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There are so many Koreans in the Philippines; one has to visit Korea
to figure out why.
Arriving early morning in Busan, the second
largest city and the fifth largest port in the world, the first
impression is the courtesy of the people and spanking-clean
surrounding. The Koreans we have can be unruly especially when they
get drunk in the streets. I wonder how they tolerate the dirt and
grime back home.
Very low level of English is next. The fastest
and most effective way to not make friends is to ask: “Do you
speak English?” And they moved from a war-ravaged, split nation to
a developed country in less than four decades. Speaking English is
not the barometer of success in any language.
Koreans are like Japanese in eating habits.
Forgive the comparison, given the historical animosity brought about
by attempted conquests but raw seafood is a national passion. So is
soju the national alcoholic drink equivalent to sake. Strong and
smooth and clear and cheap and not a traitor. They also sit on
tatami mats and use metal chopsticks.
With my friends Lear and Pao, we roam the
streets near the 1.5 kilometer Hyundae Beach, their most famous one
which, pardon me and my hosts, is nothing compared to Boracay. It is
similar to Waikiki in infrastructure and feel. A few minutes away
are the green and sharp hills. It is a rugged land with long
tunnels, winding roads and massive bridges.
We are here on a training mission to hopefully
design courses for use in both private and government sectors. For
the latter, a financial literacy program that will provide the
knowledge, skills and attitude to manage money, a land registration
project that will solve the lingering problems of schools squatting
on property because the titles are not transferred and a National
Criminal Information System that will track all the criminals in the
country without hopping from island to island in search of missing
records.
The age of majority is 20. Anything below is
juvenile crime, so our police escort tells us. There is still a red
light district somewhere near downtown. Theft is the most common
crime.
Fashion sense is acceptable. It is spring after
all and everyone dresses casually and light. White cotton with
prints prevails. Girls prefer either high, high heels or rubber
shoes. More color here than in Hong Kong or Singapore. Filipinos are
the better dresser, thumbs down.
Fewer people compared to Manila. This is true
worldwide I guess. Manila is super-congested. In sites, shops and
subways, there are practically no queues and no crowds.
Koreans are not a happy people. Their faces are
long and light up only when you give a friendly wave or say hello.
Otherwise, they bury their eyeglasses in newspapers and cover their
ears with music. It is a reading culture.
There are no poor people. I only saw an old
woman near the park. No beggars of any kind. It is an impressive
achievement. Even major cities in the United States and Europe
suffer the poor and the needy.
An explosion of Christian evangelicals is taking
place. It is the fastest-growing religion this side of East Asia.
Buddhism is losing flock as fast. Catholics remain a silent
minority. Islam is practically non-existent although there is a
small mosque somewhere.
Am lost in Korea with its old temples and forts,
strange characters both written and moving and wonder why Koreans
leave? My friend points to the sky and says it is the sun that gets
them to move. In the islands we call home, the sun always shines
even through typhoons; the people perpetually cheerful despite the
high power costs and expiring load credits.
Koreans eventually return, I guess, as do
Filipinos long gone for work, family and personal fulfillment.
mabinihall@gmail.com
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