I never learned Hangul……

Being a linguist, I immediately, when I moved here in March 2011, started up to learn the native Korean language, Hangul. However, not very long into my studies I noticed that the Koreans are perfectionists and have their specific area pronunciations of the same words. This resulted into the fact that I was constantly corrected, which made it not very much fun to continue, so I stopped.

Coming from minor language areas I’ve studied and use several international languages. But none of them helped me here in Korea. Instead I became an expert on body language, but this made me very much aware of the fact that the overall competence in the English language is at a very, very low level, with of cause some exceptions.








After more than two years in South Korea this has become an area of irritation for me. Even in the Korean military, English is bad and this surprises me since the Korean military has worked with the Americans for over 60 years. One can’t learn all the different languages, but one can at least learn and speak one major foreign language.

It’s nice to be proud of your country; it’s also nice wanting to be good at what you do, but this being proud and perfect isolates the people of this country. Fifty million South Koreans, twenty million North Koreans and about ten million South Chinese people speak Hangul which makes it for me: a minority language.

What Doktoro Esperanto*) wanted hasn’t been achieved. However, English is today the most used second language bringing people together and enabling us to learn from each other. So I sincerely hope that the Hangul speaking people throw their perfectionism aside and interact with the international communities and widen their horizon.  

 

 

Ludwig Zamenhof 1887    

 

 

*) Doktoro Esperanto means a doctor with hope and was the pseudonym of the Polish Doctor Zamenhof, who in 1887 published his international language. Esperanto was meant to be a second language for all people. His hope was that this would lead to increased understanding and lesser risk for war and conflicts between different countries.  

 

The Korean alphabet, also known as Hangul or Chosongul is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It was created during the Joseon Dynasty in, and is now the official script of both North Korea and South Korea, and co-official in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture of China’s Jilin Province.

Hangul is a true alphabet of 24 consonant and vowel letters.










But it surely looks beautiful!!!

Public facilities in Seoul

In the main shopping street at Itaewon..........

People wondered what I was doing,

when I took pictures of the toilets :)

Having worked for a decade with bathroom products from Ifö Sanitär, I can’t deny that I still have a great passion for these products. This has as a result that I always look at those products everywhere I go. During my years here in South Korea I can´t say anything else than that I´ve been very impressed by the way the city of Seoul foresees the people with clean, well functioning, free of charge and good availability of public toilets. Although I definitely have a preference for the Nordic design of toilets I think many countries, including Sweden, should learn from Korea in the way the country handles the public facilities. No matter where you go: subway stations, shopping malls or shopping streets you´ll always have access to impeccable facilities.

 

 

 



As curiosa: while I went to take some "toilet-pictures" in the subway station of Dongjak, Anders waited for me at this subway station's "children library"! Have you ever seen that anywhere? I haven't!

Manila here we come!

A long time it had been my wish to visit the Philippines and became through. Together with my friend Chi, I went off for a six day trip! Especially Chi deserved a vacation and to be away from what is called "The Peninsula" (but in reality an island for we can’t just take the car and drive to China or?) after living here for two years.

Filled with expectations and very happy to have found a first class hotel (five stars!!!) for half the price, we checked in. Problems! No reservation found and we needed to contact our travel agency to get a refund. No room either. After several times hearing their excuses, I mentioned that I as a journalist would use all my contacts to write about the Pan Pacific. Things happened! We were upgraded, got fabulous breakfasts and were pampered from morning to evening! (But I surely can recommend the place, great location, fabulous hotel, fantastic service and good food!)

What will happen now?             

               We'll go for a swim!

We decided to have a "half-half" vacation: exploring and sunbathing.

So we did and went to see the Old Town, called Intramuros with horse and carriage. 

 This being the oldest district and historic core of Manila was absolutely wonderful. The name comes from Latin and means “within the walls” which were built in the late 16^th century by the Spaniards to protect the city from foreign invasion. We visited the Rizal Park and museum. José Rizal lived from 1861 to 1896 and was a Filipina nationalist and reformist. He’s considered as one of the national heroes of the Philippines. Rizal was a polymath; besides medicine, he was also an artist who painted, sketched, sculpted and did woodcarving. He was a prolific poet, essayist and novelist. In short a man with many talents!

 

 Following in Rizal footsteps?

We also visited the National Art Museum, had a drink on the boulevard after we strolled on it, rode the Manila Eye, shopped at The Mall of Asia and the last day we took a day tour to see the Taal Volcano.

 

 

On our day tour we stopped at the Jeepney factory, producer of the most popular means of public transportation in the country. Afterwards we paid a visit to The Las Piñas Bamboo Organ, being the world’s oldest organ made of bamboo, in the St. Joseph Parish Church. And the organist played several songs for us! From our tourguide we learned about but also saw the poverty in the country.

 

    The Beautiful old Catholic Church with..... 

 

    The unbelieveble sounds coming

    from the bamboo organ!

 

 

    The tasty fruits everywhere along the road side,

 

 the colorful plant stalls, and.....              

 

    the fun cultural dances performed at Barbados in Intramuros.

 

 

When we arrived at our destination we were breath taken by the sight of the Taal Volcano. This volcano is the second most active volcano in the country, with its 33 historical eruptions and is located on the island of Luzon. We viewed the Taal Volcano and Lake from Tagaytay Ridge and were presented a most picturesque and attractive view.

 

 

 

The relaxing at the pool gave us a good shot of D-vitamins and some color. Too soon time to return to Seoul… Although also nice to be with Anders again!

So long dinner on a River Cruise boat

Sweden has, as you by now all probably know, been sending officers to South Korea to serve the NNSC to supervise the Armistice Agreement signed in 1953.  But did you know that since many decades back many spouses came along as well. Many have been living, with or without their children, on the American Garrison called Yongsan.

From left to right: Me, Louise, Anna and Barbara

For the past two years we’ve had four spouses who put their own career and income on hold to be with their husbands. This might seem strange for many of you who read my blog. However, Swedish women are self-supportive and are required to earn their own pension. But all of them, me included, have gotten a fabulous time and an insight in two different cultures, the American military and Korean. With a positive attitude and open mind these women have contributed to make NNSC known and broadened the contact network on different levels.

The Delegates we supported from left to right:

Per, Anders, Michael, Peter and Allan.

To acknowledge the three women that will return home soon we went on a superb Han River tour and Anders and I had the opportunity to tell them how thankful we were for their contribution.

 

 

 

Barbara Blücher, Louise Norén and Anna Falk I have been impressed by your creativity, positive attitude, your coping with all the challenges you had living here! Thank you!

 

Beautiful food!

 

Beautiful views!

 

Beautiful women!

 Barbara Blücher

 

Louise Norén

 

Anna Falk

Beautiful entertainment and .......

beautiful promoting the NNSC by Allan Blücher

South Korea is and should by all means be very proud of what they've achieved in their country.
In the past decades the country has turned into a prosperous industrial society.
However, just as many other countries there're issues they need to and are trying to find solutions for. A major problem in South Korea is the extreem high suicide rate.

South Korea has the highest suicide rate among the 30 OECD countries, and the suicide deaths doubled in the last decade and is the most common cause of death for those under 40 years old.

According to the Korean Times; Korea is a country of suicides.
The biggest cause of suicide is financial worry, or more precisely, people experiencing a relative sense of deprivation. Nothing illustrates this batter than the surge in the suicide rate after the 1997-1998 financial crises, which drove numerous wage earners out of jobs (for good in most cases) and began to severely widen the income gap among Koreans.

We can also see that Korea's share of public spending out of its gross domestic product is the lowest in the club of the rich, industrial countries.  The loose social safety net also explains why the suicide rate among senior citizens here in Korea is by far the world's highest. Another reason is extreme competition. The foremost cause of death among teenagers is suicide, mostly resulting from poor school records and heavy peer group pressure.

This situation poses a great challenge for President Park Geun-hye, whose key election pledge was to work toward a ''happy nation” and ''grand unity.” In short, President Park will have to reduce the suicide rate back to the level when her father was president.

President Park needs to find a way to have a stronger social safety net especially for the marginalized and hopeless. Her government should also take far better care of the 3.7 million people with mental health problems.

To lower the suicide rate, Korea should become a more compassionate and caring society even at the expense of slower-growing economy.

I and surely many Koreans will be watching whether and how Park will turn her promises into reality.

South Korea is stepping up its campaign against scholl bullying in the wake of a young victim's suicide last week. A 15-year-old, jumped out of him apartment home in the southeastern city of Gyeongsan last Monday after being bullied for roughly two years. His death has shocked the nation and called into question the government's efforts to stop school violence.

http://world.time.com/2013/03/17/south-korea-rattled-by-suicide-of-bullied-teen/#ixzz2RMHe90pH

 

A message in Korean reading "Forget Everything" placed by the South Korean government to dissuade suicides at Mapo Bridge over Seoul's Han River