My everyday routine consists of having a cup (or two depending on the extent of my soju consumption the night before) of coffee while reading news. It is a habit that I picked up from my father. I am the furthest possible thing from a morning person. The coffee and news is my way of slowly allowing myself to become a decent being. Anything and everything before those cups of coffee are subject to my wrath. This routine has kept me up to date with current events, I wouldn't consider myself the know all of anything but I do hold a basic understanding of what is going on around the world.
All major news lately has been focused on North Korea and their numerous bomb threats.
"South Korea is in a panic." "Foreigners are being told to evacuate." "Seoul's defenses are up." "North Korea will attack." "North Korea has won."
As I sat this morning and skimmed through these headlines I couldn't help but laugh...hysterically. South Korea in a panic? That wasn't an entire lie, Psy did just release a new single and held a concert yesterday which was a BIG deal. 50,000 people attended and dressed in white while the concert was streamed live via YouTube and Naver (Yes I did watch). But in a panic over North Korea threats? If I didn't consciously keep up with what's going on in the world, I would have no idea that South Korea was even receiving threats of any kind.
Life here has not changed a single bit. Despite the numerous and exaggerated articles and stories that have flooded Western media with talks of hysteria, bomb threats, evacuations ext. the biggest worries of my days continue to be surviving being eaten alive by my 2nd grade monsters. I'd take a threat from those little monsters more seriously than I do from Kim Jong Un. My lack of fear and worry come from my surroundings. Discussing North Korea with my co-workers has only happened once and it was because I initiated it. In the midst of talking about the latest fashion I asked, "Should I be worried about North Korea." And the answer that I received was, "No." with our conversation immediately steering back to us complaining about the lack of a spring time which has inhibited us from showing off our new spring outfit purchases.
With all of this media hype that the Koreas are getting I do look forward to the days when I am older and this is in the youths textbooks. I can't help but wonder how I will describe living in Korea during the tensions. Will I take the truth route and inform them that life in Korea wasn't altered what so ever or will I be like my father and exaggerate (he had to walk 5 miles to and from school in knee high snow up hill BOTH ways) to be that "cool" aunt who stared at fear directly in its face?
In the past few weeks I have receive messages from people that I haven't spoken to in years asking me what it was like living in a war zone, what I was doing to stay safe, what I was doing to prepare myself for the war and if I was going to evacuate. Everybody's worries are sweet and touching. We are about as worried that a war will break out as people in Hawaii are about having a snowstorm. So my dear friends and family, don't worry all is well here. Now let's just hope I am not eating my words in the future. :)
#CHEERS2ALLBEINGOKAY
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