I am sure any of you who have traveled, probably, know that it is easier befriending other travelers than it is to befriend native inhabitants of wherever it is you decided to explore. The same conundrum exists when trying to live in a new locale, although let's be honest, I only lasted one month. All of my friends acquired from South Korea were either American or Canadian.
I think it makes complete sense that I liked most of the American individuals that I met during my short sojourn. One can only assume that this comes from a shared sense of understanding in a foreign country as well as the similarities that brought us to the same corner of the world. All of the people I met were generally affable people who wanted to see the world and have a good time. It was very refreshing to meet so many young people that wanted to experience life outside of the borders of the United States.
However, I really do wish that I could have befriended some South Koreans. The fact that I found it difficult to make Korean friends might come from the fact that many South Koreans tend to hang out with their co-workers and mine were not worth befriending or weren't allowed to talk to me.
These thoughts have irked me since I started reading about Greg Mortenson of the Central Asia Institute and Three Cups of Tea fame. He made fast friends with individuals in Pakistan and Afghanistan who helped him fulfill his mission to bring the literacy rates up in countries where the educational system is completely forgotten in certain areas. I am positive that it helps that he a) is doing something for the benefit of the people of those nations and b) that he speaks the language or languages. Eventually, I hope to be able to emulate his ease of finding individuals willing to help me venture forth and accomplish something for which I am passionate. Perhaps that will come in time. He was in his 30s after all and had found his calling. And I am not sure that teaching English as a second language is of the utmost importance to me. It frankly was a vehicle to get me to a foreign country and, bluntly, I feel like a spreader of "soft imperialism." Once I find a cause worth mentioning maybe I can rally troupes around said cause.
Anyway, I would recommend that everyone read Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools about Greg Mortenson's work in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The story is inspirational and yet the books do not romanticize his work or how he happened to accomplish many of the things he did. It shows a man who traveled to far flung reaches of the world and found a place where he could feel useful by helping educate the children that he grew to admire for their dedication to their studies even under very harsh conditions. These two books really helped highlight the urgent need to help people even if it seems impossible. But, it also shows that small steps help to fix huge problems. We just have to take the initiative to take those first small steps forward.
