Please find below a link to an article in the North West Evening Mail:
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/home/features/simon-s-korea-opportunity-1.812472?referrerPath=home
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February 2011 (Continued)
Please find below some links to ‘youtube,’ where I have made some mini movies of the Lake District and Korea to try to give you a feel for both places:
Images of The Lake District:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4aV6LVlUxM
Images of South Korea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ag1wsoqHX0
Around Ulverston, The Lake District:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT9GL3FK604
Images of Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxP4ujP5q80
Images of the Crake Valley, The Lake District:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SdzTFs-pn8
February 2011
It has been quite some considerable time since I last blogged! So, what has happened since then? Lots of things, as you can imagine. Where do I start?
Well, in summary, I went on with my studies at Yonsei University and have continued to build up my images of Korea. I also travelled during the vacation period to get images of other Asian countries nearby. Altogether it was a fantastic year in Korea and the good news is that I will be in Korea for another year to continue my projects.
Other good news is that some of my images were commended in the Travel Photographer of the Year competition. You can see the winning images under the World in Motion category at:
www.topty.com
One of my Korean images was also published in the British Journal of Photography (BJP) which is the longest running photography magazine in the world. So altogether it has been a very successful time for my photography which continues to develop along new lines.
I am currently in Cumbria for a month and will soon return to Seoul to continue my studies and photography there. It has been wonderful to come back to the Lake District after living in such a large city for a year. I appreciate it even more after being away and I am able to see things in a new way after my time in a very different culture and surroundings.
Enjoy the images and thanks for reading after such a long pause in blogging.
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.
Crunchy numbers
A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,000 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.
In 2010, there were 6 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 44 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 66mb. That’s about 4 pictures per month.
The busiest day of the year was March 23rd with 52 views. The most popular post that day was University and Soraksan.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were simonhathaway.com, digg.com, facebook.com, simonhathaway.com., and who-will-win-fifa-worldcup-2010.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for ondol, hahoe village, simonhathaway, cross section of ondol, and blog on soraksan.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
1
University and Soraksan March 2010
1 comment
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About February 2010
28 Apr to 11 May 2010
With the onset of spring many photo opportunities have arrived. This blog and the attached images cover several events, which I outline below.
Firstly, I was able to spend time with the British Veterans, who fought in the war here 60 years ago and returned here on a visit recently. For some of them it was the first time they have been able to come back to Korea and to the places where they fought.
It was a very special and emotional experience for all and it was difficult for them to believe the changes that have taken place since they were last here all that time ago. I have included some images here, including one of William Speakman, looking at the place where, as a result of his actions, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. The VC is Britain’s most prestigious military award. It is specifically awarded “for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy”. The following is a summary of his actions that day:
‘In November 1951, Speakman’s section was holding the left flank of his company’s position and suffering serious casualties. The British positions were being over-run by thousands of Chinese. On his own initiative, Speakman collected a pile of grenades and led six others as they carried out a series of charges. These charges had the effect of breaking up several of the enemy attacks, causing them heavy casualties. Even after Private Speakman was wounded by shrapnel, he continued to lead charge after charge. When they ran out of ammunition, they threw rocks and stones and any other available debris. In all, Private Speakman led 15 counter-charges for six hours, delaying the enemy long enough to allow for his company’s safe withdrawal’.
On a completely different note, I was also invited to the Jongmyo Daeje ‘Great Rite’ Confucian celebration which was extremely colourful and an amazing event to behold. I was merrily photographing away when I was grabbed by the arm and placed next to the king for a photo – now that doesn’t happen every day!
Finally, I was playing djembe (a type of African Drum) near my home when I was approached by the organisers of the ‘World DJ Festival’ to attend for free. Now, that doesn’t happen every day either, so how could I say ‘no’! It was a great place to photograph lots of colourful characters, as well as a great opportunity to play djembe!
24 Mar to 27 Apr 2010
It has been exam time and so there has been little time to blog. I have, however, managed to do some photography. These pictures show the amazing cherry blossom which is in full bloom here now in Korea. It is really an amazing display. Enjoy!
The work from Yonsei University has been keeping me very busy over the last few weeks. However, it has also been really fascinating and is giving me a foundation from which to start making images of Korea. I am studying Korean Buddhism, Culture, Institutions and Development, as well as the Korean language. So, much of my time has been spent reading and not doing much photography, although I have also found some great locations to visit in the city where I can make some images.
So, has there been anything unusual over the last few days? Well, yes, there has.
Firstly, there was a very heavy example of a phenomenon known as ‘yellow dust.’ This is sand picked up by winds in China, which blows across the Korean peninsula and carries pollutants with it. It produces a very eerie effect in the sky and the whole place takes on an amber glow. I will photograph it when it next occurs. If it is really heavy, you are advised to stay indoors and people wear masks when they venture outside. It is really quite a weird effect.
Secondly, I have noticed quite a few example of what I can only describe as ‘art dogs!’ These are dogs dressed in clothes (yes, that’s right) and some even have dyed hair. I have attached a photo of an example of a typical trendy pooch out on the streets of Seoul. Also, I found an interesting dog coat that looks like it is an attempt to disguise your dog as a sheep! Maybe they have a different type sheep dog out here? Perhaps they disguise their equivalent of Border Collies in order to better sneak up on the unsuspecting sheep. Or maybe they do not have any sheep and so make pretend ones from their dogs! It is all very odd. I do not think that it will take off back in the Lakes, but you never know!
So, after the shock of suddenly being two years older in Korea, what has happened?
Well, strangely, I have already been on the Korean music channel, giving my opinion on a local group. The TV crew were at the university and picked me out as a foreigner to give my thoughts on Korean music. Now, that doesn’t happen to you everyday!
I have also started my lectures in Korean studies at Yonsei University, which includes cultural development, Koran language and Buddhism. This should give me a foundation from which to start making images of these areas of society over here.
The University is quite incredible, to say the least. To begin with, the campus is huge and has several buses running through its grounds. It is based on an American design and was initially set up by an American called Underwood in 1885, but it is also linked to a hospital which was founded by an Englishman. It may give you some idea of the scale and wealth of the place, if I mention that it even has its own space research centre complete with a huge radio telescope!
Probably the most amazing difference for me is the University library. You may be thinking, “Well that doesn’t sound very exciting!” Let me explain. Firstly, again, it is huge. It occupies not one, but two buildings, which are eight stories high. There is an old section, not much different from an ordinary library, with the usual rows of books. This is not so incredible, and was much as I expected. However, when you enter the new section, sponsored by Samsung in 2008, everything changes.
As you swipe your electronic pass, it is as though you have suddenly walked into the future. In the reception area, there is a relaxation area with bean bag chairs and even fake digital fish ponds to relax you. There are huge video walls on which you can read daily newspapers from all over the world. There are computers dedicated to reading of eBooks, laptop areas, internet areas, study rooms (one is open 24 hours a day), electronic conference rooms, and even a floor for watching multimedia with free films from around the world. To top it all, in the basement there is a supermarket and, if that wasn’t enough, on the top floor there is a café with a huge balcony overlooking the campus. I was in there yesterday at 10pm (a Friday night) and the place was packed with students studying. This work ethic is a little different to back in the UK.
The people work really had here; they have to study for about 14 hours a day (they also study on weekends) from age 8 upwards to stand a chance of getting admitted to a top class university like Yonsei! Competition is fierce, but the rewards are great. When you consider that only 50 years ago, this place was literally a waste ground flattened by the war, and is now the 12th largest economy in the world, it sets you thinking. They call it the “Miracle on the Han River” and it is; a miracle that appears to have been attained through relentless hard work.
So, has it been all study for me so far? Well, no, I had a trip to an area called Soraksan (which translates as ‘snowy peaks’). Having being in the city for a month, I wanted to escape to the countryside for a couple of days. After living in Seoul for a while, you may be forgiven for thinking that the entire world is one vast expanse of concrete jungle. Even the surrounding towns continue into a vast sprawl of people as you travel away from the centre. I thought that this may continue until I reached the sea, but thankfully, this is not the case.
Soraksan is amazingly beautiful. Huge granite peaks and rivers and fresh air. However, there are still people, lots of people all wanting to escape the city. This is one of Korea’s most beautiful areas and is very popular throughout the year. On the evening of my arrival it started to snow and by the next day there was almost a metre of snow on the ground. This made it much quieter, not many people at all! Great.
I took the cable car up one of the peaks and was the first person to walk through the deep snow. There was not much to see (it was still snowing) but it was very beautiful. This was all very relaxing, which was a good thing, because the traffic jam on the way back to Seoul was far from relaxing! The snow meant road closures and the bus sat in a traffic jam for 9 hours, turning what is usually a 3 hour journey into a 12 hour journey. So much for escaping the hustle and bustle of the city!
Thanks for your comments and interest in the blog so far. I had a few questions and so will begin to answer them here. One question (very British), was about the weather.
Well, being in the northern hemisphere, we are still in winter here – much the same as back at home. However, there are some notable differences; it can be quite mild here on some days, followed by being bitterly cold on others, with the wind coming overland from Siberia! It is the very cold indeed with the wind chill – it even makes the Lakes feel warm! The weather will start to warm up soon, with beautiful spring blossoms appearing, and the summer will follow with its incredible heat and humidity.
Currently, with the cold weather, the heating inside my flat is great. Here, they generally have under floor heating (ondol), which was traditionally found in the old-style Korean houses (hanok). You can see an example of this in the attached image. These traditional houses were made entirely from wood and had paper windows. The under floor heating was created by fires and allowed hot air to circulate beneath the houses. This is one of the reasons why life took place on the floor in Korea inside the homes. Even today, you remove your shoes before entering a home. The beds still consist of mattresses on the floor and you also sit on the floor. This is great when you discover that you bed is toasty warm after coming in from the bitter cold outside!
As I mentioned in my first posting, it has just been New Year here. Yes, that’s right, in Korea you get to celebrate two new years – the solar (which we celebrate in the West) and the lunar, which is more traditionally celebrated in Asia. A bit like the Queen having two birthdays. The city of Seoul emptied out (although there were still plenty of people here!), as families gathered at their ancestral homes to celebrate the incoming year – the year of the Tiger. You have to eat a traditional rice soup here on New Year’s Day in order to become a year older, and I was kindly presented with a bowl when I went to a local café for a drink.
That leads me nicely to why you are 2 years older in Korea. Well, they start counting your age from conception and they therefore say that you are already 1 year old as soon as you are born. So that accounts for one year. Then, if that wasn’t enough, they also add another year when you celebrate your first lunar new year – presuming that you have eaten your soup, of course! So, there you have it: Two years older after being here for just three weeks in Korea!
Well, it has taken me a while to get started with the blog, but here it is after a hectic two and a half weeks in Korea.
So what do you know about Korea? Mention Korea back home and there are usually only three comments that people make:
1. Didn’t they have the Olympics there and the World Cup?
2. Isn’t it dangerous there because they are at war?
3. They eat dog there, don’t they?
My intention with this blog is to show you a little about Korea, as I myself gradually learn more about this little-known and fascinating part of the world. I will, of course, be posting lots of images of the places, people, customs, food, architecture, markets and anything else that I turn my camera to over the coming year. I hope that you enjoy it.
So what has happened so far?
I landed in Incheon, Seoul, in South Korea on the 29 Jan, after transiting via Dubai where they have an incredible airport with palm trees and waterfalls in a terminal which is more shopping mall than airport! Seoul is the Capital city of South Korea and is where most of the population of the country lives.
I was weary and jet-lagged from the long journey, but was immediately taken out for my first Korean meal, shortly after landing and dropping my luggage off at my new home. We ate Bulgogi, which is beef which you fry yourself, at a charcoal fire set up in the middle of your table. It was fun to cook and very delicious. We then went to another place for yet more food and a milky-white drink called Makkoli, made from fermented rice. They claim that it has incredible health benefits and it certainly tastes good. It is served in a teapot and drunk out of bowls and is alcoholic with a tingly taste when you drink it – a bit like when you brush you teeth with toothpaste.
I finally managed to get to sleep for a few hours after all these new foods and drinks but was up early to photograph a wedding of an English man to a Korean Woman. The first part of the wedding was in a Catholic Church, which was then followed by a traditional Korean ceremony at a hotel. As you can imagine, the two parts of the wedding were very different indeed; a great contrast of cultures, religion and beliefs.
The rest of my time here, so far, has been spent sorting out administration and in getting to know the city a bit. I have a great apartment – it is a bedsit and conveniently located for me to catch the subway. It is also close to one of the main restaurant areas of the cities. Fortunately, it is surprisingly quiet, being situated at the end of a little side street. Admittedly, not quite as quiet as the fell side above Lowick where home is, but pretty amazingly quiet considering where I am living now. The only down side was that there were no curtains or blinds on the windows and the light pollution is quite amazing after being used to the dark nights we experience at home; I am pleased to say that I have also managed to get some curtains now and so the problem is solved.
I have also got used to travelling by the subway (the Seoul Mass Rapid Transport System – as it is known here). It is a bit like the London subway only bigger, faster and cleaner and more high tech. There are also way more people.
So how does life in Seoul compare to living in the Lake District? Where do I begin? You will probably get a better feel for this if I start with some statistics, to give you an idea about the differences in scale. I will try to begin by looking at the number of people living in the two regions and the comparative population densities. Here goes.
The population of Seoul city itself is well over 10 million and still growing. Contrast this with the population of our hamlet, near Lowick, where the population is currently 6 (after the recent addition of a new baby to one of our neighbours). So the population on the floor of the apartment block where I am living is about equal to that. But what if I venture out say just into the apartment block itself into the city? The population of Seoul is approximately about 42000 times that of the population of the parish of Lowick, or about 700 times the population of Ulverston. Even if we consider the population of the whole Lake District, this still only amounts to less than a twentieth of the population of Seoul city.
This is even more amazing when you consider the population of Greater Seoul Metropolitan area which includes the port region of Incheon and makes it the second most populous metropolitan area in the world after Tokyo. This area is home to 24.5 Million people, or to put it another way, this equates to about half the population of the whole of England!
To show this in another way; in terms of population density, the number of people living per square kilometre in the Lakes is about 50 per km², whereas in Seoul it is about 45,000 per km² – one of the highest in the world. So, all in all, there are lots of people here. That said, I can go the whole day without seeing another non Asian person, unless I go to the expat areas where you can see more. It is quite an overload to the senses still but I am gradually getting used to it.
That is probably enough for the first blog, complete with mind bending numbers. Next time, I will tell you about the New year that we just had here and why you are two years older when you come to Korea! Thanks for reading.
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- The traditional English part of the Korean / English wedding
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- The Traditional Korean Wedding
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- Traditional Hangbok (Korean) Clothing
