, because they seem to be more used to foreign visitors. These are just a small array of examples about the diversity between two geographically close, but distinctly different nations.

So if you are in Korea, and if you do decide to visit Japan, then congratulations! Getting there is easy too. My illustrious, beautiful, travel agent/girlfriend casually arranged plane tickets from Seoul to Nagoya in Japan for 370 dollars return. It's a pretty good deal. The flight time is about two hours, and during that time, you actually get a pretty tasty lunch, with unlimited drinks to boot! Once safely on the ground in Nagoya, you can just jump on an express train for downtown for about 8 dollars. From there, you can catch a bullet train to anywhere in the country you desire. In Japan, bullet means what it means-bullet. We traveled 140 kilometers to Kyoto, in the time it takes for me to drink a half a cup of coffee; about 35 minutes.

You can also take a boat to Japan from Korea. This is what most people do. There is a hydro foil service from Pusan to Fukuoka. This Journey is about three hours and cost around 270 dollars return. I've heard it's a good service, but you need to book in advance, As many people seem to prefer the boat to the plane, because of it's cheaper rates. I get sea sick, and I am used to sitting in uncomfortable economy seats on planes, and eating single serving meals while wearing a tight seat belt. It's a miserable experience, but it's what I am accustomed to, so I'll stick to the proverbial friendly skies.

Traveling can be a life changing, rewarding experience, which money nor fame can give. Since I have no money, and I am far from famous-except at my school, I can say visiting different foreign countries at least give me a great deal of satisfaction, and a little understanding about the world we live in. Despite this notion of going to far away foreign lands bringing enchantment, it's interesting how unique the places that are geographically close to us also seem to be. If you go from California to Tijuana the food gets decidedly spicier, but if you go from Seoul to Tokyo you might look into your ramen and ask, what happened to the spice?