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Scandinavia
& East
Asia
I was born in Scandinavia, the North European region where the
legendary Vikings came from. We share the same roots, and still
have similar cultures, traditions and languages. Still - just a
few
centuries ago - neighbouring countries like Sweden and Denmark
were involved in repeated wars, trying to conquer each other.
It reminds me of East Asia. A region also sharing the same origins,
with related languages, cultures & traditions. But here too,
wars
and prestige have driven the countries apart. Also, World War II
made it an arena for political games between the winning powers.
Both U.S. and Soviet manipulated the region for their own sake.
In Europe, the countries of Denmark, Sweden & Norway revived
their common legacy. No more bad feelings, but cooperation and
coordination to create regional strength and prosperity. If the
EU
hadn't been around, we may well have started our own Union.
Sometimes I think of China, Korea & Japan as Asia's Scandinavia.
Here too, closer ties and regional unity could benefit the survival,
and revival, of a joint cultural identity strong enough to withstand
the cultures & politics of other powers around the world.
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It's
easy to see the shared roots of the
East Asian countries. One example is
the tale about the Milky Way stars who
only can meet one day of the year - the
origin of Japan's "Tanabata Festival"
and China's own "Valentine's Day".
Perhaps
some day, China, Japan and
Korea could also meet in space - by
coordinating their space programs?
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