Gangnam Movie Star

They say Koreans are cold and restrained people. My comment is: it depends. 

It was on my second day in Korea back in 2009. I have just arrived and my phone was not working, of which I obviously could not know, just like any freshmman to the Country of the Morning Calm. 

My laboratory coworker Chang-seok had mercifully taken care of this matter. On the second day I was still a stranger to Seoul and I have hardly known where I live and how to get there. We had taken subway line 2 to Gangnam station, where I saw quantities of shops, like an underground street market style, nowhere to be found in many countries I have been before, Everything with reasonable prices and stylish, interior of subway full of Korean pop music ringing in every corner as every shop has it's radio, not inside- because it disturbs clients, but outside to encourage them to enter. 

We went up to Teheran-ro. Teheran Street. I was stunned by tall buildings rising everywhere around me and a very wide street with typical to Korea rather wide pedestrian paths, Even here it is apparent that Seoul is indeed hilly everywhere - just in the back of the skyscrappers small roads climb high up to the hills with buildings smaller and smaller full of shops and restaurants. Even here K-pop everywhere, but Kimchi smell is kind of less. 

We entered SK Telecom shop where it took ages for the assistant to take care of my new number and charging my account with some 20 000 KRW ( it was enough for 2 months calling and texting later). 

It was hot, in the sun probably 40 degrees with humidity reaching 90%. So I had a rather loose white dress on myself. I sat down and was reading some magazine I brought with myself from Poland when someone started talking to me in Korean. 

An Ajoshi, man in his 50's, very elegant in Toshiro Mifune style of dignity was starring at me with a smile on his face. 
- He says you look like a movie star. - Chang-seok stated in a bit funny way :- Get ready as you may hear it from everyone here, every foreigner probably is a movie star for them. 

Honest or not, it was a nice compliment. 
Shy? Restrained? Cold Koreans? 

Maybe. But not then, not on that hot summer day in Gangnam. 

********
Ah, 
yes this is the same Gangnam from Gangnam style. 
   

Taxi Stories

Today my friend Shirley heard from the Taxi driver in Suwon "have a nice day and be happy". That only happens in Korea :)

I also had several quite nice taxi stories :)

Once when I had to meet my friend from Wyborcza newspaper somewhere in the city center of Seoul, I was running late by 20 minutes, ajoshi from the taxi told me:
- No worries lady. We go as long as we find him.
- But tooni obsoyo, I have no more cash to pay you for extra time.
- No need madam.

And indeed we found Chris as he was passing Cheong Wae Dae Palace perimeter.  And I paid for no extra ride :)

Another time we were going back from shopping near Suwon Station with my Indian ex boyfriend, and the driver asked:
- Her, wife?
- No.
- Kiss?
- Yes :)
- Sex?
- Maybe.

It was rather remarkable conversation and additionally I felt like an absent object and it was on between two guys, taxi driver and my ex.

Again some months later I was rather burned out and upset, on my way from a long trip to the mountains when taxi driver asked:
- You boyfriendy have?
- No...
- Pity. Yeopuda ( beauty)  lady should have man. No man, no good.

Yeah, wanted to tell him "no man, no cry" like Bob Marley would put it, but I said nothing...was rather happy to hear something nice eventually.  

Hairstyles

North Korean Leader has published 28 officially permitted hairstyles for his female and male citizens. 
Poor is the country indeed where freedom is limited even this way. No food, no internet, and no future and now even this. 

In free South korea there are no pfficially permitted hairstyles. But there is fashion. And it is completely enough to make every each young lady looking like the newest popular drama actress. 

And how many guys looking like him have you seen on Seoul streets? 

  

"Apaty” 아파트

...Korean architecture seen on the streets varies from luxury villa settings on the hills north from Cheog Wae Dae with tradition inspired walls, through not really typical and difficult to interpret small houses of the 50's, lots of them turned into offices, bars and restaurants by now. More modern buildings which are visibly planned in the space derive from the 1980's. They vary in type and size. Some of them are as low as 4 stories some 10. Most modern apartment complexes are even up to 20 something levels and they really reach the clouds... 

What I love Koreans for...

I never really have written about architecture in Korea before, have I? Maybe about bridge or old palace, but not about normal people housing.

I am amazed with how well Koreans design their modern apartment condominiums. I do not know how it was in the old times after the Korean War, but I will share with you what modern things I have seen.

1 level businesses

Korean architecture seen on the streets varies from luxury villa settings on the hills north from Cheog Wae Dae with tradition inspired walls, through not really typical and difficult to interpret small houses of the 50's, lots of them turned into offices, bars and restaurants by now. More modern buildings which are visibly planned in the space derive from the 1980's. They vary in type and size. Some of them are as low as 4 stories some 10. Most modern apartment complexes are even up to 20 something levels and they really reach the clouds.

It depends on the architect and size and price of land wether space between buildings is kept or not. In Gangnam district where some of most sophisticated apartments are, people can sometimes watch their neighbours through the window. But, usually space is kept. Older buildings are placed in irregular way, fitted wherever there was a spot to build, some place, some tiniest property. In between these little buildings there are car parks constructed of few metal pipes and platforms which can fit up to 10 cars one on top of another with help of the lift.

Normally big streets which take car traffic, subway stations and buses are not inhabited by rich people at all. They are surrounded by mixture of churches, public buildings, hospitals, and houses with restaurants and bars or shops fitted on many levels. Some have student rooms and other poorest private properties.

Away from central big streets hills usually start and narrow streets surrounded with brownish mix of buildings climb up the hill.

Modern setting is regular. Blocks keep 90 degrees toward eachother and sufficient space in between which is additionally helped by common altitude difference. Huge apartment condominiums are built on more flat areas, but with the same rule – there should be enough of light so 90 degrees and several hundred meters of space in between is kept.

I was lucky to live in my own room rented from Polish family living on campus in family dormitory of Seoul National University and this is how I discovered advantages and disadvantages of Korean modern architecture. 

Sadang Condominium

At first Korean apartments have lots of daylight influx via huge windows. Window usually takes the space of the whole wall, and is double. It means that every even poorest apartment has got a balcony.

These balconies are a seperate system. In most modest setting a door to the apartment is situated on one huge balcony which serves as a corridor to the apartments. Then another balcony is attached to the living room and kitchen does not have any own. It is either hugged to the small corridor or assembled as a small dark attachment to the living room. These smallest apartments are usually two room with toilet-shower, corridor-kitchen and a living room. One of these rooms reminded me of marine vessel beds, because two sisters fitted there with just their beds one on top of another and a wardrobe. Ah, there was some 30 cm of space so they could get in.

Bigger standard has a living room part where there is a „clear” balcony attached, and „messy” balcony near the kitchen. „Messy” one is where usually people keep washing machines, driers and whatever mess they can keep. Some housewives do kimchi in big barrels, some other still keep chickens in cages despite municipal ban for several years. Family trash is also kept there often, as well as vegetable storage etc.

Influence from American middle class style is that there is a clear common living area and bedrooms rather small, but not too small, not so tiny as in many European flats. Inner windows are also rather big, they take sometimes as much as the whole wall, some other start at the knee hight and reach the cealing.

By design and architecture life of the whole family focuses in common living room/ kitchen space with bedrooms being used almost only for sleeping. However adolescent students who try to get into college also keep their desks and their own tvs etc. 

50's and 60's no style "somethings" now holding businesses

This division between „messy” and „clear” space took a root in culture. Traditional houses had something called „madang” multipurpose room. This is where families kept all the junk or had small garden, or done kimchi or kept chickens etc. Since late 1950's balconies in the first built big apartment complexes had substituted for „madang”. Due course of time balcony near kitchen by default was used as junk storage and balcony near living room was rather clean and used as cultural display – I have seen a lady having her art exhibition over there.

Another thing which took a root in culture is heating system. It is an expensive way of heating, but taken straight from ancient history.

Ondol heating system was based on direct heat transfer from wood smoke to the underside of a thick masonry floor. It depends on how in which house but even at the sophisticated Confucian scholar home it was burnt in the hole under the rocky floor and via system of underside channels transferred underneath the house. Tradition of sitting on the floor started this way. After snowfall in winter temperature slowly drops reaching in January even 30 below zero. One meter above the floor in light wooden hanok houses it was already cold. Before dawn housewives or servants used to get up and make sure ondol started burning before any of the other family members or rulers were awake. First such site was excavated in North Korea about 1000 B.C.

In modern Korea it means any heating system which is located in the floor. There is a central thermostate which gives heat to water pipes in the floor which via radiators give hot air to the room. When it is on it is usually too hot, when off it gets cold very quickly, especially during cold Korean winter.

I have mentioned influx of daylight. Probably some of you know how dark it gets in winter especially on misty December days. Even in Korea it is a problem. And yet there is enough sunlight to turn on artificial light really late in the day.

Maetan-dong Condominium with visible glass walls

In some older apartments just like in Europe there is no elevator. I have once seen really genial way of moving simmilar to what I have also seen in some Polish blocks with narrow stairs. Instead of using 6 guys stretching their musles with some stubborn couch which doesn't wanna get through they just use an external lift and ...put it via the window.

Downsides... there is one. Most of modern 아파트 have electronic coded doors with automatic alarm. In Poland I know it from corporate buildings, public areas etc but commoners still carry traditional keys to their homes with them. Alarm systems if any are usually inside.

In Korea it's enough to touch one wrong button and police arrives or there is an angry neighbour irritated with a slightly drunk foreigner who again had mistaken herself...or himself or whoever one is at 3 am after nice time in the pub

Sometimes... there is a blackout.

Noone can get in or out...

...for some hours...

…Until somebody puts electricity again.

Oppa Gangnam Style MTV Awards Best Recording

Yeah, Gangnam Style has just got MTV Music Awards for Best Recording like not any Korean music before.

I will try to be short and sincere with this post: I do congratulate my Korean friends for having their really international dancefloor club hit. This is absolutely awesome!

The clip to the song is showing some of Korean style: guy with slippers, girls in miniskirts with doll-like awesome makeup. The song in words is also sweet Korean - I am a boy you are a girl, warm during the day, hot at night etc. What is very Korean is the coffee theme in it.

I love it.

But I also have to say in style of music this is not very Korean. Not very K-pop. It is not any different in it's rythm from any other popular international dancefloor hits which might be the case that this and not any other Korean song really made it.

There are some I really love dancing to, only noone likes them cause they do not have this electonic international sound. Yes, everyone who's got a keen ear knows what I mean.

This also hits European club charts during recent weeks:

Listen. Listen also to Asaf Avidan to Otto Knows or to Avicii. Answer yourself if this is actually any different from eachother. I don't know what it is but Western dancefloor pieces are very alike, nice, with a rythm, but very alike.

Here is another example of a promising copycat:

Isn't it just Pussycat Dolls rythm and voice? She may as well come up internationally. She appeals to international taste.

And this is what used to be some best of K-pop last year:

Run Devil Run, Girls Generation. I love having my morning gym with it.
 Group of girls, oversweet, overdone, group voice, unified dance, no real leader - this is how it was.

I do not have to love K-pop. But I really love that it has it's own uniqueness. No need to go for "international taste". They don't like it, so be it. Stay yourselves.

Last but not least. I congratulate you MTV Music Awards. I wish one day world appreciates international music and not just one unified anglosaxon style of rythm.

Overeducated

Too much education...too many diplomas...no work?

One year ago Korean Government have noticed finally that in South Korea there are too many people with higher education. Simply not enough jobs for everyone who masters how the microprocessor is built.


So, they decided that employers who will stop following education fever will get tax exemption as high as 18 000$ monthly if they employ a person who does not have an university degree.

Looks like simmilar situation is in Poland. Everyone gets into the university with stupid hope that this is what will get him quite stable job for just enough that if both people in the couple work, they will hopefully, during their lifetime on this planet, pay credit for 2 room 50m2 flat.

Is a degree indeed what can get one from poverty and give stability?

I am very sorry to admit that one special guy from Germany who only got technical high school education there can do with computer systems, programming devices, and any electronics more than my SNU educated Indian engineers. This is genial intuition which got him where he is now. And portfolio of very satisfied clients.

But, on the contrary is there, really, a way back?

I cannot imagine that I can convince any employer in Poland that I am capable of cleaning the floor if I don't get a degree in "flat surface conservation problematics". Same is in Korea, for a long time from now on any employer will expect an employee to hold a degree from a University. Not necessarily SKY but still.

Last but not least. They say uneducated society is easier to be handled. Apparently true, but education is also: travelling, life experience, books, tv, theater. Not only university.

For now every Korean high school graduate goes into college, then MA then corporate job in chaebol or PhD. There are a lot of unemployed PhD's in Korea.

Kim Ki-duk triumphs in Venice

Let me quote Washington Post here:
"...South Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s drama “Pieta,” the brutal story of a debt collector who cripples those who can’t pay until he meets a woman who claims to be his mother, won the Golden Lion for best film at the 69th Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
In a departure from the usual acceptance speeches, Kim thanked the jury and festival audience with a short song in Korean, leaving the theater in rapt silence.

(...)

“Pieta” follows a young debt collector he goes about his business maiming debtors until his ruthless course is interrupted by a stranger who claims to be his mother. His acceptance of his mother weakens his resolve to brutally collect the debts, leaving him vulnerable to revenge.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency called “Pieta” “a bruising but wisely woven drama (that) plainly shows how money can destroy humanity and create hellish interpersonal relationships.”
“Pieta” is the Italian word for pity, but also applies to the artistic image in sculpture or painting of the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, evoking a mother’s love for her son. Yonhap said the title “gives the false impression that the film is about trying to find meaning in life through religion....”

However Koreans do not appreciate Kim Ki-duk, he adds to their national pride, so after all, they are proud of him. But his movies are mostly recognised in Europe, cause we Europeans like and ...well...we make dark cinema of moral choices. In Korea cinema is a fairy take which has to end well, and cannot question the reality as such. But this changes also.

I will write a review of the movie as soon as I happen to watch it. Congratulations to Korea for the great director!

Kids in Korea

Korean kids are the cuttest creatures in the world

I was recently thinking a lot about modern obstacles in raising children. One of my best friends is two months pregnant, hence such thoughts.

If I think about providing good conditions and protection to children in modern world, I rather panic. Or I tend to think that if one does not put the wall of extensive personal wealth to make sure that his kid goes to the private school and later private high school where basic security and good psychological guidance is provided, chances of success are lame.

Kids pornography, kid to kid violence, mental and physical abuse, drugs, alcohol, pressure for early sex,  is a disease of modern world. Which parent who needs to work long hours to make ends meet for basic goods like food or cloths can provide guidance and security. Very often even if woman would prefer to stay home and make sure her kids are safe, she can't- she has to provide. She doesn't have time to watch over her kid in the playground and very often her kid gets kidnapped and either raped or used in kids porn business.

All above mentioned problems of so-called public school system are present also in Poland. If some children are victims of abuse noone really cares. No psychologist who sits in his room and doesn't stick nose out neither any blind teacher who walks school corridors and prefers not to see things. Or, very often, is bribed by parents of abusers with a new kitchen device, because teachers salaries are poor.

But there is definately one country I still had seen children playing safe. When I lived in Korea, daughter of my friends, little beautiful Olivia, had always gone alone to the playground and never anything had happened to her. I have seen children playing around and parents normally at home or watching over from the balcony.

I would love to be a mother in Korea.

Yet on the other hand what comes later, is not so fun.

When kid is very small and goes to first grade competition starts. Competition for grades. Every kid has to be the best. Problem is however, they are forbidden asking questions if they don't comprehend something. Their parents do their best to provide extra lessons, as later they aspire their kids to get into best universities both in korea and abroad.

I had often seen sleepwalking girls in short skirts in the middle of winter, at 10 pm going back by subway home from some lessons of math or physics or English.

I feel pity on one hand.

But on the other hand, it would be impossible to leave kid off sight in the West. Kid travelling alone on public transport is not thinkable due to many hazzards. Korea is still country where kids can go alone by subway, by bus, or anyhow alone and nothing hapens to them.

So which is better? This is for every person to judge individually.

 Personally I prefer Asian system of raising kids into responsible hardworking adults who don't steal, don't destroy property, can have fun in non-abusive way.

Korea, sex and foreigners

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation issued a report that outraged many foreigners living in Korea. The more heated reactions are, the more accurate accusations, life tells. In this case it is also truth. However patriarchal truth only about women. 

Here is the video. Watch and read further.

In many private conversations to guys I met in Korea I had this topic touched. One of the taboos was legendary orgasm. According to one "master in the skill" :
- Well, what my girlfriends told me is that guys usually releave theselves, turn and snorr. Just like we used to do in the 50's or earlier. They stick to foreigners for ars amandi.
-  Dude, what if they actually stick to foreigners for other things than just that?
- Like?
- Like a relationship?- asked I between one snack and another. We were somewhere at Global House near SNU or elsewhere. People seemed interested in the topic but I made sure we were quiet enough to limit the ears.
My partner in the conversation looked at me bit startled.
- What relationship? If I am able to hook her within a few days what can she expect? Besides I am not ready for anything serious! No guy my age is, they should know it!
- Uhmmm....

Depending on the situation and a guy many other contexts appeared. Some of them mentioned Darwin and that every guy is a seeder and that it is a game normal to guys. It's their thing to avoid investment as long as they want.

- Come on Aga! Are you my moral guardian or what?! - the conversation got on bit dangerous grounds. How to admit that no, but I like knowing motivation of people, getting into their little heads, no matter if they are men or women.
- Hmmm... how to tell you. Am just curious... how do you pick them? - I go deeper.
- Well I go to a bar and see which one is available.
- How do you know she is available?
- She approaches me this way or the other.

Well, this is quite universal. But point is Korean girls believe in romantic love. They are available cause they watch a lot of soap operas and have emotional needs to be loved and appreciated and they lived happily ever after. Topics like relationships or sex are not talked at home. So the average Korean girl is being simply seduced. And later it is her fault only right?

But the other side of this report shows extremely shauvinistic attitude of some Korean guys. These accusations are true, but if they want to keep their girls they should outscore foreigners in attitude and skills. One thing a foreigner usually does not want or cannot give to a Korean girl is commitment or future. So bit more skills in ars amandi and they are yours forever.

*****
My message to Korean girls out there. Keep your eyes open. Meet a guy at the university cafeteria, at work, or even at the concert. But simply don't go to a bar. Meet men in an environment that imposes communication. And read some guidebook on typical seduction techniques and texts men use to get under your underwear. Unless you like sex with no respect.

Mr Toilet

A tale of Mr Toilet who lived in a toilet house

 Korea is a remarkable country.  I love tiny cafes and restaurants, street markets and long lines of open markets with all kinds of vendors. Nice smiling people that would always stop and ask where are you from and how are you doing.

As you walk on by Korean streets full of advertising neons, K-pop music clinges to your ear and makes your day another happy one. There is this energy in the air.

And then you want to visit a toilet at times, after all we all do have to sometimes, right? I never was too much disturbed by variety of standards of Korean toilets, some of them however, were rather shocking.

There is an island on the way to Taen-gun located halfway a very long bridge, popular spot where crowds of people stop by. Probably it was in some Korean drama, because drama site is a tourism booster in that country. How surprised I was when I had seen a multiple chain of holes in the floor that had been toilets.

My smart Korean friend, Youna, who took me on that trip, said:
- But you see this is easier to maintain good sanitation. Thousands of people stop here and use it.
Hmmm indeed. But it also happens that a small tiny cafe made a toilet for it's guests in the closest gate staircase usually downstairs or between 1st and 2nd floor and that toilet is dark, rather uncleaned and defitnately had seen better times.

I cannot say I was bothered much. After all how a traveller can be bothered by anything? Beauty does not have to be always clean. It adds up to what I call unique charm of a place even if it is a doubtful charm of low class sanitation.

But apparently there was a dude that was disturbed by it all and he was 100 percent Korean. Sim jae-duck, was so pissed off with Korean toilet standards that he even founded a Korean Toilet Association.

More  than that. When he became a Mayor of Suwon, it was just before the FIFA Worldcup in 2002. Some games were held in the city not far from my alma mater, Ajou University. The Mayor thought to himself "Ok, so we have nice stadium that everyone is jealous for, nice coffee shops, awesome restaurants, goodlooking women, lots of shops, all fine. But we do not have many nice toilets."

It was then when he started his biggest quest for higher hygiene standards. He had a prostate cancer and felt weaker and weaker but still restlessly advocated for his cause. He founded World Toilet Association.

He was born in a restroom due to old belief it brings luck. Sim jae-duck built a toilet that reminds the world of those who are either not wise enough to have a clean one or not lucky enough to have one at all.

He donated his Toilet House to the City of Suwon :)

Wow, what a cool city I have been at.
Sim jae-duck died in January 2009 due to prostate cancer.

K-Pop update

What is K-pop? Why isn't it pop, just pop? Well admirers argue that it has really unique national trait. Indeed it has.

What is in common to Korean pop music are women or men that are really done in fashionized way and they are perfect dancers, both girls and boys.

They are really looking like on a stage one should look, like Western stars looked back in the 1980's.

Rythm is usually what makes it, rythmy, easy to dance music. Lyrics are all about love, seduction, and triangles: him picking one of the two, or vice versa.

They grow in popularity, mostly in Asia, adding to what is called Korean Wave. But K-pop has it's fans globally, some of them are my friends and I will make them posting here more about it. 

I love it when I do my gym at home. And it is also real pleasure to look at women who do not have this annoying "neighborhood girl" style but they are really totally made up, seductive and confident. Aren't you tired with women who do simply nothing to look better but still require admiration? Here is a rest for your eyes.

Enjoy my recent discovery:
Girls' Generation Run, Devil, Run

So, me off to my gym.

*****
People say it is kitchy. Maybe, but it is one of the traits that make modern Korea.

Desperation

Am not sure if this one is going to sound nice. But recently I decided to give up political correctness. My friend Martyna was nominated to the Traveller of the Year Award Kolosy 2011 in Poland for her Asian experiences.

While reading her blog I discovered that Seoul transforms into a city with no soul. Hi Seoul! Soul of Asia! slogan says. But what does it mean to have soul. It means to secure and preserve the best of Asia, common sense tells.

I have already written about Seoul Mayor closing down street vendoring and moving these people to more and more less payable locations. This increases done by the new Mayor also.

Will Koreans ever understand that we are not coming there for artificial things?! Not for created on purpose artificial junk! Junk like Hanok houses pretending to be ancient and being in fact rebuilt from new pieces only recently?! European sophisticated shops like Zara in Coex Mall or touristy mass production in Insa Dong?!

I have asked many friends if they have old Hanbok ( traditional female dress) inherited from their grandmothers or great grandmothers. Guess what, noone has old Hanboks!

- Obsoyo! There was a war and we don't have them anymore. - this is the reply I hear often. War cannot destroy everything.
Even Brother Anthony from Sogang University, who is a genuine specialist in Korean culture, sent me off to some factory making modern "traditional" Hanboks, all very colorful and nice.

 Photo from wikipedia, free licence with attribution: http://flickr.com/photos/paulcanning/314925845/ 
Above: This is what is available everywhere, colorful, nice, modern touristy production. 

Problem is this is not genuine. I will give more space later to Korean traditional dress how it really looked not longer than 40 years ago. But here I will shortly say that 2% of society could afford these sweet colorful Hanboks. Does it make it "traditional" already? What about other groups, what about farmers? They had Hanboks too, but white/grey.

Dear Readers, I am in desparate need of white/grey farmers Hanbok! Dirty, old, but genuine!!!! If you know about anyone, anyone who may be a happy owner of some, please let me know!

If it comes to Nation Branding Korea rocks. It is only pity that instead of preserving truth they build up stories of how rich they had always been.

I am not saying that there is nothing genuine in Seoul. There are still street markets and shops with everything and nothing, ginseng, spices of the world, hand painters making art pieces on silk or rice paper, but it slowly slowly goes away melted in unified asian version of global consumerism.

Talmud in Korea

Korea is by far the only country in the world outside of Israel, where Talmud is among mandatory textbooks for kids in school.

One person who laid a vital foundation to friendly connections between Korea and Israel is a Polish Jew saved from Holocaust who now lives in Israel and is a professor of Korean Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

photo by:  huji.ac.il

Dr Jaakow Cohen was rewarded for his lifetime efforts with the highest recognition in Korean science- Order of Magnolia - which he received from the president of South Korea, Lee Myeong-bak on December 7th.

Now Talmud called in Korean 탈무드 is appreciated by Korean parents as a great way to develop critical thinking. It also promotes value of education and family ties, both very important in korea.


On the sidenote: author of this blog - me - had personally met a very serious Korean who is a PhD in physics from Oxford University, and claims as seriously as he is himself, that Koreans are the lost tribe of Israel.

Funny as it sounds, miracles happen. Such claims can be easily confirmed by genetics, and they sometimes are. There are native Africans, whose skin is undoubtedly black, who are genetically Jewish, and this was confirmed by chance during genographic project. So...

Korean lady won International Violin Competition

Soyoung Yoon received 30 thousand € as a main prize in 14th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition.

 Soyoung Yoon, winner. Photo from www.wieniawski.com

Second Prize got also an Asian- Miki Kobayashi from Japan, and Third wento to Stefan Tarara from Germany.

International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition is the oldest and most prestigious of it's kind in the world.For the first time it was organized in 1935 and since then it is held every 5 years, always in Poland.

Jury leader, Maxim Vengerov allowed 46 competitors to the first phase of competition, 6 of whom qualified to the final phase. Before that he made personal individual rehearsals of 120 of them travelling around the world to Yokohama, Seoul, Quebec, Bergamo, Moscow, Brussels, London, Baku and Poznań.

Soyoung Yoon admitted after receiving First Prize that it was the most important reward in her career by far. In the final phase she played Violin Concerto fis-moll op. 14 by Wieniawski and Violin Concerto d-moll op.47 by Sibellius.

To listen to Soyoung Yoon outstanding performance go to: http://www.wieniawski.com/yoon_so-young.html

Congratulations to the beautiful Korean lady :)

_____________

Sidenote: this is a perfect example of public diplomacy, neglected by professional diplomats for centuries and successfully done by world class artists.

Korean cooking: Songpyeon

Chusok is coming. I have written at least 2 times about how Korean people spend their Chusok. But here I will give a glympse on what they cook.

The video above shows a detailed receipe on how to prepare rice cakes which are eaten very often in Korea, but they are especially done during Chusok.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 8 cups of rice flour (ssalgaru 쌀가루) this often is in the frozen section of a Korean grocery,
• but if you are somewhere in the West go to your oriental shop and they will give you rice flower over there. More and more often network chains also have it, like Euroshop or Real. 
• 2/3 tablespoons of salt
• 1 cup of hot water
• glug of sesame oil
• Sesame seed stuffing
• 1 cup of chamkae (roasted crushed sesame seed)
• 2 tablespoons of honey - if you are in Eastern Europe, you are lucky, real honey is exactly what you have not far from your home, unlike anywhere else in the world
• 14 tablespoons of salt

White bean stuffing - white bean paste can be served in variety of forms, but for this we need a sweet version:

• 1 cup of white beans (navy beans)
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• a pinch of salt

Recipe Steps:

• For the white bean stuffing, soak the white beans for 1 hr or longer and boil until it gets very tender. Strain, then crush it with a potato masher. Strain again to remove any liquid. Mix the mashed white bean with walnuts, salt and honey. Set aside.
• Make the sesame seed stuffing by crushing the roasted sesame seeds and mix with salt and honey. You can put this into a blender or food processor for a short burst. Set it aside.
• Slowly pour 1 cup hot water into 8 cups of rice flour and knead to make a smooth dough. Now you're ready to stuff the dough.
• Pull off a small piece (about 2 tablespoons) of the rice flour dough and roll it into a small ball. Push it down in the middle to make a small cave and put a teaspoonful of stuffing mix. Press down edges to close it, and make into a half-moon shape, or whichever shape you want to make it into. You can make half sesame seed stuff and half white bean stuffing.
• When you're finished stuffing, get a steamer pot ready. Fill water to reach about the half of the pot and bring to a boil. Place a damp cheese cloth on the tray of the steamer, and place the stuffed rice balls on the tray. Steam for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for five minutes.
• Coat your hands with some sesame oil and then move each songpyeon (steamed rice balls) carefully to a serving dish. Serve warm or cold. It's best to eat songpyeon fresh. However, if you do have leftovers, you can store in the refrigerator (it will get hard). You'll need to resteam or microwave it to get it soft again.

Serving Size: 15
Preparation Time: 45 minutes

I will let you know how my rice cakes were soon :)

Seoul less Asian?

Korea Times had drawn my attention recently to the street stalls ever present in Seoul's landscape. 
They sell everything starting from shoes for women through souvenirs, candies, street food snacks and so on. 

People who earn money this way are usually those who had no other choice but to go on this way of living after they had received just one financial installment on leaving their jobs in the age of 55- 60 which in many cases was not enough to make retirement on installments. Having no other choice these people went on forever Asian tradition- street vending of all sorts. 


It is of course present in all parts of the world, but Europe seems to surpress it due to aesthetical reasons. 


In Seoul street vendor must have municipal permition to have a stand on a certain location. Recently people who had been making their living on these activities had been moved to the dark corners from the main streets. Hidden away they start to suffer losses in their income, some say up to 50%. 


Previously they also did not have to pay any taxes, now the situation changed.

“It’s not just about the drop in sales. I have to pay 100,000 won in tax every month and with material costs rising, I have no way to make ends meet,” said the veteran street vendor who didn’t want his full name used.
 
Relocation of street stalls had infuriated street vendors. One of the ideas of the local ward office is to move street stalls from the main street in Insa Dong to the back alleys which are obviously less visible. They had organized ongoing 40 day protest in aim to change municipal decisions.

Since it is obvious that the ward office isn’t willing to reconsider its plan, the Insa-dong vendors appear to have no other choice but to continue their fight against demolition workers.

In 2009, Seoul City announced the relocation of around 600 street vendors in Jongno, central Seoul, to seven different specialized alleys connected to the main streets to make the downtown area more pedestrian-friendly.

From my observation it would be more pedestrian friendly if cars or motorbikes had been banned from getting into apparently more pedestrian streets like Insa-Dong alleys. 

There is an aurgument that young people prefer department stores or convenience stores to street vendors, but it is not quite true from my observation. Of course if a department store makes huge action on sales, it attracts customers, but otherwise I had seen several floors near Ewha University simply empty and street vendors and other small shops flourishing. 

Young women also prefer to save some cash and go to underground shopping centers, just like the one which was at Gangnam, but is now closed due to renovation of the station (which wasn't that old by the way). If compared luxury shops at Samsung Street where simply empty with their prices reaching 500 000 KRW for a coat or 200 000 KRW for a pair of shoes. 


When I go down the streets of Warsaw I very often see how the municipal police bans people from selling on the street what they had grown in their small garden somewhere away from the city, or some other people who had no other choice but to try to make ends meet this way. 


Warsaw is a city for rich people only without any offer for middle budget pocket which makes it one of the more expensive cities in Europe. With even 200 000 top richest people out of 3 mln inhabitants who can afford really high prices all the shops in the city can operate, and the invisible hand of the market seems not to work at all. 


Seoul used to be a city with an idea behind it that there has to be space of living for everyone in it. Also the prices of goods had been always adjusted to the average local pocket which I had personally experienced wondering through different corners of the city. 


Also...street vendoring and price negotiations are very old traditions. They should not vanish just because the government wants to make the city look more European. It is not Europe, it is Asia, however modernized, digitalized and developed, it is Asia and it's very core charm is in street vendoring.

K-Pop

...bit about music, culture and what I miss.
I think I have never ever mentioned anything about Korean popular music and how important element of reality it is.

While wondering the streets of any Korean city you hear it everywhere. It gets to you from Nature Republic when you go for a nail polish, but from Paris Baguette too.

It comes from bigger and smaller shops of all sorts, with cd's, with cloths, shoes, with cosmetics, from hairdresser or Haha Coffee, it is always present outside on forever live and colorful Korean streets.

It also influenced culture a lot. Not just dramas, but also music picture very sweet and caring dimention of modern Korean relationships, when people really share a lot. Physically, mentally and emotionally.

Under the mask of forever smile, rushing somewhere for school or to the office are hidden souls. Soul which feel a lot. And even if these feelings have popcultural semi american scent, it has it's own Korean spirit in it. Korean guy or Korean girl smiling to eachother as they walk hand in hand in any street or a park.

For you now:
Park Bom: Don't cry.

It's all about sex...

I have not written anything for about two months now, for witch I am sorry.

This one however asks itself for a comment.

Just today about 400 prostitutes and their "employers" protested against police attempt on crackdown of Korea's sex business.

Some of them loved their "job" to the extent that tried to self-burn in a protest.

In Korea, sex business is indeed a huge source of national GDP. Up to 5% of national income comes from such activities. And these are not just legal red light districts, but more often brothels nicely hidden in norebangs or "only men" pub in a coded system known to men only that such "services" are offered for their libido satisfaction.

Strangely Korea is very much divided society, into two very contrasting groups. One group is a group of girls who practice prostitution for living and they finance their college fee by doing such things. They know all very well how to use their charms and sweet innocent looks. They may approach foreign professor and admit frankly: "I will sleep with you if you give me a good grade."

Another half, on the contrary, has no idea about their spouses activities after hours. In Korea, where it is mandatory to drink with a boss it is so much easy to cheat on your wife, who either has no idea or does not dare to ask questions. And yet...even in Korea dear ladies, the working day may end by 6 on average and you'll get your loverboy home by 7 if he does not have mere excuses. "I am busy", "we have a project deadline" etc can work 4 times a year, but not constantly.

Wether they are self-cheating themselves or not, truth is that some of them  are blind to ever present sex-business around them.

On historical account such diversity on "the professionals" and "honourable wives" had been ongoing for centuries. Back in early 1920's Mrs Ethel Underwood established a trust which tried to fight this phenomenon. Back then, just like today 30% of young Korean women had at least once prostitution experience and 20% remained quite active "on duty". The rest either has no idea or tries not to know.

But economic development is, after all, important. And besides, I may ironically admit that it is much more independent and profitable way of living to be a hooker than to be "sex for free" honourable spouse who until 2008 had troubles with getting any legal custody on property or kids.

"Welcome to Seoul Red Light District, your online resource for Seoul South Korea brothels. Not only will you quickly discover the hottest and most reputable brothels in Seoul here, you’ll also uncover secret traps thoughout the city which many newcomers fall prey to." the advert says.

Capitalism to it's most. "Invisible hand" of the market.
On one hand romantic dramas which contribute to the better balance of character between sexes, on the other hand dark side of Mars prevails.

I'll be more regular in my posts, after some deadlines.

Nation branding

I have already mentioned about Korean Nation Branding efforts and how they impress me. In more developed countries than Korea comprehensive nation advertising and public diplomacy took much longer time or is not that well organized.

Part of it is Korean Wave which currently hits Japan, China and other Asian countries. Korean boysbands and girlsbands, so called K-pop music to which you may find links in the video corner is just an example. Korean dramas with Winter Sonata leading among them, singer BoA and many others.

This entry on the blog will also be featured on Arirang TV soon thanks to which hospitality I can share even more stories about country's and city's promotion enterpreneurship.

This year Seoul was choosen as one of the must-visit cities by UNESCO as a result of long term action of the Metropolitan Government. Maybe it was this little creature, Haechi, which was designed as a Seoul brand based on a fictional good spirit, symbol of the city, which caused it? Who knows...

Whether Haechi himself had blessed the city with good spirits or not, he definately works as a brand developed back in 2008. Metropolitan government uses it as a symbol which helps promoting good businesses for tourists.

I was taken for a dessert to one of the restaurants in a Korean traditional house situated in a White Collar area, next to the COEX Intercontinental, the very site were G20 was held. The restaurant which name is Pulhyanggi serves all sorts of Korean food for very sophisticated set of clients who usually go there for business negotiations and incentives.

 Inside the Pulhyanggi...

Btw. did I mention that my favorite Korean food is a pancake with seafood which is called haemul pajeon and I can even make it myself?

And this is how restaurants are promoted with the city brand sign:

The Haechi drawing is based on the ancient creature I have already mentioned, which looks like this:

And Seoul area is full of them standing in all sorts of places, both very modern and traditional ones.

As a city Seoul tries to catch up with modernity but also save what is the best from it's ancient spirits. For this all sorts of different things are done, one of them is Cheonggye Stream near Gwanhamun Plaza, or Design Street near Toksugung Palace. There we may find interesting things like design chairs or sculptures as below:

All fitted in traditional historic environment.

Haechi is successful in promoting business as well. An idea which had not been followed by other cities so far as I know. As a brand Hi Seoul is shared by all sorts of small companies which are given support by Seoul Metropolitan Government. The partnership is perfect for both sides: the city promotes itself even better and business gets money and stable environment to grow.

Above is one of the example of the shared brand products. We visited the exhibition with the TV crew from Arirang and were given a gift set with very useful and very nice items including a pen with a flashlight which I use a lot right now.

Haechi itself is a legendary animal representing justice and integrity. The mythical creature distinguishes good from evil and was believed to bring fortune and luck and provide safety from disaster. The creature has been believed to serve as a guardian of Seoul for a long time.

At Gwanhamun Plaza the souvenir shop opened and the top sells are Haechi dolls in all sizes. I got myself the small one... maybe it will bring me the luck?

*******
Just as I shared with viewers of Arirang I will repeat here. Despite constant threat from the North Seoul flourishes. Korea flourishes. South Koreans take steps foreward, round the clock, like a circle in a spiral... strive and persist.

Special thanks to Yoon-mi Jung and her crew who assisted me for more than 6 hrs on a freezing Friday in Seoul driving me around the city wherever I wanted. Thank you for your hospitality and patience. I love Korea!

_________________________
Links to explore:
http://english.seoul.go.kr/gtk/news/news_view.php?idx=7700
http://www.idwseoul.com/interdesignen/user/bizapp/link/link_01.asp?sBBS=0501

Orange

... about how my faith in humanity was restored and why I love Korea.

Because I do, genuinely.

Today I went to fix my new cellphone number. I couldn't manage with it, cause apparently they have no prepaid cells available on the spot, but I had funny adventures.

I went to SK Telecom shop and heard a very well accented "Hi". A good looking bit panicked young man was watching me and waiting until I say something.

- I want to get the cheapest prepaid phone you have.

- Impossible. - oh, I already thought it was impossible because of my ARN is until Deecember only.
- Why?

Then I had seen him opening google translate, typing something in Korean and the screen had shown:
- We don't have now. Sorry.
- Onjae isoyo? When will you have ? ( less gramatically correct but he seemed to understand me well).
- Monday.
- Olmayeyo? How much?
This time it was calculator in use.
- Handy phony 29000, chargy 20 000 KRW.
- ??? - nomu pisayo. Expensive! Why that?
- Chergy 20 000.
- Arossoyo. I see.
And I start taking money from my wallet.
- Aniyo, on monday. Come. Pay.
Broken english was just enough for me to understand what he was saying. My broken Korean spared him from typing each time on the screen. One thing came to my mind though.
- How will you know it's me? Why don't you write it down somewhere?
I had written him down my landline and a word Monday on yellow sticker.
- Ah, arossoyo. Kinchanayo. - heard I in response.
- Nanyn 월요일 come. I will come on monday.
- See you on Monday.
*********
How friendly place in the world is this country. In Poland there are global policies and global solutions and here every branch of the bank and every branch of any telecom has policies adjusted to local community of customers and their needs. The closest telecom shop to Ajou makes no fuzz about anything, no formalities, even if it's staff does not speak english at all and uses google translate instaed. I think two dimensions make it prevailing the way it does. Asians do not complain that much and are not that poshy as customers. I am not that poshy as a traveller as well. In Poland some sophisticated Briton would maybe make a big fuzz about the level of the service, especially in Warsaw's white collar district. A personnel without good command of english would be fired. Here, noone cares... and I love it.

As I was walking down my local food and service street close to Ajou, walking back home, I decided to have a cup of nice coffee.

- Hojilnot isoyo? - asked I gently in haha Coffee shop.
- Anyohaseyo, oh, haizeelnoty obsoyo. Myanamnidah. We don't have hazelnut coffee now, sorry.

I saw a very nice guy in his 40's with genuine smile saying sorry to a customer with his entire self, and he ran away from the shop somewhere as I was waiting for machiato he offered to make with a discount.

My machiato was ready when I saw a guy rushing back in with a bunch of mandarines, giving me two of them said:
- Mashilke tyseyo - bon apetite.

And he said something which in my instinct translation sounded like " Have a nice day".

Not much was needed to make me even more happy today.

Now, eating my mandarine.
The photo comes from flog.pl.