Open Letter to KNTO

Dear KNTO,

I've been watching with dismay the KBS World video footage of the Mount Umyeon ( in the southern part of Seoul) landslide, abandoned cars on flooded city roads and the sorry sight  residents bailing out water again and again from their denuded homes after floodwaters played cat and mouse with municipal pumps. While I was glad that I wasn't stranded in Seoul this week, I wondered how independent tourists who don't understand Korean  are coping with the disruptions in the capital and elsewhere in the country.

There was no mention of the major traffic jams on the KNTO website and the updates on its Twitter account were not very helpful. May I suggest that you post details such as which bus routes, subway
stations and blocked roads  people should avoid so there's less likelihood of visitors getting caught in some traffic snarl or worse, being trapped by the rising floodwaters?

I think such updates via Twitter or your website to inform tourists who can't follow media reports in Korean or Hangul would be more useful than suggestions as to which indoor attractions to visit during the rainy season. Not much point recommending that I check out XYZ museum when I can't even board a bus or subway train to get there, is there?

I'd also hate for you to have to do this. If the speculation published by The Korea Times turns out to be true, you'd have to rethink your marketing strategy of selling Korea's temperate seasonal beauty. If indeed the climate in your country is becoming sub-tropical, I'd suggest you promote the maple and spring seasons with a greater sense of urgency.


Sincerely,
ajumma


Click here for Korean Travel on Twitter

source:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/32319/rains-mudslides-submerge-south-korean-capital-kill-36
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/07/117_91824.html
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/09/07/2009090700328.html

To Eat or Not To Eat Shin Ramyun?

First, the Ministry of Health says "Don't" and then, a few days later, it says it's OK to consume Shin  Ramyun ( or Shin Ramen ) instant noodles because tests on these products have apparently shown there aren't excessive levels of plasticiser ie. di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-isononyl phthalate (DINP).




Those who are addicted to this stuff do bear in mind there are two sources for the Shin Ramen packet noodles which are sold in Malaysia - those directly imported from Korea which are more pricey and sold in Lotte marts and supermarkets  and the cheaper versions from China which one can find in wet markets and night markets. I'd like to think the Korean products are better and safer but I've nothing to back this wishful thinking.

I wonder if samples of the product from both countries were tested. Goodness knows how many packets I've already consumed and how much contaminants are in my system but do I care? Sounds terribly irresponsible of me but as I type this, I'm feeling peckish and longing for a bowl of spicy, chewy Korean ramyun. Oh dear - can somebody tell me if my favourite Nongshim is safe to eat?

Sources:
http://my.news.yahoo.com/msia-urges-consumers-avoid-korean-noodles-053003793.html
http://www.intellasia.net/news/articles/health/111328248_printer.shtml
http://mylife.online-4u.com/?p=541

Do Koreans Have A Soft Spot For Nella Fantasia?

Let me add to the virality of this already viral video clip from Korea's Got Talent but also go off on a tangent.
Warning: Lotsa name-dropping ahead but no, that's not my real focus here either.



Ok- it's about Choi Sung-bong and how he's Korea's own Susan Boyle or Paul Potts...yadah, yadah...) and not about Nella Fantasia but this is the second time I've heard this music ( well, I wasn't aware of the music when it was featured as Gabriel's Oboe in the movie, "The Mission" ) as well as the second time I've been made aware of it by a Korean TV production.



It was featured in a memorable scene from Beethoven's Virus in which the orchestra really connects with Orchestra-Killer Maestro Kang  for the first time. Now Nella Fantasia may be the song that could catapult Mr Choi into a fate similar to Susan Boyle's. BTW, those into spotting Hallyu stars, see if you can spot Seo Taiji's ex i.e. Ms Lee Ji-ah and Mr Jang Geun-seok in the second video clip. Also, it was a pleasant surprise as well to see the wife of Mr Sol Kyung-gu ie. Song Yoon-ah of Hotelier and On Air fame in the judge's seat for the Korea's Got Talent show.

So now, I'm throwing this question into cyberspace - why does this composition seem to resonate with Koreans? ( same goes for Pachabel's Canon in D ) Is it the lovely melody by Encio Morricone or the lyrics ( if the Korean version is anything like the English one below?

In my imagination I see a fair world,
Everyone lives in peace and in honesty there.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like the clouds that fly,

Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.
In my imagination I see a bright world,
Even the night is less dark there.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like clouds that fly.

In my imagination there exists a warm wind,
That breathes on the cities, like a friend.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like clouds that fly,
Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.


sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RKOL4O9Cy8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nella_Fantasia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BewknNW2b8Y#at=129

New Life For Old Pipes

What a nice idea. The neighbours could even cultivate together their own herb garden. Next time you need some fresh basil or rosemary, just pop outside to pluck what you need.

Caption from KBS World: The Korea Land and Housing Corporation on Monday held a ceremony in Seoul to mark the completion of a project on remodeling worn-out living spaces into eco-friendly areas. (Yonhap News)

source:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo.htm?No=16527

Cultural Art Performance by Jang-seung Eouri Art Troupe, Part 2

There were two main reasons why I wanted to attend this concert  presented by the Jang-Seung Eouri Art Troupe. First, I was hoping to hear again the Dharma drums which I had witnessed at various temples in Korea before. If you've read my earlier posting, you already know how satisfied I was on that score.

The second reason was the Salpuri dance. Korea is well-known for its exuberant and energetic dances by troupes of graceful ladies in jewel-hued hanboks. Salpuri, however, is a solo act by a single female in plain white hanbok and it's slow and restrained. But when I first saw it performed at the Chongdong Theatre, I was riveted. It was such a haunting and moving experience that  I now look forward to any chance of seeing it 'live'. It's been claimed that the dance has shamanistic roots although others maintain that the name of the dance alone is its only link to shamanistic rites as the literal meaning of "salpuri" is to wash away evil spirits.

Another person sees the dance as embodying the essence of Han, meaning  "sorrow, bitterness or unsatisfied desire", a characteristic of Korean art and culture. Click here for this writer's pretty vivid description of the dance. Better still, watch the videoclip below.




So was I satisfied with Ms Jung Kyeong's performance? I'm no dance critic and the concert organisers didn't have the benefit of all the top-notch facilities of the Chongdong Theatre so let's just say she did a fairly decent job but it wasn't as mesmerising as the first time I saw it on a cold autumn evening in Seoul. What I'd really like to do is to go to some remote Buddhist temple in Korea on a full moon night and watch this danced in the open courtyard in the partial darkness.  I want the shivers to run down my back not simply from the low temperatures of the fall season but to recreate a scene I saw in that enigmatic Buddhist movie entitled "Why Has Bodhidharma Left For The East?" by Bae Yong -kyun.

Here are some additional notes on salpuri from a source indicated below:

"Usually a mudang(shaman) presided over the process. Shamanism is a long-held tradition which emerged around the Three Kingdoms era. Salp'uri was the climax of shaman rituals. Its representative by-product is the unique salp'uri rhythmic cycle that has been adapted in other performing arts. Salp'uri is prevalent in the Honam region, the southwestern part of Korea, in the form of ssitkimgut, the soul cleansing shaman rite. This is regarded as the archetype of the present Salp'urich'um which uses a white silk scarf as a key prop. The salp'urich'um dance has been polished over the centuries to add artistic value, and so it is hard today to trace it back to a mere exorcism rite. It was performed in shaman rites accompanied by the rhythms of shinawi (featuring an extensively improvised ensemble with wind and percussion instruments) to attract the interest of spectators. As it was refined into an artistic artform, salp'uri's name changed to ipch'um, chukhungch'um, or sugonch'um.

Although it derived from shaman rites, salp'uri does not carry out any religious function. The dancer, attuning herself to the sorrowful shinawi music, portrays sadness and anxiety in her every step. During this process, the dancer's movement reveals striking energy and movement as she performs in a trance- like state. The salp'uri's rhythmic normal font cycle starts out with slow-paced shinawi rhythms and gradually builds up speed which conveys the dancer's excitement."

Incidentally, I came across this brief abstract entitled "Dynamics of brain electric field during recall of Salpuri dance performance" by Park JR, Yagyu T, Saito N, Kinoshita T, Hirai T.  See below. Have to check with a neurologist what the jargon means but it does sound as intriguing as the dance itself.

Abstract
The brain wave activity of a professional Salpuri dancer was observed while the subject recalled her performance of the Salpuri dance when sitting in a chair with closed eyes. As she recalled the feeling of the ecstatic trance state induced by the dance, an increase in alpha brain activity was observed together with marked frontal midline theta activity. Compared to a resting state, the dynamics of the electrical activity in the brain showed an increase in the global field power integral and a decrease in generalized frequency and spatial complexity.

Click here for the link to Chongdong Theatre. You may or may not see a salpuri performance there now but a good show is usually to be expected there.

LondonKoreanLinks has an interesting article on dance. I learn from its posting that male dancers may also perform the salpuri! Hmm... pardon my bias, but I doubt the effect would be as haunting.



sources:
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/perform/salpuri.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12509202
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubRo6V4aUc8
http://www.koreafilm.org/feature/100_83.asp

Cultural Performance By Jang-Seung Eouri Art Troupe - Part 1

While Mother Nature was throwing a a pretty intimidating temper tantrum last Sunday afternoon, the audience who attended a cultural performance presented by the Jang-Seung Eouri Art Troupe were treated to a quite an interesting time. This fund-raiser,  organised by BGF ( Buddhist Gem Fellowship)
in collaboration with Sam Poh Thong and held at the MAS Academy auditorium in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia was quite well-attended though the attendees were presumably members of various Buddhist groups in the country. It would've been even more heart-warming if  the audience had been more diverse but I guess the young Hallyu fans were saving their money for another SuJu or 2 AM (  or is it 2 PM ?) concert.

The event started off  a bit too sedately though not surprisingly but it soon warmed up and got the audience tapping their feet, clapping their hands and even asking for an encore from the musicians.  The MCs, a  Malaysian and a Korean, were nowhere to be seen at the beginning which was a little surprising but they did offer interesting snippets of information about the backdrop for the first one-third of the concert.  What did raise my eyebrows was the  Taenghwa  (탱화, San.: Thangka i.e. a painting of Buddha images or stories from the Sutras on silk or hemp cloth.) which formed the backdrop for the first section of the concert. This one though, which is a replica of an original masterpiece featured the Goddess of Mercy.


 Part 1 Making An Offering To Buddha

• Bopgo - Dharma  Drum  Dance performed by the Venerable Seong Ju

 Memo to Self - Remember NOT to have ANY expectations! This particular Bopgo was a far cry from the intense drumming I had heard on previous visits to the temples in Korea. Philistine that I am, I couldn't help wishing the Ven. Seong Ju had kept to convention instead of giving us her artistic interpretation of the daily ritual intended to "awaken all sentient beings and open their minds to participate in the Dharma or Buddhist Law so that they may be delivered from suffering".

So, mian-hamnida to Ven. Seong Ju but I was really disappointed with the slow -moving opening item which barely contained much contact with the drum. The latter wasn't as huge as anticipated either, so that was another disappointment. I felt let-down particularly because I was hoping my companion could hear what I had heard and fallen in love with before. Looks like I'll have to drag her to a temple to Korea myself one of these days just so she can hear for herself what I've been raving about.

Click here then for some idea of what I'm missing.

• Bara JakBeop - Bara ( Cymbals) Dance

No idea how close this dance item is to the original choreography but according to one website, "monks perform this dance...to purify the place by defeating evils". The dance aims to make people have "righteous minds" so I suppose one would really need to be educated in an appreciation of Buddhist performance arts to really appreciate what's going on.There are supposed to be 84 rhythms but I forgot to listen out for these. Either the music didn't sound that varied in its rhythmic patterns to my uneducated ears or maybe I was nodding off because I didn't have enough sleep the night before.

Two ladies presented this item and we could applaud their ability to maintain their balance despite all the turning round and round which they had to do. Still, one couldn't help wishing they had been moving in unison a little more closely and this is where I suppose I had underestimated the efforts and endless practises to achieve the clockwork precision of Girls' Generation dances. ( Horrors - am I drawing parallels between the sacred and the profane??? ) Plus I would've liked the ajummas to bang their cymbals with more conviction. The rather lady-like sounds they produced would NOT have been very effective in scaring any demon away. Still, I'm glad for the chance to see this dance because it wouldn't be something one comes across easily, unless one happened to be at some temple during a Buddhist celebration, I figure.

Here are some notes on two  dances  from another source:

"The ‘ Barachum’ (바라춤, Cymbals Dance) is a temple dance which, through clasping our fists and unclasping them, represents our vow to live in harmony, and to accept the teachings of the Buddha and to promulgate them. (Its origin goes back to the time of the ‘Bara’.)

The purpose of the ‘Nabichum’ (나비춤, Butterfly Dance) is to gather together all gods in the whole. It also calls all sentient beings that have not come back to life in order that they may repent of all sins and bad karma, and create good karma. Therefore, the moves and steps of the Barachum (바라춤, Cymbals Dance) and Nabichum (나비춤, Butterfly Dance) are solemn and strict, and are done with clear and unattached mind. Therefore, these movements symbolize the true meaning of ‘Seon’ (J : Zen). For example, the basic movements of the Dances are to take steps tracing the Chinese character (‘丁’, K: Jeong, 정). The main movements are; to turn around in circles signifying integrity and harmony, to clasp and unclasp the hands signifying love and compassion, and to fold and unfold the body symbolizing taking refuge."

To be continued....

sources:
http://www.bovis.tv/index.php?id=14,36,0,0,1,0
http://eng.koreatemple.net/culture/default.asp?cat_id=10&page=3



Guess Whom This Memorial Service Is For

Take a good look at the offerings particularly in the foreground and guess whom these people are honouring.

Click here for the answer. I wonder if Korea's the only place in the world where such a scene can be found.

source:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/477167.html

Pretty Big Bibimbap And A Sneak Peek Into Social Welfare, K-style

This photo from the Hankyoreh caught my eye and the accompanying text ( see below) to the shot of a giant bibimbap got me  wondering about this particular welfare group. Turns out it's a Christian organisation which runs a soup kitchen amongst other projects but I found two things particularly interesting. First, the name "Da-il" is supposed to mean the "Pursuit of unity within diversity" which sounds a lot like the Indonesian national  motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika which is ancient Javanese for "Unity in Diversity".  Hmmm...was the pastor inspired by the Indonesians? 

Next and more intriguing is the Da-il website itself ; if you click on the list of people serving the foundation on the left side bar, you'd find a list that sounds pretty comprehensive in its organisation - from advisors to  a board of directors to  auditors, and even  public relations ambassadors comprising people from the media and entertainment scene. I don't know whether to be impressed or intimidated.

Write-up from the Hankyoreh:
"Pastor Choi Il-do, chairman of the Dail Welfare Foundation, center, and other donors hold giant utensils to mix boiled rice and other ingredients in a large bowl to make bibimbap, mixed rice and vegetables, for 500 people at the “365 Relay of Scooping and Sharing Rice” event held in front of their campaign headquarters in Seoul’s Dongdaemun District, May 2. The event was put on to commemorate the rice-scooping pastor serving a total of five million bowls of free meals to the homeless and those living in poor neighborhoods since its start in 1988. The Dail community usually serves free meals to 1,200 people a day, which costs two million Won ($1,866). Thus far, around 200,000 volunteers have helped serve the meals. (Yonhap News)

source:

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/476096.html

http://eng.dail.org/goto.asp?sub_no=1_1

Spring's Almost Over?

This photo by Tak Ki-hyoung was taken on the 22nd of April after heavy showers and strong gusts caused the cherry blossoms to fall from the trees around the National Assembly building in Yeouido. Jackson Pollock could draw inspiration from the pretty picture they make on the ground.

What I'd like to know is where the photographer was standing to take this great shot.  Perched on a tree or does he have access to a high floor on some official building nearby?

Check out this article on where to catch the last sights of this all-too-fleeting season in Korea this year.

sources:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/05/05/2011050500411.html

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/474508.html

Houses In Korea I Fell In Love With, Part 3

Actually I'm not crazy about the house featured in Secret Garden ( starring Ha Jiwon and Hyun Bin) - it's too white, too Zen, too contemporary for my old-fashioned tastes.  The exterior is another story, though. Loved the wooden walkway leading to the apron overlooking the small pond outside the house. The eulalia and maple trees plus the ceiling-to-wall glass windows allow for wonderful vistas which can be enjoyed throughout the seasons.

It's not going to be easy for K-drama fans to make a pilgrimage to the Maiim Vision Village which is the shooting location for this hugely popular dramatic comedy about role reversals. Getting to the Maiim Vision Village which was also the location for some scenes from  other K-dramas like "Winter Sonata" and  "Star's Lover" isn't really the problem. See the map below.

The tricky part is gaining admission onto the grounds which cover 330,000 square meters in Yeoju in Gyeonggi-do as it's  not open to the public. Unless you are a member of the press or better still, an employee who is supposed to undergo training under Maiim Group, a company selling cosmetics and health food products, your chances of getting close-up snapshots of the grounds and buildings are as slim as Ha Jiwon's character gaining approval from her snobbish mother-in-law. Otherwise, you may be lucky enough to explore its dorms, community area and sports facilities and lovely gardens. About ten years ago, it existed as a youth hostel but was converted into a training centre when the land was purchased by Maiim Group.

That being the case, you may as well be an armchair traveller and explore the place via cyberspace. One of the most significant buildings here is the Mud and Stone House. The architect, Bae Dae-yong, was responsible for this hybrid of contrasting textures which featured a stone section as a working space on the upper part of a hill and the "mud" section on the lower slope inteded as guest rooms.

Bae remarks: "Beauty is nothing but something that is hidden in nature, being revealed accidentally. It can be declared that there is no essential beauty not rooted in nature. For beauty belongs to nature. Beauty is not created but discovered, and we should approach the nature as near as possible if we want to discover it, and we men cannot create such a beauty but can only make it revealed." His ideas about how design can harmonise with nature can be found in his book, "Removing, and Becoming Transparent”.

Here are some examples of Bae's work.

 

My favourite room is probably the library - see above right. The suspended window on one end  of the room looks like a painting in itself while the rock is a pretty large token of Nature making its presence felt in this airy, ample interior.

Here's another instance of Bae's work - this time for a wealthy couple in Seoul. The ceramic tableware, stone lantern and bamboo are the traditional touches to this otherwise very Western design.

See also:

Houses In Korea I Fell In Love With, Part 1

Houses In Korea I Fell in Love With, Part 2


sources:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_68.jsp
http://www.soompi.com/news/secret-garden-press-conference-features-house-and-actors
http://www.soompi.com/content/type/2/0/3/9995
http://www.soompi.com/image/335575
http://www.bnadesign.co.kr/home/project.bna?proc=view&cateNo=100000011&index=128&lang=E#
http://www.bnadesign.co.kr/home/design.bna?lang=E
http://www.kdb.co.kr/screen/jsp/IHIre/down/new/2011.02-16.pdf
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/archive/pavlik_article_112002
http://www.maiim.com/eng/01_Story/03_Company_Brief.html?pageNum=1&subNum=3&ssubNum=1

Learning Korean Through Donga Cartoons

Here's another source of Korean cartoons with translations - useuful for learning Korean in small doses.

1 ) 버티던 평가원 - The persistently denying Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation


2) 복수정답 인정하고 (평가원) -2) Admits its mistake of dual answers


3) 전 사퇴하겠습니다 (원장) - 3) I resign (KICE President)


4) 그 말이 정답이네 - 4) "That is the correct answer!"




source:
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=140000&biid=2007122532998

Wanna Hang Out...New Hanji At A Korean Palace?

Oh to be in Korea now that spring is here. I'd make a beeline tomorrow  ( 23rd April, 2 pm) for the Tongmyeongjeon Hall  at Changgyeong-gung ( palace)  to volunteer for the  ‘Royal Palace Maintenance Reenactment and Participatory Program’. You may have already missed the demonstration of the cleaning of the Jegi ( wooden bowls used in the Jongmyo ancenstral rites which will be conducted on the first Sunday of May) - this was held on the 16th of April but it's not too late to take part in other palace maintainence traditions.

Be prepared to get your fingers sticky as you help to rip off the year old hanji from palace windows and doors and replace them with fresh sheets of Korean traditional mulberry paper. You may also observe the palace housekeeping staff cleaned the floors the good old-fashioned way without benefit of domestic robots. All you need to pay is the normal admission charge for this privilege sneak peek into the behind-the-scenes palace life.

And if you miss the event tomorrow, the third part of the program will be at the Seongjeonggak Pavilion of Changdeokgung Palace on April 30th (2:00 pm).

Tourists at Changdeokgung can now admire spring  blossoms on palace grounds as well.
Click here for the comprehensive list of activities at the different palaces.

Click here for an earlier posting on the Quintessential Spring Pictures

source:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1259075
http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=46044
http://ajummasjournal.blogspot.com/2009/09/andong-hanji-andong-part-6.html
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/15/2011041500362.html

Hanbok Gets The Boot From Shilla

In case you haven't heard and don't get the significance of the cartoon above, here's a quick translation:
The Hotel Shilla Seoul pushes out a woman in hanbok, Korean traditional costume, saying, "No admittance! It's because hanbok is dangerous." The woman gets angry and asks, "What country's hotel is it?"

The hoo-ha started when hanbok designer Lee Hye-sun of Frozen Flower fame ( who usually goes around in hanbok) was denied entrance into the ParkView buffet restaurant at the Shilla Hotel  on the grounds that she was ...well, wearing a hanbok. Apparently compliants from some hotel guests have  prompted the hotel staff to discourage guests from wearing the national dress of Korea for fear of causing people to trip over its billowing and long hemlines.

It didn't take long for Shilla to respond to the furry of comments by enraged Netizens with a formal apology from none other than the Shilla CEO herself, Lee Boo-jin. BTW, she also happens to be the oldest daughter of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

The affronted designer and the  CEO who had to do some damage control

I'm just wondering what's happened to the over- zealous  staff member simply carrying out orders who unfortunately became the one who said "Anio"  to the pride of the nation, couture-wise. OR Perhaps it was not even a Korean employee but a clueless foreign worker who didn't have enough proficiency in Korean to explain the hotel policy diplomatically.

Then again, what is really Shilla Hotel's policy on the hanbok? Wouldn't it be better for the hotel to put up notices to remind guests to be careful where they tread? For goodness's sake, surely that shouldn't even be necessary as everyone should exercise common sense and be careful when approaching someone in a hanbok. Personally I'd prefer to admire from a distance and would steer clear of any ajumma in a hanbok because I doubt I could afford to pay for her laundry bill  if I accidentally bumped into her and spilled some gochujang on her dress or worse, if I have to  pay compensation for a torn hanbok. Do you have any idea how expensive and hard to maintain these beautiful and delicate garments can be???
sources:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/473002.html
http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110413000988
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2934882

Touring Korea From The Air

How many tourists would be fortunate to have a pilot in the family or have enough won to afford to hire a small plane just to appreciate these enormous artworks? While I applaud the creativity of these landscape artists who have given crop circles their own Korean spin,  I wonder how viable a tourist attraction their creations would be? 

Perhaps pilots of budget airlines plying the Seoul-southern province routes may be persuaded to fly over this area on a regular basis but it wouldn't do much for reducing our carbon footprints.

From the Hankyoreh: "The first photo shows a majestic view of rice fields near the Suncheon Bay by the Suncheon City, South Jeolla Province. The city created hooded cranes, the representative migratory bird at the Suncheon Bay, one of the world five wetlands, with colorful rice plants including black ones among ripened yellow ones."

It may be possible to get a bird's perspective of the second scene below without resorting to wings. If one is willing to clamber up the nearest mountain or hill overlooking this giant moral, one may be rewarded by this striking if less inspiring sight. Still, I can't imagine hordes of tourists making the effort, though.

From the Hankyoreh: The second is a photo of green fields with young rice plants in the Goesan County, North Chungcheong Province. The county displayed neolttwigi, a traditional Korean jumping game on a plank similar to a see-saw, with a sentence reading, ““Wow! She’s really taking off!”....Recently, scenic farming, also called beautiful farming, has become increasingly popular in South Korea. It has attracted tourists in addition to income from the produce.

(Photos courtesy of the local governments)

sources:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/472378.html
http://www.designswan.com/archives/mysterious-crop-circles.html

BMK's When Flowers Bloom Again In Spring

Here's another version:




꽃피는 봄이 오면BMK (비엠케이)
니가 떠난 그 후로 내 눈물은 얼 수 없나 봐
얼어 붙고 싶어도 다시 흐른 눈물 때문에
널 잃은 내 슬픔에 세상이 얼어도
날이 선 미움이 날 할켜도

뿌리 깊은 사랑은 이젠 떼어낼 수 없나 봐
처음부터 넌 내 몸과 한 몸이었던 것처럼
그 어떤 사랑 조차 꿈도 못 꾸고
이내 널 그리고 또 원하고 난 니 이름만 부르짖는데

다시 돌아 올까? 니가 내 곁으로 올까?
믿을 수가 없는데 믿어 주면 우리 너무 사랑한
지난 날처럼 사랑하게 될까? 그 때의 맘과 똑같을까?
계절처럼 돌고 돌아 다시 꽃피는 봄이 오면

기다리는 이에게 사랑 말곤 할 게 없나 봐
그 얼마나 고단한지 가늠도 못 했었던 나
왜 못 보내느냐고 오~ 왜 우냐고
자꾸 날 꾸짖고 날 탓하고 또 그래도 난 너를 못 잊어

다시 돌아 올까? 니가 내 곁으로 올까?
믿을 수가 없는데 믿어 주면 우린 너무 사랑한
지난 날처럼 사랑하게 될까? 그 때의 맘과 똑같을까?
계절처럼 돌고 돌아 다시 꽃피는 봄이 오면

참 모질었던 삶이었지만 늘 황폐했던 맘이지만
그래도 너 있어 눈부셨어
널 이렇게도 그리워 견딜 수가 없는 건
나 그 때의 나 그 날의 내 모습이 그리워

시간에게 속아 다른 누굴 허락하고
다른 누군가에게 기대 서로 묻고 산다고 해도
날 기억해 줘

한 순간이지만 우리가 사랑했다는 건
너와 나눈 사랑은 참 삶보다 짧지만
내 추억속에 사는 사랑은 영원할 테니까
꼭 찰나같아 찬란했던 그 봄날은

Korean to English translation ( See how Google translator can mess up?)

After that you're gone can not get away my tears, look at the Earl
Tears flowed again because I want to freeze transfixed
The world froze in my sorrow, I have lost
Hate me, the day halkyeodo

I can not get away and pulled off a deep-rooted love Look
You like my body, beginning a momyieotdeon
What I can not even dream that dream
And you want within your name I was crying

Could come back? You could come to my side?
Believe if I can not believe we loved so much
The last day when I would do? I wonder when the heart and the same?
When spring comes round again, like the seasons around

Has anything better to do I see waiting yiege
I had not even measure how much hardship or if
Why not send a calling me Oh why I'm crying
I keep blaming me and rebuke me, but I can not forget you

Could come back? You could come to my side?
I believe if I can not believe we have loved
The last day when I would do? I wonder when the heart and the same?
When spring comes round again, like the seasons around

Mozilla had been so devastated lives, but always mamyijiman
But you still got nunbusyeoteo
I miss you too so what I can not stand
I figure that I miss the day when I

Hours to allow anyone else to be fooled
Hope someone else can live with each other to ask
Remember me me

I mean, one moment, but we
Divided by the true love you more than life is short
I'll love to live in my memories forever
The spring is glorious moment I think

sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvqR7fnqMl8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH3-Wa6LAZE&feature=related

On Air In Jinhae Midst Cherry Blossoms

Aside from Romance, On Air was the other K drama that got me drooling over cherry blossoms in Jinhae. In episode 12, Lee Gyeong-Min ( played by Park Yong-ha) and his entire production team take a break from their hectic schedules to admire the springtime blossoms. There's another scene in which Seo Yeong-Eun ( Song Yoon-ah ) goes off for a solo walk to admire the cherry blossoms at night, but she is soon joined by Lee Gyeong-Min.

Wonder if Song Yoon-ah looks up at the cherry blossoms and feels a pang for her co-star who committed suicide last year.

Shooting location for On Air

sources:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_40.jsp
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=261560
http://koreanfanscommunity.blogspot.com/2010/10/on-air-2008.html

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