5 Months in ...

It's always useful to stop and look about as we cross the intersections, flying above the time zones, in our busy lives.

This weekend's intersection, for example, will find me traveling (via planes, trains, and other mobiles) two time zones, starting from my small South Korean city of Daejeon, up to Incheon Airport, for a flight to Hong Kong, and onward ... back back back ... to my adopted home of Thailand.

The Road Out of Town

It has been five months, more or less, since I've landed here in "The Land of the Morning Calm."

And what have I learned?

For one thing, I've come to understand that many of the "Asian-Buddhist rules" I already absorbed in Thailand apply here (among them ... avoid conflict, smile a lot, take it easy, and learn a little language to facilitate things).


But I've also come to understand that things can feel the "same same" as another Asian country, yet quite different.  Korea, to me, feels like a much more organized, and focused, version of what I've already experienced for many years, but is invariably its own entity.  I'm just beginning, really, to learn the rules here, and the peculiarities of Planet Korea.

One peculiarity is with my native tongue.  I have been, frankly, surprised to see that Koreans, for the most part, can't speak English as well as the average person in Thailand.  This is strange but true.  In some ways, perhaps, Korea moved forward quickly enough that the insulating "we don't need to learn any language but our own" bubble wrapped its protective arms about the country, and smothered that instinct.  Maybe it's just because English has been taught poorly enough over the decades, and isn't seen as a necessity, quite as much as in Thailand.

Pusan - the Relaxed City

Five months is enough time to have traveled a bit, and I've found that the capital city Seoul is Bangkokian in numbers of people, with equivalent levels of stress, but is clean and manageable.  The southern city of Pusan, however, is really my kind of city, with beaches, a bit of an artsy edge here and there, and very friendly people.  In other words, I'll want to spend much more time on the coast in Pusan.

Another learning moment has been getting used to the coldness and dryness of Korean winter, after the endless heat and humidity of Bangkok, but the winter has not nearly been as frightening as I thought it would be.  Heated floors keep things warm enough, and there is minimal snow, ice, and other wetness.  It's a livable winter, and there's stores on every block selling ill-fitting parkas and winter gear.  I've lived through tougher cold seasons in Vermont and Maine.

An important reminder I've learned, is how nice and comforting it is to be so close to nature and to be near enough to the possibility of hikes into forest and mountain.  Every single walk into the woods, even during colder days, has been worth it and has brought balance.  I love this about my new home, and I know this will continue to be a major part of my existence while I am here.  

Unfortunately, I haven't developed a strong sense of "home" here, but I feel comfortable enough and a sense of allegiance with the smaller, quieter Daejeon.  We have an apartment here, people are helping us out, and things have gone smoothly enough.  

Language Book ... mainly unused

One of the reasons, surely, that South Korea doesn't feel like home as much as it should is due to my lack of language ability, and the persistent challenges I face in communicating with taxi drivers and others (an obstacle that largely disappeared in Thailand). I vow to improve this during my second stint here, starting in February.

But most of all, I have learned how nice it is to share the experience of a "third culture" with someone else (my loving and wonderful wife Supalak).  The whole experience was that much more meaningful and fun with her by my side in the fall.  We are explorers hand-in-hand in our new world - not adrift, but learning, and growing together.  It has been a challenging couple of months during the Winter Intersession without her, but that too will change soon enough.

So with these thoughts down in blog-world, I can head at full speed toward this intersection ... back back back ... to Thailand and to a much needed rest in the waning days of the Year of the Horse.

Safe travels to us, one and all :-)

Always Better with Two