Monthly TOEFL Essay #1: Roadside Cheering: A Great Way to Unite

             Filipinos convert military trucks into taxis. New Zealanders make it an important part of their lives to preserve Maori traditions. Ugandans start dancing whenever someone puts on an impromptu melody. Like this, there are customs around the world that differ greatly from each other. In Korea, there is a custom called “roadside cheering,” which refers to thousands of people gathering in one place at a certain time and cheering for Team Korea during a big sports event, especially the World Cup. This is a good custom for other countries to adopt because it gives people a feeling of unity and provides them with an escape from their routine everyday lives.

             Koreans like to think of themselves as one big group. Most of the time, whenever there is an international event, they emphasize that all Koreans are of one race, and that they should support each other. Roadside cheering is a way of showing this feeling of unity with everyone calling out the same slogans and making the same moves. These days, the society rather focuses on each individual’s ability than on groups of people as a whole. Therefore, many people live in their own small worlds, making it hard for them to feel connected to others. However, participating in events like roadside cheering will give each one of them a feeling of membership and unite all members into one group with a common goal: the victory of their country’s team. If other countries, which usually consist of people from different races and cultures, adopt this custom, it would give back the citizens their missing feelings of unity.

             Roadside cheering also lets people get out of their everyday lives and take a brief rest. For most people these days, every day is the same. Basically, they wake up, go to work, come back home, and fall asleep. Many people get tired of their repeated schedules and long for a change. And being a participant of a roadside cheering event can provide them with what they want. For those who are interested in sports, it will be a nice opportunity to scream and go crazy for their team, and for those who aren’t, it would be a nice time to have fun with their friends or family members. Cheering with others around would be much better than watching the television alone at home. Also, since at a roadside cheering event, everyone would be screaming and shouting and laughing, nobody has to worry about looking like a mad person; all they have to do is just going crazy, relieving stress, and enjoying the game, which will lead to fresh new minds and make them full of energy. This applies to all people, not just Koreans. Thus, this custom can benefit people from other countries too if adopted.

             Since roadside cheering can unite people into one group, giving them a feeling of membership, and let people take a short rest from their lives, it is a great Korean custom that should be adopted by other countries. Especially for countries like the United States and Canada, which comprise people from various cultures, this custom can be a way of making all citizens feel like a part of their nation. And taking part in this custom will let people refresh their minds and restore energy. Hence, roadside cheering should be a custom spread worldwide, not just inside Korea.