An-nyung Haseyo, 안녕하세요, Hello Korea

When it was announced that Lions Clubs International’s 95^th International Convention would be in Busan, South Korea, I realized how little I knew about Korea.  I had been to Japan many times and I really liked Japan.  If I had the time and the means, Japan was my destination in the Far East.  As a member of Fethiye Lions Club and as the Vice-Secretary for The Turkish Lions Council Chairperson for the 2012-2013 Term, I wanted to attend the International Convention.  And it would be my first Lions International Convention.  I had been to a Lions Mediterranean Conference and a Lions Europa Forum.  The International Convention was an occasion where one could meet tens of thousands of Lions.  I had imagined that it would be good, it surely was beyond my expectations.

Our first destination in South Korea was Seoul.  The Turkish Lions Group was quite big, 107 people with Past and Present Council Chairpersons and many Past and Current District Governors.  Seoul reminded me of Japan in many ways.  Koreans have been inspired by Japan, but seem to have a unique take on things as well. As a person who loves Japan, it is a little difficult to learn more about the Japanese occupation of Korea and its effects on the people.  The view from the Seoul Tower was quite amazing there was a South American band playing at the bottom of the Tower.  We could not help but dance until we could not with the many songs in Spanish... “Yo no soy marinero, yo no soy marinero, soy capitan, soy capitan, soy capitan...”

Seoul was a very new, clean and people friendly city.  Seoul had suffered a lot during the Korean War.  The War had started when the North Korean Forces had invaded South Korea on June 25th, 1950.  After this terrible war, June 25th would be a very important date for many countries and millions of people for a different reason, a day that I got the chance to experience this June 25th in Busan. Koreans seem to be gentle people with a quiet and respectful dignity, people with an elegant pride.  I have many Japanese friends and Japanese people are also quite gentle, kind and very respectful.  Koreans are respectful was well and may be a little more social and may be smile a bit more.   In Japan it is sometimes possible to feel the invisible barriers of respect and caution in human relations.  In Korea there seems to be no barriers, but gently standing back or allowing space. 

In just a few days I started to realize how little I knew about Korea, the country of these gentle and friendly people.  Turkey has been a very important friend and ally of Korea since the Korean War, and surely I knew about the history, I had heard about the historical relations with Korea from my family, we even had a Korean firm based in land as a tenant for a while, but knowing a country meant so much more and to be able to understand a country, long distance relationships did not do the job. I was getting to know and more importantly getting to like Korea very much.  Of course to be able to understand what it means to be a Turk in Korea, I would need to wait to see what was going to see in Busan.

I had never eaten Korean food specifically.  I was curious about the food, but I was not worried about what to eat since I like Japanese and Chinese food very much.  I sometimes find myself craving a Miso soup or a shrimp tempura with Udon noodles. These wheat-flour noodles are also a part of the cuisine in Korea although prepared a little differently. Korean dishes seemed to be a mix of Japanese and Chinese dishes, or rather a transition between the two countries as the location of Korea on the map.  Green tea and jasmine tea are common on all meals, but as far as I can see Koreans seem to drink more water with meals than their Japanese neighbours.  Koreans also have their own style of the Japanese Shabu-shabu, which is a dish in which thinly sliced meat and vegetables are cooked in a boiling pot of water and are usually served with dipping sauces.  The Japanese shabu-shabu is more bland compared with the Korean shabu-shabu in which noodles and more vegetables might be brewing.  As I write, I also notice that I do not know my English words for food that well.  Here is a great area for improvement.  In a open buffet restaurants in Korea, there was always a section for Japanese food and many of them had a wide sushi bar as well.  However, Koreans seem to add, sprinkle different sauces on the sushi, which is something I was not used to and something, although I was curious and tasted almost all of the various kinds, did not like very much. I like my sushi simple and clean.

It might take me a few weeks to write about my days in South Korea. As some of you know I am also a teacher of Japanese energy technique, Reiki.  Korea has its own tradition of hands on and energy healing techniques.

Korea is a country I am glad that I discovered. Thanks to Lions Clubs International. 

I wish all of you a wonderful week.

With best wishes,

Zeynep

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Quote of the Week:

“Thus we are all teachers and we are all students, and we must share our knowledge with each other."

Brian Weiss, M.D., From “Messages from the Masters

Affirmation of the Week:

From Louise L. Hay:  “My good comes from everywhere and everyone.”