Spring Cleaning For Trees?

Can't decide which is more impressive - the sight of an 872-year-old juniper  near Seocho Station in the southern part of Seoul OR the sight of an employee of the municipal council giving it some serious TLC?

Wish people in my corner of the cosmos had half the regard these people here have for trees. We prefer to chop down branches so that they don't smash our windowscreens during a thunderstorm. We'd even sooner chop down all the trees to convert the land into prime real estate or plantations or golf courses. Instead of admiring a tree-lined avenue, we'd opt for the space to be cleared for extra parking space.

 

What puzzles me is the exact treatment the trees are getting here - pardon my ignorance but why on earth would they need washing?

Korea Times photo by Won You-hon

sources:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/03/115_83791.html
http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/slideshow-photo/these-women-were-cleaning-the-trees-by-travelpod-member-bee7bea-kyongju-south-korea.html?sid=12304232&fid=tp-15
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo_detail.htm?No=16237&current_page=

Say "Kimchi" Pretty Please, Baby?

I'm guessing that few would've bothered to give these babies a second look if they were photographed  with their mothers. And even then, when K-pop celebrities are posing with them for photographer Jo Se-hyun, the babies aren't likely to get as much attention as Hallyu stars like Lee Seung-gi,  Jang Geun-suk or Kim Ok-bin.

The photos are part of an exhibition organised by the Social Welfare Society to create awareness for the issue of adoption so I'm a bit puzzled as to why these particular babies were chosen as they're not orphans. According to the Chosun Ilbo, these belonged to single mothers or they were babies with disabilities ( which isn't the same as an orphaned baby who needs a new set of parents).

If you're interested in the where and when of the exhibition, it's somewhere in Busan and will be open from the 25th to the 31st of  March.

BTW, looks as if Ms Kim Hee-ae is the most successful in coaxing a smile from her partner for her monochrome shot. Lots of  fans would love to be in the embrace of  Lee Seung-gi and Jang Geun-suk  but these babies look neither thrilled nor impressed.

Clockwise from top left, Kim Ok-bin, Lee Seung-gi, Kim Hee-ae, Han Hyo-joo and Jang Geun-suk posing with unidentified and  uncredited babies.


source:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/03/15/2011031500863.html

Cherry Blossoms Schedule for 2011

As I'm typing this, the cherry blossoms are supposed to be blooming in Jeju already. Guess I have to be satisfied with recollections of my visits to Jinhae, Hadong and Namhae during the spring of 2007 and remind myself that spring isn't really my favourite season. Sour grapes, huh?

Anyway the cherry blossom schedule is already out on the KTO website for those of you who are planning to catch the sights in Korea this season.  Happy planning for your itinerary!

Click here for the full details for where and when the cherry blossoms are expected to make their appearance and click here for the predictions for forsythia and azaleas.


sources:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?nCategoryID=1&SearchType=&keyword=&gotoPage=1&cid=1224040&cCode=&nCategoryID=&searchType=&searchKeyword=
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1223280

To Market, To Market..Within A Korean Train Carriage

If you're a Seoulite who prefers buying fresh and cheap greens directly from the farmer but you can't be bothered to drive out to the countryside, what do you do?

Hurry down to Cheongdam Station on Line No 7 of the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation ( which runs subway lines 5, 6,7 and 8) and look for a parked train on a spare line. This is the "5678 Happy Market" - a springtime initiative which brings together Korean farmers from 20 different rural areas who wish to sell the produce directly and urban ajummas looking for cheaper Napa cabbages or radishes which can be discounted between 10 to 20 percent. Talk about a win-win situation.




BTW, marine products - ie the dried varieties-  are also available . Cash or credit cards are accepted and what is even more impressive is that some delivery service is also provided.

Hurry, though - this unique market ends on 24 March.




sources:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2933827
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/469465.html
http://www.smrt.co.kr/Eng/Culture/Culturemap/Culturemap_06.jsp
http://korea.tc/go/137140
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2927231
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_Vod_Full_Pop.asp?VodURL=1&VodSeq=55723

More On Learning Korean Through Cartoons

What's the Korean word for ...?

Tsunami - 해일 or 쓰나미

Radioactive - 방사성

A woman shops at a supermarket flooded with water that reads, “Tsunami of foot-and-mouth disease,” and says, “This time it’s radioactive...” 　　

A fish on the shelf says to her, “It’s hard to eat and live, isn’t it?”

Japanese fish and vegetables contaminated by radioactivity have made South Korean households more nervous about food safety and prices compounded by the domestic outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.　

(Hankyoreh Geurimpan Mar. 21)　


sources:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/469037.html

K's Only Human

Kang Yoon-sung a.k.a.K's hit, "Only Human" from the Japanese drama "One Litre of Tears" seems appropriate for the moment.



English translation of lyrics:


On the other shore of sadness,
It is said that there is a smile,

On the other shore of sadness,
It is said that there is a smile,
Finally we arrived.
But what are we waiting for?

The purpose is not to run away,
It's to chase after dreams
We should have gone out to travel
On that summer day so long ago

In a place worn down by sadness
something called a miracle, is waiting
Yet we are still searching
for the sunflower that grows at the end of spring
The warrior who awaits the morning light
before he can clasp it with red nails,
his tears glitter and fall

Even if we’ve grown used to loneliness
only relying on the light of the moon
We have to fly away with featherless wing
just go forward, just a little further

Even tomorrow, if you see it
Though there isn't a sigh either.
Like a ship going against the current flow.
Right now, go forward, move ahead.

Even if it cuts through the rain and clouds,
The wet roads shine,
Only the dark will teach,
A stronger and stronger light,
Be strong, go forward, move ahead.

Japanese lyrics

ONLY HUMAN by K

kanashimi no mukou kishi ni
hohoemi ga aru to iu yo

kanashimi no mukou kishi ni
hohoemi ga aru to iu yo
tadori tsuku sono saki ni wa
nani ga bokura wo matteru

nigeru tame ja naku
yume ou tame ni
tabi ni deta hazu sa
tooi natsu no ano hi

asita sae mieta nara
tame iki mo nai kedo
nakare ni sakarau fune no you ni
ima wa mae he susume

kuru shi mi no tsu ki ta basho ni
shiyawase ga matsu to u yo
boku wa ma da saka shi te i ru
kisetsu ha zu re no hi mawari
ko bu shi nigi ri shi me
asahi wo ma te ba
aka i tsume a to ni namida ki ra ri o chiru


kodoku ni mo na re ta na ra
tsukia ka ri tayo ri ni
hame na ki tsubasa de tobi ta to
mo-to mae he susume


amakumo ga kireta nara
mu re ta michi ka ga ya ku
nami da ke ga hoshi e te ku re ru
tsuyoi tsuyoi hikari
tsuyo ku mae he susume

source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpqoPX_CLaM&NR=1

Seoul Has Shifted

A friend was asking about the direction of movement of land following the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan. Looks like the Korean Peninsula has shifted to the east, according to the report from the Chosun Ilbo below. The extent of the slide ranged from less than 1 cm to slightly over 5 cm, depending on the region. But that's nothing compared to the dramatic change experienced by Japan -  it moved eastwards up to a maximum of 2.4 metres (7.92 feet).


Earthquake Shifts Japan, Korea Further Apart

The devastating earthquake off the northeastern coast of Japan on Friday caused Korea's easternmost Dokdo islets to shift around 5 cm to the east. Tokyo claims sovereignty over the rocky islets, which lie between the two countries in the East Sea. Japan shifted altogether 2.4 m to the east due to the earthquake, moving further away from Dokdo.

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute said Wednesday that data from global positioning systems in 11 locations throughout Korea show that the Korean Peninsula has shifted 0.8 to 5.16 cm to the east, depending on the region. Seoul shifted 2.11 cm to the east, while Daejeon, Mokpo and Dokdo moved 1.96, 1.21, and 0.89 cm east, respectively, according to KASI.

Mar. 17, 2011 09:44 KST

sources:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/03/17/2011031700683.html
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Japan-Earthquake-Shifts-Earth-s-Axis-189203.shtml
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-quake-shifted-japan-korea-scientists.html

FMD in Korea - Not So Hot For Tourists But Worse For Locals

FMD ( Foot and Mouth Disease is also known as Hoof-and-Mouth Disease) does not usually affect humans. It doesn’t mean that if you come into contact with a cow which has FMD, you will get infected. The odds are HIGHLY unlikely. Moreover, Wikipedia states that the virus “ that causes FMD is sensitive to stomach acid” so “ it cannot spread to humans via consumption of infected meat, except in the mouth before the meat is swallowed.” BTW, FMD is not to be confused with HFMD “hand, foot and mouth disease” which is usually caused by the Coxsackie A virus.

The reason government officials have been discouraging visits to farms and travel around the country is that the FMD virus can be carried and spread easily by humans and animals when equipment, cars or clothes are exposed to it. That’s why:

• The Lee MB administration tried to discouraged people in the ROK from making their annual return visits to their hometown s during Seollal celebrations earlier this year

• Tourists can expect many closures of zoos and cancellations of festivals especially those in the rural areas

• Lovers of bulgogi or samgyeopsal -gui can expect to fork out more won for these favourite meat dishes as wholesale prices have risen and imports from the US or Australia have increased. Those who cannot do without their daily glass of milk may also suffer escalating prices.

• Government workers especially veterinarians and health officials in the agricultural sector have been forced to cancel their leave and have had very little rest as they are on the front-line fighting the spread of the disease. If there have been human deaths related to FMD in Korea, the cause may well be indirect as they’ve been exhausted, working round-the-clock to contain the virus.

Just a word of caution – be careful what you drink. According to one article in The Korea Times some “groundwater sources near animal burial sites have been classified ‘undrinkable’ due to concentrations of colon bacillus – a bacteria group that includes E.coli – that exceed the legal minimum.” When health officials ran out of the lethal injections to kill the cows and pigs in a humane way, it led to the desperate mass burial of live animals. The hasty culling of the animal livestock may have inadvertently compromised groundwater sources as the tarpaulin used to line the burial pits may have been torn by the struggling animals.

Sources:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2042942,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/18/south-korea-foot-and-mouth
http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2011/world/foot-and-mouth-disease%E2%80%94will-mass-animal-burials-cause-water-contamination-in-south-korea/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand,_foot_and_mouth_disease
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot-and-mouth_disease
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/459153.html
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/457708.html

Cherry Blossoms In A Ring Of Fire

Older generations of Koreans may have an ambivalent attitude towards the appearance of cherry blossoms  on the Korean landscape as they evoke bitter memories of the Japanese occupation. According to Hannah Kim, "Already on the 50th anniversary of the Japanese surrender in World War II, some of the cherry blossoms that were planted by the Japanese were chopped down at Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul because they were identified as painful remnants of the colonial past. "
 

Cherry blossoms, for others, may simply spell the end of winter and start of spring. It's a popular motif on wedding cakes and some people even like it as a tattoo. However, long before the samurai and kamikaze pilots adopted the flower as their special symbol, the cherry blossom has symbolised for the Japanese the "transient nature of life" or fleeting beauty. When the sakura starts to appear in Japan around mid-April this year, there may not be so many cherry-blossom viewing parties under the trees with the attendant sake-drinking and feasting. Instead, the delicate blooms will probably be viewed silently with a wrenching of the heart and a sting in the eye.

So this posting is dedicated to all those who were killed in the recent 9.0-magnitude earthquake cum 10-meter tsunami disaster in Japan. They may have been ordinary citizens of Japan, or Koreans living and working there and there may have also been various nationalities visiting , working and living there but the forces of nature weren't discriminating. May their souls rest in peace.

BTW, check out this ominous article by Simon Winchester on the devastation in Japan which uncovers a conspiracy of triple whammies - geography, topography and geological history. His commentary begins with this sombre reminder:

"All of those broken bones in northern Japan, all of those broken lives and those broken homes prompt us to remember what in calmer times we are invariably minded to forget: the most stern and chilling of mantras, which holds, quite simply, that mankind inhabits this earth subject to geological consent—which can be withdrawn at any time."

sources:
http://www.newsweek.com/2011/03/13/the-scariest-earthquake-is-yet-to-come.html
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2011/02/168_63676.html
http://epoch-archive.com/a1/en/us/nyc/2009/04-Apr/08/B2.pdf
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/wallpaper/photography/photos/cherry-blossoms-gallery/imperial-palace-cherry-blossom/
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/seasonal/sakura2011/index.php
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/kucera/YoshidaWebsite/evolution/essay_pages/stephanie_cargile.htm

Learning Korean Through Hankyoreh Cartoons

Here's an idea for cramming a quick language lesson while putting your finger on the pulse of the Korean society. Cartoons are a regular feature of the on-line Korean papers and it's interesting to compare and contrast their perspectives on various issues like politics and the economy.

For instance, it's quite amusing to see the difference in their depictions of MB - that's President Lee Myung-bak for those new to the lingo of Korean cartoons. That's not just his name but the  Hankyoreh cartoonist has cleverly played on the words "muneung" ( incompetence) and "bupae" ( corruption) as well. See the second cartoon below.

In contrast, the partiality of the JoongAng Ilbo towards MB is not hard to miss when it tries to persuade its readers of parallels between the founder of Apple and Mr Bulldozer. I'm not sure how Steve Jobs would feel about MB being compared to him but  at the very least, I can't imagine MB ever wearing a turtle-neck sweater and jeans or matching Jobs' ability to inspire. If you want a crash course on the current controversies surrounding the LMB administration, look no further than the icons on MB's "iPad". For an explanation of what each represents, click here.

As far as I can see, only the Hankyoreh goes the extra mile to offer to some degree translations in its texts that accompany the original cartoons in Korea. Cartoons in the JoongAng Ilbo and the Korean Herald are only given in English, so then Hankyoreh is your best bet for language learning through cartoons. A pity though that it doesn't translate every word or phrase in its cartoons.


sources:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/464078.html
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/467195.html
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/466787.html
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2932976

ETA for Spring Flowers 2011

According to KBS, the KMA has issued the ETA for spring flowers for this year:

ETA for Forsythias

Jeju-do - around 13th March
Southern regions- between 15th and 26th March
Central regions - between 27th March and 1st April
Northern regions - after 2nd April.


ETA for Azaleas

Jeju-do -around March 15th in Jeju
Southern regions - between 17th and 28th of March
Central regions -  between 29th March and 3rd April
Northern regions -  after April 4th.

The peak flowering season for each region comes seven days after these dates.
Best time to see these flowers in  Seoul ? Around April 5th and 6th.

Previous Postings on Spring Flowers in Korea:

Forsythia

Azaleas


sources:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_zoom_detail.htm?No=6160
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=966240

Stumbled Upon This Umbrella....

Came across this pic of an umbrella sold by a Korean company. What would poor van Gogh have thought if he saw this instance of commercialization of his painting, "Almond Blossom, San Remy" ?

Still, I'd sooner buy this than an imitation of a Burberry brolly. Puts me in a chirpier frame of mind. In the mood for springtime blossoms.

Source:
http://www.tradekorea.com/product-detail/P00245332/_Almond_blossom_san_remy_printing_3_steps_auto_folding_umbrella.html#
http://www.1artclub.com/almond-blossom-san-remy-by-vincent-van-gogh/

U-Taek's Sijo For Spring

Sijo on Spring by U-Taek (1262-1342)


청산에 눈녹인바람 건듯불고 간데없다

적은덧 빌어다가 머리위에 불리고저

귀밑에 해묵은 서리를 녹여볼까 하노라

The spring breeze melted snow on the hills then quickly disappeared.
I wish I could borrow it briefly to blow over my hair
And melt away the aging frost forming now about my ears.


Does spring seem to mock one the older one gets?


U-Taek’s poem contrasts wistfully the youthfulness of the season and his own physical decline. If only one’s white hairs could vanish as easily as the melting snows. I’m more worried about the frost between my ears, though. Slip sliding away into senility doesn’t keep me awake at night but I find myself working at Sudoku puzzles a little more earnestly than before.

sources:
http://www.ahapoetry.com/sijo.htm
http://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/sijo_samples.html
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo_detail.htm?No=16127