Two nations: South Korea and Japan

In order to go to Toronto, Seoul happened to be a transit city to stay over a night in, but I was a little nervous about how I would be treated by Korean after the earthquake. Some news reports say they are disappointed at mal-maneuvering of the Fukushima nuclear power plants, which ended up in releasing out radioactively contaminated water and air to the sea and the sky. They enjoy seafood. They live close to Japan: but both the air and the sea are connected as one over there. They stopped raising up donation and elementary schools cancelled their classes on a rainy day.

Anyway, I arrived at the Incheon international airport. I found an information desk for hotels, where I could ask for a pickup from the hotel I already booked in. The girl at the desk called the hotel then told me to wait at the second lane after the door nearby. I went out of the building, getting to the second lane. I saw cars and vans picking up tourists there, but where on the lane should I wait?? It was a long lane. What if I missed it?  They didn’t know how I looked. I became nervous. I walked up and down the lane trying to figure out where I should be, trying to find any sign or any personnel who I could ask to. Then a young man, who I thought was a traffic man taking care of only pedestrians to be safely crossing roads, spoke to me. I explained in English that I was waiting for a pickup from my hotel. He couldn’t understand English. I just repeated PICKUP, Sevillia hotel, then he understood the part. After he thought for seconds, he told me to follow. He was heading for the information desk I already came by, leaving his job behind.  The lady there still said only THE SECOND LANE, not WHERE on the second lane.  Anyway he went back to the road. The time was almost 12, which is the time the lady said the pickup van would be arriving at.  He started running down the lane. It seems he was looking for my bus, running around.  I followed him, he ran up the lane again, and suddenly he waved his hand to me to come over there. When I got there, the pickup service guy was there welcoming me.

I said THANK YOU many times to the traffic guy with a big smile to express my biggest gratefulness to him, but he was already busy with his job back at the pedestrian street.

The old ladies at a local restaurant were also affected by the news. When they found it unable to communicate with me in Korean, they asked whether I am Japanese or not. They just gave me normal service; five small side dishes for one customer. The meal was tasty and cheap. They turned away their faces when the news about a big aftershock was on TV, trying not to see me. I believe that was their kindness.

The media report always gives us a collective idea that the whole nation hates Japan. There are such people, but they are just a part. We cannot be so mean personally to someone before your eyes as if they would charge the responsibility to him/her.

I don’t want to see these two nations hate each other. I want to be a good friend with them. When I eat Korean food, I admire its delicacy. When I hear Korean, I would like to learn it. It sounds so cute. Their civil designing is awesome. They make small sidewalks along rivers so that people could enjoy jogging or river-side walking. I saw many mini-windpower lights along the road. 


We undoubtedly share the same blood. Korean people cannot tell that I am Japanese. Korean celebrities are cool so people beyond generations or sexes are familiar with them in Japan.

Every time I come to Korea, I remember this. Long time ago, I was lost in Seoul. That was the first visit to Korea. Unprepared with any useful phrases or illiterate in Korean.  An old guy, who was able to speak Japanese, had such kindness to take me to the museum I was going to. I asked why he is nice to me although I am Japanese, even though he knew what the then Japanese soldiers did to Korean in WWII. He said, “we are the brotherhood nations, we have to be nice to each other.”
 

I cannot forget his words. Making friends whatever their nationalities may be is not just fun but it might connect to peace even though it could be 1mm step forward. We don’t want fights even between friends. As a high school teacher, I repeatedly talked about the importance to go abroad for new experiences to my students. I am no longer a teacher, but I hope they will remember my words and meet more people to know each other.

Personal international relationship might expend to or expand world peace. The mass media like to broadcast sensational news to shock us, but we always have to know that there are always people who like to be nice to each other over nations.