Tribes

I know that I have been ignoring this blog. All I have to say is that I have bought a ticket back to the USA and it is seeming more and more desirable by the day. I can't wait for a good burrito made by a person from Mexico. And I love green things. Nothing here is green except for some of the vegetables. The ground and the trees and the sky and the rivers are brown. I guess it is the winter.

Why is the title of the posting what it is? Because I have come to realize that the Korean society is like a tribe, much more-so than any other country in the developed world that I have encountered. Much of the Korean way of life can be traced back to feelings of insecurity stemming from the fact that they pretty much have constantly been fighting off the Japanese or the Chinese or the Russians/Mongols for centuries.

Everything is the same, everyone is the same. Everyone wears the same thing, and eats the same thing. There are only like 5 or 6 different dishes that the people here eat. There are variations on these dishes, such as in broth or not in broth or with spicy peppers or not, etc. There's kimchi and there's soju, two things that a Korean person will swear are good for your body and they cannot live without, but these things are not enjoyed anywhere else. There's Samsung and LG, there's Hyundai and Kia. Korean companies have an intense grasp on everyone living in Korea. Everyone has the same haircut, and shops at similar clothes places. Everyone has the same appliances in their house and the idea of doing anything differently, and I mean anything, causes the strangest of looks and most automatic of judgements. Everyone listens to the same music, there are no developing art or culture scenes that are not traditionally Korean themed that aren't dominated by foreigners.

I mention the word foreigner there. I am a little unhappy with Korea right now, I won't lie. One of the things that upsets me on a regular basis, and upsets me more and more, is the fact that, to my face, Korean people constantly refer to me as a foreigner. For example, when I am waiting in line to get something, the person taking the order will tell her fellow coworkers that there is a foreigner in line who needs their order taken. Or if I am walking down the street, sometimes I hear people call something out to me using the word foreigner and I can't understand what they are saying. Maybe I am too sensitive, but imagine if I referred to someone in the USA as a foreigner? Yes, I would sound racist. And imagine if I called someone a foreigner to their face? I almost can't even imagine such a thing.

I'll say it again, and I am really really excited to say it again, and keep saying it. I can't wait to go back to the USA. My good friend Micah said that his trip to the USA really cleared his head. I really want that right now. Then I think I could do more time here, easily.