Refreshing Honesty In Korea

I have included a few good religious jokes for those of you that like them. Got them off my Dad, of course!

One of the amazing things about Korea, is the people's honesty. It starts with the kids and goes through to the adults. Of course, there is always an exception to the rule, but most of the Korean people abide by their honour code and live their life adhering to it.

A Catholic driving too fast!

At my schools even the past ones, students very rarely ever cheated and they actually would tell you if someone didn't do their homework or got a wrong reward for something they didn't do. I saw so many times examples of this in the school. I was taken aback at first, but now I know it is the norm.

A Jewish, world class, olympic swimmer!

Today was another unbelievable example of a Korean being honest. I usually stop at one of the subway kiosks, as I am on the subway for 2 or 3 hours a day going back and forth from school to home etc.

Well, I guess 2 days ago, at this particular one at my school location in Sang-Il Dong, the man had charged me too much for a pack of crackers and a drink. I had no idea until today. He came up to me and explained in his broken English........"Yesterday, yesterday (which meant the day before yesterday,) I charge too much and feel really really bad, oh my heart feel so bad, I give you 500 won now back."

500 won is about the equivalent of 70 cents Canadian! It was unbelievable how bad this man felt and he kept apologizing and I think he was hoping that I would have come back the day before, so he could have given me the 500 won that he owed me.

As it was, I had not bought anything that day, as I had the wild shites and a really bad stomach ache and other ailments, which I am glad to say, are gone now.

Such a refreshing moment today for me. To think that honour is the most important thing to this small shop owner. I think it is great and it is once again, one of many reasons why I love living in Korea.

Figure this one out for yourselves......haha!!!

There are cultural differences wherever you go in the world, but in Korea the good one's make up for the bad one's, that is for sure.

I wish every country was as refreshingly honest as Korea is at times. Itaewon has a bad reputation for being a little 'dirty,' but that is because so so many foreigners work here........... the few always spoil it for the many. That is my philosophy anyway. Itaewon is not really that bad. Like anywhere, you learn to stay away from the scuzzy areas, especially late late at night. That is only common sense isn't it.

The nice thing about riding the subway for so long, is that now I am reading more. I have finished 3 novels in almost 2 weeks. The one that I am almost done is called, "The First Immortal." It is pretty good and it is about humans being able to live forever or as close to forever as they can. It was written in 1998, so it is interesting to see where the world has progressed, even since that time.