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| Making my very own Korean mask |
Long before I came
to Korea, I did a lot of reading about Korean history and modern Korean
society. I was very impressed that Korean people have a strong bond with each
other, that they unite together and work hand in hand to benefit their country.
In the books that I read, I’ve learned that Koreans believed that “You have to
lean on your background, your country and your people, so that you can walk
farther towards success; you shall never forget your origin.” And that is being
Korean. In relation to this, I’d like to cite my previous experience with
Korean people. During the years that I studied in Toronto, Canada, I met few
Korean friends and their families. Most of them were born and raised in Canada;
however, they surprised me that instead of speaking only English, all of them
can also speak perfect and fluent Korean. My friends told me that was because
their parents were serious in preserving their heritage. They insist that
cultivating their own culture is important especially when raising children
overseas. One should never forget where he came from. That is the spirit which
attracted me so much to the country of Korea and to its people.
Like Korea, my
country Taiwan had been through so much in history. We were ruled by Spaniards,
Netherlanders, Japanese. We’ve been fighting against (and/or communicating
with) the northwestern power of China. However, unlike Korea, Taiwanese people
are used to foreigners. Taiwanese people get used to different culture easily.
They are well known as easygoing and nice group of people. On the other hand, I
think we need to emulate the Koreans in terms of their patriotism and
nationalism – their sincere love and respect for their own culture and history.
I think it’s a point of improvement for Taiwanese people.
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| My very first Samulnori experience in Korea |
Both countries were
named as Four Asian Tigers (or Dragon). From 1970s, these two countries pride
themselves of being able to create the Taiwan Miracle, and Korea Miracle. It is
a great milestone for both countries.
These are the few
observations I’d like to share. I think that despite the fact that two countries
are different in certain ways, we are actually like brothers. We should respect
and cherish each other to make Asia or this world a better place.
