HONOR GUARD CEREMONI

Today we had the departure and arrival ceremony for the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) hosted by General Walter Sharp, the commander of the United Nations Command.
A ceremony very professionally conducted by several nations bringing a sincere framework regarding the mission of both United Nations and NNSC.
Among the guests were military from many nations, spouses, old Korean veterans, Swedish Ambassadors from the region and other officials from Sweden assigned to Asia. The last mentioned attendees were present during the ceremony due to the fact that the Swedish Ambassador in Seoul HE Lars-Gunnar Vargö, the regional meeting for the Swedish Ambassadors. After the ceremony and the reception the official party went to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) for a brief.
Major General Lindström was decorated with the Legion of Merit medal by General Sharp for his contribution during the past 2,5 years. Also his wife Lotta Lidström was praised and rewarded for her input,.
A Prayer, National hymns, March music, Inspection and Speeches gave moments of reflection regarding the involvement of many nations for 57 years.

Changing starts

Many different nations participated








If you want to read more about the HONOR GUARD CEREMONY, I'm sure you can find it on www.forsvarsmakten.se (the homepage for the Swedish Defence Forces)during next week.

My what we in Swedish call "tröstköp"

Speak for themselves...................And the purchase did comfort me ;)

Farewell dinner for Christer and Lotta Lidström

The couple got a wonderful farewell dinner at one of Seoul finest Korean restaurants. We were 18 invited guests from different nationalities. The dinner consisted of fourteen (!!!) lovely traditional Korean courses.
Christer & Lotta got many speeches expressing the appreciation for the job and engagement they have done during the past 2,5 years.

Waiting outside the restaurant after a too early pick-up; not everything works like clockwork :)

It's tradition in Korea that someone else pours your drink!

Senior Member, Major General Kwon, giving a present a token of appriciation

Memorial Ceremony ROKN Cheonan

As I understood it was a tuff day for my husband to witness the memorial ceremony of the sinking of the ROKN Cheonan for exactly one year ago.
The service was especially for family members and special invited attendees to unveil the Cheonan 46 Warriors Memorial Tower.

With all casualties that occur in armed forces it's always the near and dear that suffer the most. Also this day when officials and near and dear paid their respect to those who sacrificed their lives when they were attacked. National and International broadcasting showed their respect by reporting about this first anniversary and the unveiling of the monument in honor of those who gave their life for their country even while many other issues  and situations are going around on our globe.

Anders was taken by the grief present during the ceremony for he could put himself in these parents place thinking about how it would be to have lost our son.

Relatives of the son's and husbands that lost their lives

Part of the Cheonan 46 Warriors Memorial Tower 

Anders on first supervising mission

Yesterday Anders travelled with a small group by minibus from Seoul to the eastcoast, in order to have a look at a ROKN (Republic Of Korean Navy)  excercise.

If I understood him correct they were on a Frigate or small destroyer in the sea of Japan.

The supervising was to look at a life firing from a division of destroyers from first fleet from Dong-hae, towards a towed target. It apparently was carried out in the same way as it's done in Sweden or elsewhere. According to Anders it was all done in a professional way.


I just though it took a very long time for him to do this.

He left at 05:30 and returned at 23:45. You think I thought this was fun???? Not really.... However, I realized while talking to him that it was a kind of breakthrough for Sweden; for this was one of the first time the NNSC was approved to supervise this kind of navy exercise. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Anders is a Navy officer.............................

Road to the getting to the excercise.

Major Rick Grundevik who joined Anders explaining where they will be heading.

 

Frigates and Destroyers lining up for the shooting exercise

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Some more things I’ve been doing

First week I went to several markets. I needed material for making curtains and we went to an inside market place that had without exaggerating thousands of fabrics. Although it took time to find what I wanted that evening I could make curtains for the living room and kitchen. We also visited a fresh food market and the flower market; both of them were absolutely amazing. The colors were breath taking and I saw an immense diversity of decoration materials everywhere. It was Lotta Lindström who took the time to show me around and learned me where I could find these places.

We had a great time shopping, eating lunch at a local “luncheon street”, drank coffee and she told me about life in Korea and at an US Army base.

                                          

"our" home from the outside

Below windows "before" and "after" I visited the fabrics market :)

All day issues

Believe it or not, I'm biking around with a helmet and reflecting band (instead of neon vest...) In Stockholm I gave away my bike to our daughter Valerie because I was requested to bike with this type of outfit, which I refused. Now I've got no chose for its compulsory and it does make transport easier.

Just some lines for the pictures I took can't be uploaded:(

My days have been full with shopping and fixing our house before our personal things arrive.
Many woman living around us came with presents and flowers to welcome us to Youngsan Base. The Swedish woman in the delegation are taking good care of me, while Anders is away for introduction before he'll take over from Christer Lidström.
This weekend he's invited to participate in a navy ROK (Republic Of Korea) excercise and on sunday he'll be present for the wreathlaying for the 1 year aniversery of the sinking of The Cheonan, a 1,200-tonne corvette, killing 46 sailors. I'll ask him to take some pictures so you can be part of what the NNSC is doing as well.

                          The Cheonan

Update passed weeks.

Everything I wanted to keep was picked up for storage the 28th of February. After cleaning the apartment (for weeks) we had inspection of the new Navy Inspector :) and one week left in Stockholm before leaving. That week we had so long dinner at several friends and the last evening was reserved for our children and their partners. Tuff!

Monday the 7th of February we left for Seoul were we were well taken care of by Rick Grundevik and had two days getting acquainted with the area we had our hotel, travelled with the subway, bought a new camera and found a genuine Korean restaurant with fabulous food. Then it was time to pack again for our trip to "nearby" situatied Cambodia.

Enormous amound of choice at i-Park

Tired but happy new camera owner

A small part of Seouls subway system

 

Some cultural points in Phnom Penh - Royal Palace

Travelling to our "camping"

four hours by taxi, boat trip and.........................

We arrived to our floating camping place :)

Inside of our tent

Sunbathing, reading and making crosswords on the tents deck to having a swim and picknick at the waterfalls nearby to................................. 

Fabulous sunsets, good food and wonderful life jazz music several nights.

After these calm, warm days and nights it was time to travel all the way back to Korea  to get settled in our "new home".