100 days in Korea – 백일 (baek-il)

Yesterday marked our 100th day in Korea. We are still alive and have actually ventured out of the house many many times in this period. Mr B is enjoying work. Miss C has settled into school brilliantly – first school play on Friday, and a random addition, I have started working!

100 is an important milestone related to a number of traditions in Korea. As you may have picked up from previous posts Korean’s like to celebrate lots of couple occasions, there is pretty much one on the 14th of every month.

Probably the most important couples occasion is the first 100 days of dating. Apparently a lot of couples also mark the 200th, 300th etc but the 100th is the most important, and from what I gather the most stressful.

It is not uncommon for males to present their girlfriends with rings or more commonly expensive luxury items, particular favourites include Louis Vuitton for baekil. The female gifts to their boyfriend could include Calvin Klein underwear and leather wallets. A fancy dinner is also on the agenda for this special day. A lot of pressure is applied to this time and over spending is almost the norm.

Baek-il celebrations. Photo courtesy of SherwinLeePhoto.wordpress.com; http://wp.me/p3t9yF-1c

Another important 100 day event is the 100th day after a baby is born, baek-il . Traditionally, because of the high infancy death rate for babies in Korea no-one outside the babies immediate family  (because how could they possibly carry any contagious germs!!) is supposed to see the baby for the first 100 days.

The hundred-day is then celebrated with a big party. This is the babies “coming out” party. A bit different in Australia – I think Miss C was about 6 days old when she had her first out and went on her first plane ride at about 4 weeks!

Meanwhile at the other end of the extreme in North Korea following the death of Kim Jong-Il at least one person was executed for drinking during the 100 days of mourning. I have also read that the use of mobile communications (who are they talking to anyway…) during this period would also see people brandished as ‘war criminals and punished accordingly.

So the question is what to do to mark our 100th day of living in the Republic of Korea?

There are enough expats here, perhaps this could be a new tradition, the question though, how to mark it…(ideas welcome!) Mr B bought home a blanket he’d been given as a gift yesterday but I am not sure that counts!

Status quo continues.

The other day I gave you a serious view of the current situation between North and South Korea. Today, in the spirit of lightning the mood, and noting that there is no new news, it’s business as usual here, I can’t help but share some of the very clever pieces people out there have put together.

There is always quick development on YouTube to satirize and this situation is no exception. If you haven’t watched it yet I highly encourage you have a look at the Kim Jong Style  video on YouTube. Very well done.

This second one has been put together by the Korean Ministry of Defence, a Defence Security Q&A. It is an official video. While it is in Korean you don’t need to understand the words to get the pictures. It’s laugh out loud hilarious. A depiction of how the South will defend itself with the help of its allies. Remember this is official.

Quote of the day I need to share with you comes from my godson who is apparently very interested in the political situation up here, he is seven. His question: “Will the Gangnam Style singing man be safe?”

Finally for those of you familiar with the Snickers ad campaign – you aren’t yourself when you are hungry, this is my favourite of the day.

With the exception of the typo this is pretty funny!

How do you solve a problem like North Korea?

I feel it is my obligation to write something about the current tensions between North and South Korea.

So, how do you solve a problem like North Korea? I feel the need to channel my inner Mother Superior from the Sound of Music and belt this out to the tune of How do you solve a problem like Maria? A lot of similarities across the lyrics I think!

On a serious note there is very clearly a heightened sense of discussion and rhetoric at present. To say that it is all fine and nothing is happening would be incorrect but to take it to the extend that some Australian media are reporting it is at the complete other end of the scale.

The Australian Defence Minister, Stephen Smith said the other day “In the normal course of events, we would do contingency planning for how we would deal with any Australian citizens who are caught up in any concern on the Korean Peninsula.” Of course this makes perfect sense.

How this turned into a headline of: Evacuation plans for 7000 Australians living in South Korea as North prepares for nuclear strike against US is beyond me. All this does is make everyone at home very nervous – particularly when they have loved here.

The key thing to note is that the travel advisory from DFAT for South Korea has not been changed. I would offer a timely reminder though that any Australian’s overseas should make sure their details are registered with Smart Traveller. Yes mum I have done ours.

While it may sound that I am adopting the South Korean attitude and being a bit blaze I will be honest in sharing that the whole situation has heightened my sensitivities; I am reading a lot to keep abreast of the situation and ensuring balance for my own benefit is applied.

My only concern is at what point will the talk stop. You can only escalate so far without actually doing something. Hopefully this doesn’t eventuate and it will all settle down soon.  For what it is worth, my personal view is that we are probably in for this talk for a few more weeks yet.

How do you solve a problem like North Korea?
How do you catch a dictator and pin him down?
How do you find a word to describe North Korea?
A flibbertijibbet! A mushroom! A fool!

Many a thing you know you’d like to tell them
Many a thing they ought to understand
But how can you help them hear?
And listen to all you say

Oh, how do you solve a problem like North Korea?
How do you keep a rogue country in control?

How do you find a word to describe North Korea?
A flibbertijibbet! A mushroom! A fool!

 

Time to head back to Korea

waiting in the lounge – what did we do before iPhones?

All good things must come to an end. Thankfully the third “thing” didn’t eventuate, unless you count Miss C getting a bit of a cold or spilling boiling water from noodles on her leg about five minutes ago…

The end of a lovely and relaxing week is now a little clouded by the news reporting of the North activities. While Mr B remains relaxed I am checking flights to Australia.

Miss C’s suggestion – they (North and South Korea) should just have a thumb war!

 

The threat from the North?

Yesterday I had an interesting question posed to me which made me reflect. “In the current climate how safe do you feel in Korea?” My initial response was that it does remind me I don’t have a grab bag (the get the hell outta here bag) ready, but that I am also realistic that if something does happen it is unlikely I will be anywhere near home to be able to grab it.

Later yesterday afternoon I found myself further reflecting on this question and reading newspaper articles on the current climate. There is no doubt the current ROK and US exercises, Key Resolve and Foal Eagle have stirred things up although, from what I gather, no more so than usual when an exercise is underway. Then there is the new United Nations sanctions providing further restrictions on the North which was unanimously agreed to and North Korea stating that, in their view, the Armistice is now void. Adding further to the current climate is that the North is no longer talking to the South through Panmunjeom (the DMZ). Maybe I should be a little more concerned.

Then this morning I was greeted by a photo on the front page of the Korean Times which shocked me back into reality and out of any impact the North’s propaganda was having on me. If this is the military vessel the great one is using to get around in to do his inspections I think we’ll be ok. Either that or I am really becoming a local and just getting blasé about it all.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un waves while in a boat during his visit to the Wolnae Islet Defence Detachment in the western sector of the front line, which is near South Korea’s Baengnyeong Island: REUTERS/KCNA @ i.telegraph.co.uk

DMZ Visit – What are they looking at?

An interesting day for Mr B on Sunday, which included a trip up to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

Situated 53km north of Seoul, the truce village of Panmunjeom where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, is the only place in the DMZ (Demilitarized zone) where  visitors are permitted.

About a kilometer from here is the Joint Security Area where discussions still take place between South and North Korea in blue huts that straddle the demarcation line.

Just talking with Mr B and looking at the photos I can’t help feeling a combination of a little uneasy mixed with interest and intrigue.

In the picture above there are a few interesting elements to point out:

1. See the group of three soldiers in the distance huddled together, they are North Korean and they are as close to the border as they can get.

2. The concrete threshold in the middle of the photo you can see running between the two huts – that is the border.

3. Notice the South Korean guard standing with half his body behind the blue building. The reason for standing this way is to reduce his body surface / target area (The US troop must have missed that briefing…) and so he can signal discretely as required.

Something that caught Mr B’s eye was this group of North Korean servicemen who were, through their binoculars, having a good old stare at him. At first he thought maybe it’s just in his direction, but no, they kept their eyes on him. Hence Mr B’s decision to take a photo of them watching him! I would love to know what they were talking about and why the fascination.

It reminds me of those caption competitions you see in the newspapers – what do you think they are discussing? Best caption gets a prize!

This is a piece of history I would never have thought we would get to experience. I hope to get up there myself sometime soon.