Seoul Findings - January 2011

Hello everybody (… is there anybody by the way?) !

I actually had very few opportunities to find anything in January 2011 due to the freezing cold temperatures. According to the typical weather pattern in Korea, we should have had three days of cold followed by four days of warmth. This has been very common over the last decades but nowadays, the rule is becoming an exception. This year, January was marked by a record cold wave: 18 consecutive days with temperatures below – 10°C and no positive temperatures during the whole month. At least, the sun has been shamelessly shining everyday. A situation that had not been seen for 50 years …



So, it seems Korea is now subject to climate change if not global warming. And you don’t need to be a climate nerd to feel those changes and to imagine their consequences on energy consumption and crop yields. If you want to know more about cold weather and food crisis, you may check these links:
Food crisis, an impending global tsunami
South-Korean president warns nation must prepare for food crisis

To fight against cold, you can eat seasonal food such as Dogani-tang, spicy hot stews, and strawberries ... in January. Sorry, I won't do it again but my body craved for it.

Strawberries and waffles in Samcheong-dong

May be as a result of food crisis, cooking TV shows are flourishing in Korea as everywhere in the world while more and more people eat fast-food or ready-to-eat meals. I have recently participated in the shooting of Arirang TV’ cooking show: Two Chefs. The program was about Galbi-jim, a delicious stew made of braised beef. I had the chance to meet the hosts of the program Olivia Lee who has worked at Hotel Meurice in Paris and Lee Ju-hyeong who is currently chef at the Korean restaurant of Ritz Carlton. I still do not know if I will be on air but you can check it on line.
Arirang TV Two Chefs

Me, Olivia, Ju-Hyeong and Dorian, my co-star from South Africa

In the meantime, eating disorders are proliferating in Korea as anywhere in the developped world. Is it a consequence of the Westernization of the country, a side effect of its modernization or a socio-cultural characteristic that makes Koreans pay an obsessive attention to their physical appearance? I wanted to mention this trend since it seems all Asian girls and women want to get the Korean look. It may be good for medical tourism ... but I do not see many advantages in promoting self-starvation and plastic surgery. But of course, many Koreans are naturally beautiful and thin, aren't they ? Anyway, I think women have enough stress so that we do not want to add more.

A few articles about the subject:
Trans-cultural comparison of disordered eating in Korean women
skinny on eating disorders in korea

I must admit that living in Seoul is an aesthetically pleasant experience. I am not talking about the local urban architecture, though I personally like it. I am rather referring to people on the street during the weekdays. Everybody look so well-groomed: smart suits, high heels, fancy hairstyles, shiny shoes and ties, flawless makeup and manicure, slender bodies … In some countries, people only dress up when they go to church. And in many of them, people simply do not care about their appearance in front of strangers. Funnily, many Korean women change their aching shoes for slippers as soon as they get to the office. And many of them do not bother to put their stillettos on when Big Boss is showing up. Does it mean you do not need to look perfect when you are with your co-workers ? Or was I lucky enough to work in quite casual environments ?

I heard that during G20 summit in last November, President Lee had asked Koreans to behave around COEX, the main venue of the event: be well dressed, do not talk to loud, do not run or fight, smile, etc. I hope France will have the same policy this year when it hosts G20, though it may be easier to be polite and friendly in Cannes that in Paris.

In January, I also learnt how to use Twitter, thanks to a training of the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Better late than never... I am now lost in the Bermuda Triangle "Facebook-Twitter-Hotmail" (or rectangle and even pentagone if I add Blogger and Gmail) though I am programming my Facebook "suicide" very soon.

Finallky, I have discovered InterNations global e-network (again, better late than etc.), lost my cellphone and thought I also lost some grey cells with it, found my cellphone at home, sweared against crazy Korean bus drivers (pleonasm) and crazy cold Korean winter (other pleonasm), and eventually enjoyed crazy moments with nice friends.

See you soon !