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Gamecock
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
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 Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:57 am Post subject: |
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| I have learned that the world is really a cruel, unjust, vicious place and that I should be thankful to have grown up in the relatively wealthy utopian cocoon that I did. I have also learned that in the midst of the greatest poverty, suffering, and violence (through which much of the world struggles), there are countless acts of goodness, kindness, and selflessness that give me hope. |
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PimpofKorea
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Location: Dealing in high quality imported English
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 4:13 am Post subject: |
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| What have I learned.....not a goddamned thing..... (except that a well timed kick in the ballz can really do a man in) |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| PimpofKorea wrote: |
| What have I learned.....not a goddamned thing..... (except that a well timed kick in the ballz can really do a man in) |
I got to give you props here for a funny reply. |
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PimpofKorea
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Location: Dealing in high quality imported English
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:46 am Post subject: |
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| jajdude wrote: |
| PimpofKorea wrote: |
| What have I learned.....not a goddamned thing..... (except that a well timed kick in the ballz can really do a man in) |
I got to give you props here for a funny reply. |
Thanks...I'll be here all week |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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I've travelled fairly extensively (Turkey, Italy, USA three times, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Korea......all since 2000, and much more in Europe before that) but I've reached the stage when travelling bores the *beep* out of me and simply don't wish to do any more.
Something I've definitely grown out of is the bar/beach holiday with male friends. I do not envisage wanting to partake in one ever again. Bangkok/Phucket in summer 06 with my buddy from Seoul was largely a waste of money and time, although I do have some kickass memories.
If I still lived in England, I'd go on skiing holidays in the Alps in winter for sure and possibly to a Turkish resort in summer, but at this stage in my life, I'm gonna go home and see friends/family once per year (3-4 weeks) and that's it - my company pays for the return flight incidentally. If that wasn't the case, I might not even wanna do that!  A trip to Japan or China would be lovely but absolutely not a priority. |
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Buff
Joined: 07 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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I've learned who my friends back home really are.
I've learned what I'm capable of. Scaring yourself silly is a good thing from time to time.
I've learned that there are some lovely, lovely people in the world. |
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ella
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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| I know it sounds cliche, but there really are some commonalities: most people want meaningful ways to spend their days, to feel safe and loved, a good life for their children, and so on. It always astounds me how alike people really are, no matter where they live. |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
1. That I'm so lucky to be born white, and from a developed country. I have the freedom to cross borders with ease and find work in a number of countries. I can study in 3 countries at as a domestic student. I can go to most places in the world and safely assume that someone there will speak my mother tongue because I don't speak the local language.
2. With relationships - friendship or otherwise - it's amazing how much time and situation lulls you into a false sense of intimacy and after a while you start to realize how transient most people in your life really are. So many relationships, friendships or otherwise, are based so much upon common everyday situations; age, occupation and location. But you find that once that commonality is removed, you aren't left with much else and these people quickly disappear from your life once they've cleared customs. So you learn to be careful with who you invest yourself with.
3. Being removed from your own culture allows you to see past the boring common elements of friendships and allows you to make interesting connections with people you probably wouldn't have if you were living in your home country.
4. Travel allows you to be liberated and humbled at the same time. You are free from the constraints that your own culture puts on you which allows you to be more of your true self than the one you put on display for others 'back home.' But at the same time you find yourself having to ask for help about the most basic of survival needs which infantilises you as well. |
I agree with all your points. Point number two is the reason we need to learn how to be lonely. I go out a lot by myself in Korea. I'm sure many Koreans think I am so lonely and have no friends. I went to a bar alone on Saturday and a guy siting there asked me if I had any Korean friends. When I told him I do, he asked me why I was in there alone if I had so many friends.  I was supposed to meet a "friend" today and she cancelled on me at the last minute, so I get to spend another day alone. I find bothering with meeting up with people is just a pain. |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Buff wrote: |
I've learned who my friends back home really are.
I've learned what I'm capable of. Scaring yourself silly is a good thing from time to time.
I've learned that there are some lovely, lovely people in the world. |
Yeah, see how many people will still speak to you once you have left the country. Your native country or Korea for that matter. |
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winnie
Joined: 08 May 2005
Location: the forest
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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I've learned that money doesn't bring happiness. How many times did I drive past people who were so poor, but yet still smiling and looking so happy...and then there's me, a comparably rich tourist with a frown, complaining about this and that....i've gotta wonder why they are happier than i am.... i've thought about this many times.....
and also i've learned that life is so short, just do what you wanna do, you never know when life is going to be over for you...this was put into perspective in India, as I watched people being cremated and dumped into a river....perhaps yesterday they were gardening...and tomorrow they are a bucket of ashes on someone's head. |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:19 am Post subject: |
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- that westerners are a bunch of spoiled whingeing brats compared to most people on this world.
A few other gems from my book...
*most people aren't aware of even 1% of the diversity of life around them.
*All organisms on earth are in conflict, openly or secretly, including people.
*goodness is usually recieved as weakness.
| Quote: |
| perhaps yesterday they were gardening...and tomorrow they are a bucket of ashes on someone's head. |
good insight winnie: yes it can happen to any one of us, at any time. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:14 am Post subject: |
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Strange but true: the people with the most complain the most. Why? Who the hell knows.
"Ouch my poor back is killing me from carry this huge sack of money, and damn, I just can't fit this turkey in my fridge."
" I sure do admire those Africans who make weight loss look easy, they got it so good." |
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Natalia
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:33 am Post subject: |
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I have been travelling around most of my life, and come from an ex-pat family, so coming to Korea didn't really show me anything I didn't already have an idea about.
However, this one really stood out:
| crazylemongirl wrote: |
2. With relationships - friendship or otherwise - it's amazing how much time and situation lulls you into a false sense of intimacy and after a while you start to realize how transient most people in your life really are. So many relationships, friendships or otherwise, are based so much upon common everyday situations; age, occupation and location. But you find that once that commonality is removed, you aren't left with much else and these people quickly disappear from your life once they've cleared customs. So you learn to be careful with who you invest yourself with.
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This - in recent years - has really come to my attention. It seems most people who travel go and have their one big 'life-changing' experience, and then return to whatever normal life they had already mapped out for themselves.
I have met people and formed relationships in various countries, only to have them fall completely out of my life when they go home and revert to whoever they were before.
A very close friend who was my flatmate for two years in Europe went home and became someone I didn't know. The few times I have been in contact with her since all we have to talk about are our funny experiences five years ago. Beyond that I now realise we are such completely different people there really is little there to sustain a friendship.
It's kind of sad, but is also the reason I don't feel the need to go rushing out to 'foreigner' bars the moment I arrive in a new country. |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:32 am Post subject: |
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| twg wrote: |
This may be a cliche, but~
Don't drink the water. |
yes and after spending two days throwing up into a toilet in a phnom penh guest house I can add - don't eat the mystery meat. |
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The Chewbacca Defense
Joined: 29 May 2004
Location: The ROK and a hard place
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| Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:37 am Post subject: ... |
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| Not all the people in the country I am visiting are trying to rip me off. Some of them are being nice because they are nice people. |
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