A trip to the Korean War Memorial

 Spring has just started to come to Seoul and the weather is getting warmer…So we decided to venture to the War memorial. The Korean War 1950-1953 devastated the country, tore families apart and has left the country divided ever since. The below piece is taken from the online encyclopedia.

The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korea (officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953. The conflict arose from the attempts of the two Korean powers to re-unify Korea under their respective governments. The period immediately before the war was marked by escalating border conflicts at the 38th Parallel and attempts to negotiate elections for the entirety of Korea.^[22] These negotiations ended when the North Korean Army invaded the South on June 25, 1950. Under the aegis of the United Nations, nations allied with the United States intervened on behalf of South Korea. After rapid advances in a South Korean counterattack, communist-allied Chinese forces intervened on behalf of North Korea, shifting the balance of the war and ultimately leading to an armistice that approximately restored the original boundaries between North and South Korea.

While some have referred to the conflict as a civil war, many other factors were at play.^[23] Each side was supported by external powers and the conflict expanded, becoming a proxy war in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The term has also been used to describe both the events preceding and following the main hostilities.

It is a sight to be scene…tanks, aircraft, helicopters, everything one can imagine..My son T had a wonderful time running around looking at all the planes…himself and his sister G loved going in and out of all the old planes. I had never seen aircraft from that era before, and it was a fascinating experience and made the conflict with North Korea much more relevant.

It was a good morning out for all the family, the significance of the memorial may have been above my children but the significance of keeping these artifacts as a memorial to all the men, women and children who lost their lives will never be forgotten in this country.

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/travel2/seoul/79

Far from shamrocks…and the emerald isle… 9106.37 kilometers from Seoul,South Korea to Tipperary, Ireland.

 The 17th of March is just around the corner. T & I have been busy preparing treats to share with his class. What else but Green Cookies for St. Patrick’s Day. The luck of the Irish must  have been with me last weekend when I went to Dongdaemun market. I had the vague hope I  might find a shamrock shaped cookie cutter…here in Seoul…I have never seen one in Ireland..green Guinness…rivers … but after rummaging through lots of rabbits, stars and moon shapes I found a shamrock. Was there a leprechaun about…or just me?

Green Cookie Recipe

175g butter (at room temperature)

75g icing sugar

225g self-raising flour (sieved)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon green food coloring

Oven temperature 180 C/ 350 F/ Gas 4

Makes 25-30 cookies

1.     Put all the ingredients except the food coloring in a food processor and mix until blended together (alternatively, beat together by hand)

2.    Mix in the food coloring. Knead the dough until pliable, form into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and set aside in the fridge for about 1 hour.

3.    Roll out the dough to a thickness of ½ cm and cut into shapes using a variety of cookie cutters. Arrange on a lightly greased baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes. (Put flour onto the rolling pin and table surface to avoid the dough sticking, you may even need to add a little extra after each rolling out)

4.    Eat and enjoy with friends and family.

Happy St. Patricks day!

 Saint Patrick’s Day (Irish: Lá ‘le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially St. Paddy’s Day  or Paddy’s Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa 385-461 AD), the patron saints of Ireland, and is celebrated on March 17. It is celebrated all over the world, anywhere the Irish have emigrated to.

Here in Seoul the celebrations will take place on the 14th of March with the 9th Annual St. Patrick’s Day. Details of  activities here in Seoul through Expat Advisory Servies and Zenkimchi.

In the Hague the place to be is the Crown Plaza Hotel – Den Haag Promenade,Van Stolkweg 1, Den Haag.

15:00 until past midnight, music, bands, rubgy 6 nations games, irish dancing displays, Guinness on tap, storyteller, kids party, 15.00 to 18.00 with Storyteller Niamh Ní Bhroin, fun, face painting and games

Tickets: €20 each available from the Irish club: info@irishclub.nl or 06-48062776 or 06-25218261. Children 12 and under are free.

“IWD is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future”.  This does not mean events are women only occassions, with all the problems of the world being blamed on men.  The  2009 global theme from the United Nations is “Women and men united to end violence against women and girls”. This is a world wide issue, effecting rich and poor women, in developed and underdeveloped countries. When doing some research on IWD, I was surprised to see the apathy associated with March 8th in many “developed countries”. 

I’m happy to say for the last number of years I’ve taken the time to celebrate March 8th. 

This year I’m attending the event organised in The Hague by the Women’s Business Initiative International.  We we will celebrate “Women and Opportunity”.  Check for events in your own country.

Ever considered taking your kids to a museum or art gallery?   Its something I enjoy, but had always put off bringing the kids cause “they are too noisy, boisterous, they’d be bored”. But the other day while waiting for a doctors appointment T, (now 3.7) spent ages staring at The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, so I decided maybe it’s time we ventured to a gallery…I would love my children to like art as much as myself but at the same time I do not want to force my likes too much…

We set off for the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. Firstly, I decided to only go to the contemporary art section. It started outside with Japanese artist Tatsuo Miyajima’s  work Transended Setion at the entrance. Is it a contemplation on time, or reincarnation, life and death with bright aqua LEDs endlessly changing from numbers 1-9. When the number reaches 0 they turn off and restart. The numbers go at varying speeds…suggestive of the speed we live our lives and how often do we pause for thought. “through this random method, Miyajima wanted to show how time is felt differently by different individuals” to quote the museum guide.T  had a great time jumping over them and shouting out the numbers whilst in the act.

He wondered why in Sam Taylor Woods  piece Soliloquy “they have nothing on mama” yes they were naked. But he was drawn to it and told me he liked it.

Rebecca Horn’s feathers were a big hit, watching both the feathers and their shadows move…

Anish Kapoor Untitled stainless steel piece, shiny purple spoon according to T, as he waved his little hand at me. And yes he loved Damien Hirsts  “The Dance of Death” pills…an artist I have a great fondness for myself. “Looks nice mama, all the colors”

But the highlight of his day and mine was Louise Bourgeois. She is one of my favorite artists.  He looked so tiny beside the colossal frame of both spiders, and excitedly told me there were eggs in the Mama’s tummy. 

 He happily explored the Eye Benches although the smoothness of the granite proved too tempting a slide for him… 

All in all a lovely afternoon out in a nice museum including setting the alarm off 5 times and a few visits from Leeum Samsung museum security! And I think we will visit again..