Wrong Impressions about Korean People ( Part 1)

Covid-19 forced me to stay at home and stop working for a while.

Right now, I have time to check my 8,000 plus e-mails (seriously) and chat with my friends.

During our conversations, some of my friends who are K-drama and K-pop fanatics

bombarded me with questions about Korea.

I honestly don't mind. I've worked as a Goodwill Ambassador of Korean Tourism last 2007 and 2008.

I love the country. So, it's natural for me to speak good things about Korea.

But in another chat room with friends and acquaintances together,

Some of them told me that while they are K-drama fanatics, they have bad impressions about Korean people.

Here are some of their impressions:

1. Korean people are racists. 

    

    My friends heard that Koreans don't like "poor-looking-dark-skinned-flat nose- short-people". I heard this too plenty of times. But, for the past 13 years, I haven't met any "racist" Korean yet. I met hundreds of Koreans and some of them are my friends and I am glad none of them are racists.

    I am not saying they are not racists. I just haven't met one. If ever there are Koreans who are racists, I think they are being racists not because they are Koreans but because that's their character.  They think of themselves as " highly superior" than other people. They want to feel good by insulting others. This character is not limited to Koreans. You can meet a racist person anywhere.

2. Koreans are rude to foreigners.

    Korea is always in the list of top favorite destinations of tourists, so this impression is absurd. I myself wouldn't come back to Korea again and again if they are rude to foreigners like me. 

  Actually, it is safe to get lost in Korea because there would always be someone who would help you find your way. They are polite and helpful. 

   In my experience, they are not "extremely" friendly but if you smile at them, they would smile back. Sometimes, they are misunderstood as "snobbish" when in fact, they are just shy to talk to foreigners because some can't speak English well. This doesn't mean they are being rude. Also, isn't it a natural reaction to be careful of people you just met? 

3. Koreans are violent and harsh people especially the men.

    I am not sure about this because I haven't met any "violent" Korean yet. 

    Korean men may not always "open the door" for ladies and allow them to go first....but this doesn't mean they are not gentle at all. 

    My friends got this  bad impression from K- drama scenes where a Korean man would slap the lady or hit the back of her head or pull her strongly.  What you see in the drama doesn't always happen in real life.

    My friends asked me if it's not "scary" to travel alone in Korea. I said "definitely not".  In fact, I highly recommend Korea to solo travelers. Because, not only are people nice but it is also one of the safest country I know.  It is safe to roam around even at night. Plus...good food are everywhere if you happen to be a "foodie"

    If you'll ask  me if they're all nice and good people? Of course not! Expect that bad people are everywhere. But so far, I haven't met a "bad person" yet in Korea and I was never treated badly.

4.. Korean ladies don't eat to stay slim.

    Most of my Korean friends are ladies and they all love to eat. I learned from them that it is possible to stay slim and still eat 3x a day.

    Their secret? They move and walk a lot. 

    If you're going to take the subway, you really need to walk and go up and down the stairs a lot (although you can choose to take the elevator or escalator).

    Most Koreans take the subway when going to and from work to avoid traffic and it's the fastest, cheapest and easiest way to go from one place to another.  Walking towards the station and transferring to another train burns a lot of calories. 

    Another tip is they eat healthy. Aside from eating lots of veggies and fruits, they eat Kimchi and they drink Barley tea almost everyday - these two helps in controlling weight by speeding up the person's metabolism. 

    Plus, a lot of Korean ladies now are into Yoga and Pilates. 

    They are normal people. Of course they eat :)

Please wait for part 2 :)

Covid-19 stopped me from going to KOREA

Since 2007, I have been visiting Korea 3-4x a year.
I've seen it many times and yet, I still love it.
I visited many different provinces and cities

But, I feel like there are places I haven't seen yet

So, I keep coming back.

Every year, there are new things to discover in Korea.
Every year, I am excited to come back.

It's my happy place. It's my second home.

But because of covid- 19, I am stuck at home.
My flights are cancelled. My tickets are rebooked.

What else can I do...but wait and pray
That this pandemic will be over soon.

and life will go back to normal

No reason to sulk and complain,

For I've been blessed.

I have thousands of photos and videos

of my trips in Korea.

By looking at each of them, I am reminded

that God did answer my prayers.

It took awhile, but He answered.

My friends keep telling me to write a blog 

about my trips in Korea.

I have thousands of photos and hundreds of videos.

I said, someday I will.

Maybe that someday is today.

Covid-19 stopped me from going back to Korea this year

But it did nothing to change my good memories of Korea

I am glad I took photos. I have something to remind me of moments gone

I am glad I took videos. I have something to remind me of where I have been.

To visit Korea is one of my answered prayers. 

Most specially because...I met my prince in Korea.

GO CLICK THAT POST BUTTON!

You want to say something about your day
or share how you feel
But you do not want to chat with anyone
You just want to write it on your page
to blurt out whatever it is that's been on your mind
Go ahead post it!

You want to write a comment on things you find
interesting, cute or funny
and you want to share that on your page
so your friends could laugh with you

Or you are outrage about some news you read in Facebook
and you want to get that anger or frustration out of your chest
Or you are just simply curious about something that catches your eye
Go ahead, write it! Your opinion matters

You found your meal too lovely to eat
so you took a photo to appreciate its beauty
and you want to show it to your friends
to give them an idea what to try next
Go ahead, upload it and share!

You are in a nice place but you are alone
and you want to meet up with friends nearby
catch up with them while you have time
or perhaps you are hoping to find a date
Go ahead post your current location

You are in a relationship
and you love taking photos when you're together
and you want to share it on your Facebook or Instagram
because you want to share your happiness
and to save those photos
so you have something to look back a year from now
Go ahead, post those sweet photos!

You are browsing your news feed
and you read a nice life quote
and you want to share it on your page
but afraid your FB friends might think you are talking about them
Go ahead! it's fine!
In fact, you might be helping someone by sharing it!

You went shopping and you bought plenty of nice stuffs
so you took a photo to share to your friends
your recent haul and where you bought them
You are not bragging.
You just want to share what you found in the mall
Girls love to talk about shopping
So, go ahead post it!


You went on a trip and you took hundreds of photos
From the moment you boarded the plane
up to the moment you're saying good bye to your tour guide
and you want to upload all those photos in an album
to serve as your "online hard disk"
and to share it to your friends
so they'll all see that you had a good time
and you have a skill in photography
Go ahead, post all those photos!


Girl, it's okay to post because it's your page!
As long as you're not being rude or nasty
As long as you're not insulting anyone
As long as you're not using photos that are not yours
As long as you're being honest and not pretending
Go ahead, enjoy your page. It's yours!

Expect that there will always be someone who will get jealous
Expect rude comments
Expect wrong judgment
Because some people are forgetting what respect is all about.
They are forgetting that they are just mere audience of your page
and they don't have any right to misjudge you.

Some people forget that there is such a thing as an unfollow button
IF they don't like what they see you on your page
If they hate seeing you on their newsfeed
Remind them that nobody's forcing them to follow you
There are people who don't like you
but are always watching you
Because deep inside, the are curious about you


So if I were you, only accept people who truly loves you
who acknowledge you for who you are
Get rid of those jealous people
You don't need a lot of friends
You only need few good ones
Hundreds of likes are nice
But a sweet comment from a friend is nicer

So go ahead...click that post button!

I LOVE THOSE THINGS I HATE BEFORE

I used to hate rainy days
I hate it when rain drops on my head
And my feet get wet as I walk on damp roads.
But now the sound of rain comforts me
I now prefer the cold damp weather
Over this hot and humid summer

I used to hate waking up early in the morning
But now I enjoy getting up just minutes after sunrise
I think it’s the best time of the day
When everything is quiet except for this tiny bird
that often visits my window
Yes I think I enjoy my time when I am alone
Not that I hate company…
I just enjoy quiet mornings more often now than before

I used not to like hot coffee or even warm.
I live in a tropical country so I prefer to drink something cold
But now, a cup or two or maybe even three of hot coffee completes my day
I like how it warms my hand whenever I am holding a cup
And I like how a warm cup comforts me when I am feeling down
You say coffee is not healthy. You say caffeine is bad
But if it can make me smile... I wouldn't mind.

I used not to like the color red.
I used to say it is my least desired color
But these past few years, as I look at my travel photos
I came to realize I have been wearing plenty of red attires
So better not say no to a color
until you have tried it on and looked at yourself in the mirror

I used not to like snails. Oh how I hate seeing them in our garden
Then one day, my big dog spotted a very small snail
Just as he was about to crash it with his big paws
I grabbed the snail with my bare hands
I didn’t think twice. In fact, I didn’t think at all.
I just know I have to save that tiny snail
And now that snail is bigger than my hand
Safe and having the best life in a corner I made for him
Or her?

I used to hate it whenever you cross my mind
I used to stop myself from worrying about you
Because you forgot me for a long time
And it breaks my heart
But now I smile when I think about you
I laugh at our memories when we were young
I know i will always care about you
You are my friend after all
I might not agree with you sometimes
I might not like the way you live now
I might not readily accept the new you
But it is still you.
We might forget to keep in touch again
We might be too far away from each other
But this one I am sure... when you need me
I will come and help you
And fight anyone who will go against you

photo credit to the owner of this photo


I guess it's true
The more you hate...the more you love