observations

The other Asian country I have visited is Japan. Japan is a reference point for me and I used to compare things to Japan all the time. (I'm sure I still do) I wasn't trying to make one place better than the other, I was just using what I already knew to try and understand what I didn't know. The differences are VAST and I have been surprised over and over by a few things in particular. One of those things is food. (am I obsessed with food? maybe) A Korean woman was describing the difference to me several weeks back, she listed the important ingredients in Korean foods, and sometimes I feel like Korean food hits me over the head. I don't find much nuance or elegance. There's not a lot of balance. Spicy food is just simply spicy. Cold noodles are not just cold, there are icy bits of broth. Japanese food is so much more, relaxing? Anyway, it's just something I'm thinking about.