A journey to Korea, a seed for greater things to come?

My journey and stay in Ulsan means many things to me. Not only is it a wonderful opportunity and adventure, but it is also an great opportunity for me to plant the seeds of a great career in consulting. My hopes and dreams for my future career consist of consulting on Asian cultures for American companies seeking to do business to do business in Asia. As such actual first hand experience in Asian is crucial. It is one thing to read a book or listen to lectures on the matter, but it is completely another to experience it first hand.                                                                                                               During my trip I plan to observe and study the complicated Korean culture and seek to learn of its origins in order to better understand its current state. One such aspect that I have seen clearly presented before me has been that of the Confucian background that deeply penetrates every aspect of Korean society. Confucian philosophies can be seen in things as simple as how exchanging money during a transaction and even the way that people ride the escalator from the sub way. In accordance with Confucianism, every member of society seems to feel and understand their role in keeping peace and harmony in the community. But while this may not always be a conscious thought in their minds, it is something that after a time can be felt by an observer, and only real time here in Korea could give me a feel for these things. I can and have studied and memorized facts about Korea and Confucianism, but my practical application and understanding would be lacking with out this first hand experience. Thus this is where the true value of this trip comes for me. But while Korean culture may as of now be a challenging for me to wrap my mind around, I do very much so look forward to the weeks to come.   South Korea here I come!