My Comeback to Dream Land

These are snippets from a young man’s dairy, who started for Korea with enthusiasm, ambitions, dreams, to learn the lessons of life and to meet the destiny. He was well aware of the fact that Korea has transformed itself from a “The land of Morning Calm” to the “Dynamic Korea”. He was also eager to see a girl, who only knows him as a guy with glasses on. These are experiences from two different visits, first, when he came to Korea for a month long project as student and now as an employee for a longer time. My experience, in Korea, can not be described in few paras or pages and languages fell short of words too. You are always welcome to visit my personal blog to feel what are the heights of excitement and fun I had in Korea.

.…I was delighted to see my ticket to Korea in mail box and I was supposed to traveling as Global Intern to Samsung. But time starting was too short. There was no enough time to ask about my where about in Korea to someone in Samsung. When I left my home, I hardly know someone in the place where I was about to land in few minutes. I started thinking about it as soon as the air-hostess gave me immigration from to fill. I was little nervous, as I was traveling to a nation, where some hardly can understand my language, with no clue where I am head to. On the other hand, I had a strong intuition that someone will be there to receive me at the airport. The other alternative was to call up HR in Samsung and get the direction……

…..I was looking for a host with my name card in hand. I saw a beautiful girl holding my name card. She was definitely more beautiful than the air-hostess gave me the immigration form. The first thing I noticed is that the people are beautiful in this country. I had the first personal interaction with a native Korean. Asked lot of silly questions like, what is the sun raising time, working environment at company, living and everything. She answered everything politely and patiently. When I stopped for a minute, she opened her hand purse and started applying lipstick. I saw this only in Hollywood movies before, and never had a feeling that someone can do this in real life too.

As she was busy, I sneaked out of window. Whether was too good as felt as rained just before. Wide roads, lined up with green hills and mountains, and car running at 100Km/Hr was a dream that came true for a traveler. I fell asleep after few minutes due to tiresome journey of more than eleven hours. I only opened my eyes after reaching the beautiful calm city of Suwon. I am a country boy love to live in clam, cool, and peaceful place. I was tired to traffic, crowed, noise and hectic long travel to go to work, as I worked in Kolkotta, most densely populated city of India, for four months. Living in place like Suwon was dream to me.

Our car stopped near a cluster of tall buildings, telling the story of transformation. The security system and CCTV cameras at apartment and park was telling the story of application of technology in real life. Finally, we entered the apartment and this was my first house after living in dormitory for last eight years. I can only one term for this kind of accommodation, “Perfect Home”. Every thing, right from kitchen to bed, living to store room was arranged wonderfully. These things were reflecting simplicity, cleanliness, and perfection in acts and thought of the community I was going to work with.

….I came out for dinner, and saw the friendly smiles from strangers for the first time in my life. I had a feeling that I am living in this country for last century and know everyone living being here. The warm welcome, hospitality, helping nature, and a heart whelming “Namaste” from young school girls, which I never experienced before, made me to comeback to this country.

….As I started working with Korean natives, I learned they are quite intelligent, hard working, open to new ideas, and good human beings. They are ready to accept change and learn new things but not at the cost of their culture. Social hierarchy matters more in this country. Whereas, in western society intellectual and financial hierarchy are the real factors that matters most. Here, my AGE also matters a lot. Every one is also interested in my weekend schedule too. To me, personal touch to anything matters more, and questions like these gives a sense of belongingness. Korea was successful in exploiting my weakness.

I know that getting used to food will take time. I talked to the people, who traveled across Korea, they all expressed the single concern “FOOD”. There are few interesting things I learned here. First is dinner timing, I never thought one can take dinner at 5:30 PM, usually in India we take dinner at 8:00 PM. Using chopsticks was the thrilling experience to me. During initial days my Korean friends used to suffer a lot because of my fight with chopsticks and they have to wait till finish. Even now, I struggle with them but don’t feel pain in my hand muscle. I love them (my metal chopsticks). I enjoyed the best sea food here, Shrimp, Squids, Oysters and seaweed are few to name apart from fishes. It will be injustice if don’t mention kimchi here. I can proudly say, “Kimchi” is life saver for me most of the time.

I am really not on to shopping, as I am not married. But, fortunately or unfortunately, I used to visit a shopping mall in Suwon. I mean, every day at least once. There are days when I had been there more than once. I call this place as sacred place in Suwon. It was Mosque, Church and a Temple to me. It was a park, dating spot and a relaxing place to me. Unfortunately, it is a famous shopping mall, “Home Plus”. I used to go every section right from food to sports, men to ladies, cosmetics to kids accessories, office accessories to electronic goods. Not to buy something, but to see Korean taste and understand culture and needs of different generations, genders. I spend most of my time in kids section. I like Korean kids. They are cute, smart, naughty and energetic. Given a chance to me, I would like to adopt a Korean girl. Why girl? Answer to this may need another three pages.

I traveled across different nations, and used metro (subway) for transportation. All the nations, I traveled before, were English speaking or had a English as their official language. I never had a problem. I had a wonderful experience in Korean subway that reminds me of a proverb my father told me, that sounds like “The nation which reads is the nation that leads”. I saw most of them either carrying a news paper or a book. Whether they are standing or on seat, they read. I am looking forward to see them after another 10 year. I wish my father’s words prove to be correct. I would like to say that if you want to see the real fashion, travel in metro during college hours or go to university. It will injustice if don’t appreciate the hard work and patience of Korean Girls on their diet. Most of them are too perfect and daring to wear whatever they feel like. Most of the fashion cloth suites them well.

Being a practicing Muslim, it will be unfair if I don’t mention about religious life in Korea. Korea is proved to be a wonderful place to me religiously too. One of my Korean friends helped to find a mosque and other one helped to seek pilgrimage within a month after reaching here. They care and respect my food and religious habits and I respect their views and habits. I love them all and I think expecting anything more than this will be injustice. In Korea, I feel more safe, secure, free and comfortable in most aspects of life.

I have spent only a little time here and learned a little, and learned to read my omens for more. I am looking ahead to have lots of friends, attend marriages, birth and death ceremonies, family functions and other customs too. I am eagerly looking to talk to some elderly persons who witnessed the Korean transformation.

At the end I would describe Korea in five words Progressive, Harmonious, Hard working, Smart and Cultured nation.