Sliding Down The Frozen Floodgates Of Goesam Dam

Just kidding - it's the same ai-ee( 아이)  in this ajumma who had the impulse to go toboganning down tumuli in Gyeongju. Am NOT recommending that people take their sleds to go sliding down the frozen waters off Goesan Dam.

Caption from source: Water flowing from the floodgate of the Goesan Dam in North Chungcheong Province froze over on Wednesday with freezing temperatures continuing to grip the nation for several days. The dam was designed and built using solely domestic technology. (Yonhap News)
 
source:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo_detail.htm?No=15937

Sometime Firefighter, Sometime Icefighter

Do the firefighters in Korea expect this in their job description? Guess in a 24/ 7 world and in a temperate zone country, one has to expect the unexpected. Firefighters in Seoul and other cities around Korea are likely to be pretty busy hacking down icicles this winter. So thanks, gentlemen for risking life and limb and suffering the chill.

Coming from a country which only has one season, it's easy to overlook winter hazards like falling icicles. Wouldn't want to be passing by when one of these decides to drop on the heads of passers-by. Have to remind myself to avoid buildings with frosty facades - fascinating but diabolical like the White Witch of Narnia.

Caption from source: Rescue officers of a fire station are removing a huge icicle after a water tank of a residential building in Changcheondong, Seoul froze and burst in freezing temperatures.  (Yonhap News)


source:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo_detail.htm?No=15928&current_page=

Danwon's Portrait of Threshers and Landowner

Threshing ( Tajak - 타작 )

Landowner's Sijo

It's dull work but someone has to do it or they will dawdle in the shade.
Still, I'd rather sit at home with a brush in my hand  instead of this pipe,
working on a portrait of the king. Why am I reduced to a watch-dog?

One Thresher's Sijo

I guess he did good in his former life for him to loaf like this now,

But it's little comfort to me hatless and pipeless under the summer sun,

Could I be reborn instead as a bird or fly, free from envy and bitterness?

Another Thresher's Sijo

The sun's a harsh landlord to us but it's kind to the rice; this harvest
means I can carry home rice for the children tonight. But is there enough
to put on the altar for the child who starved and died the year before?

For earlier postings with sijo inspired by Danwon:

Portrait of a Family
Danwon's Classroom

sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Danwon-Byeo.tajak.jpg
http://article.joins.com/article/article.asp?Total_ID=3319781
http://everything.explained.at/Danwon/
http://thewordshop.tripod.com/Sijo/sijo-index.htm
http://sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/sijo_guide.html