Took a bus ride to Seoul National University today just for the heck of it. Around 40 minutes. Unfamiliar environment and faces. Needed this 'newness.'
When I got to the campus, one word accurately described the setting--dry. As the grass turns brown and shrivels when no water is sprayed, as the throat cries out for liquid when one walks amidst the wind for some time, as a guy drags his feet to fetch the soccer ball his friend had kicked afar--so was the campus dry.
One striking thing that I remember is that I didn't see any couples! This indeed is a striking observation, because in Korea, you can't take too many steps without spotting a couple. Another observation made on the way back: nearby, there was a small town for the students to relax and get some air (food), and on a huge building was a banner that read, "울지마라. 외로우니까 사람이다." This was way too hilarious. These guys need a constant reminder that they are indeed humans, not robots who study all day. So depressing...
Recently I read several fb statuses from students from prestigious univs in korea expressing their confusion or lack of motivation to study let alone live. Wow talk about hopelessness! Most of their life goals from early age is to "just study hard" to get into these 3 schools, and once they get in, only then do they question their purpose in life. Unjust way of culture to entrap kids but a sad reality.
Education is not everything; respect goes out to those who live by passion and purpose, not by mere standards.
No comments:
Post a Comment