Progress Report 24.3
Anyong hasseyo, hoople-head.
How's things? Yeah? Well I can't help that, but I can do something to relieve a little of the tension and that's give you the answers to last week's fun true-or-false quiz. Will that do you for now? Okay, let's go.
1) Thunder and lightening may be a tedious meteorological fact of life to the most of us, but to Koreans they're something more sacred. In fact, thunderstorms are of such spiritual importance on this peninsula that every time one starts up over Seoul, the four major broadcasters (KBS, OCN, MBC and EBS) immediately cancel normal programming and switch to a special camera mounted on the Namsan broadcasting tower. This shows all the thunderstorm action live and as it happens and continues to do so until either the first patch of blue sky appears or no thunder has sounded for a full fifteen minutes. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
Thunder and lightening are treated with same lack of reverence in Korea as they are anywhere else in the world, of course.
2) According to ancient mythology, the kingdom of Korea was founded by the son of a woman who had once been a bear. This woman bore her son after being impregnated by a god-turned-mortal called Hwanung. Hwanung had to step in to seed her belly because no human was willing to do the job. No human was willing to do the job because she had once been a bear. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
This is just one small part of the story of the dubious provenance of the Kingdom of Korea. The full version would pull your credulity and patience to shreds, honestly it would.
3) There have been many disputes arising from long-standing animosity between Korea and Japan. One of the pettiest among them is the accusation that Japan deliberately changed the transliteration of the country's name from Corea to Korea so that Japan's name would appear first whenever they were listed alphabetically. This came to a head when the two nations co-hosted the World Cup in 2002, with Japan renaming the competition '2002 World Cup' on all official literature, choosing to remove the names of the host nations rather than accept FIFA's ruling that 'Korea' should appear ahead of 'Japan'. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
Japan and Korea argued like a pair of tomcats both throughout the World Cup and throughout their recent histories, so much so that after 2002's organisational debacle, FIFA have said that they will never again try to have to nations co-host a World Cup.
4) It is illegal to hold on to the prescription drugs of a deceased relative in Korea. To prevent this happening, once a month, collectors walk the hallways of all residential apartment blocks chanting 'sae'ttang' in a distinctive low voice. This roughly translates as 'bring out the discarded prescription drugs of your now-deceased relatives'. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE.
Of course it's false. The guy who walks around saying 'sae'ttang' is collecting dry cleaning, as any fool knows.
5) In accordance with Confucian beliefs about maintaining good fortune when travelling, the main circular line on Seoul's subway system only operates in a clockwise direction. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
Although given to many, many, many irrational beliefs, even Koreans wouldn't hamstring themselves to the point where a subway line could only run one way. That doesn't stop them naming one station on that line 'Sinchon' and another 'Simchon', mind you.
6) When Kellogs introduced cereal to Korea in 1996, it had to take into account both the fact that Koreans don't distinguish between breakfast and dinner foods, and that they normally eat from the same bowl when dining together. With this in mind, they opened a cereal restaurant in Seoul's fashionable Myeongdong district where groups of young people and students could eat Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies from a large communal bowl that was sunk into the centre of each table. Although open 24-hours, the restaurant - named 'Deliciousy Breakfast Time' - was most popular during the evenings. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a cereal restaurant in Seoul. That does not mean that it's not a good idea though.
7) During the 1980s, a man having long hair or a tattoo was considered a clear indicator of criminality or subversion and so both were an arrestable offence. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
Up to the late 80's, Korea was still a military dictatorship and so the government were perfectly acquiescent with the notion of limiting the personal freedoms of it subjects. Thankfully, the 1988 Seoul Olympics helped Koreans and the world forgive and forget its wrongdoings and get on with being a lucrative figure in international trade. Good old International Olympic Committee, eh?
8) Demand across Asia for Korean soap operas is now at such a high that the studios are having a hard time keeping up. To compensate, new actors joining any of the main soaps are required to legally change their name to that of the character that they play, allow cameras into their homes to watch them sleep and dress and involve real-life friends and family in storylines as required. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
Although Korean soaps are inexplicably popular across all of Asia, things haven't yet got this desperate.
9) The island to the south of Korea - Jejudo - is floating away from the peninsula at a rate of 5 metres a year, in a south-southeasterly direction. At present, it is predicted to become part of Japanese sovereign territory in 2170. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
Patently, blatantly false. This question was only included to offend Koreans, who view Jejudo as a sun-favoured corner of the Garden of Eden, left aside by God as a gift to the great nation. The idea that it might become part of Japan would cause most Koreans to swallow their tongue in their rush to communicate their outrage.
10) Finally, the Korean language writing system hangul is renowned worldwide for its simplicity and ingeniousness. It was thought to have been created by revered Korean monarch King Sejeong (1397-1450). His other main claim to fame is that he played the saxophone on Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street'. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
Well? How did you do? No-one actually managed to send me the correct answers, but one or two had a fair crack. Still, the dried squid is still up for grabs and it will go to the first person to copy the answers from above and send them to me.
That is all,
Anyonghi kasseyo,
S
How's things? Yeah? Well I can't help that, but I can do something to relieve a little of the tension and that's give you the answers to last week's fun true-or-false quiz. Will that do you for now? Okay, let's go.
1) Thunder and lightening may be a tedious meteorological fact of life to the most of us, but to Koreans they're something more sacred. In fact, thunderstorms are of such spiritual importance on this peninsula that every time one starts up over Seoul, the four major broadcasters (KBS, OCN, MBC and EBS) immediately cancel normal programming and switch to a special camera mounted on the Namsan broadcasting tower. This shows all the thunderstorm action live and as it happens and continues to do so until either the first patch of blue sky appears or no thunder has sounded for a full fifteen minutes. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
Thunder and lightening are treated with same lack of reverence in Korea as they are anywhere else in the world, of course.
2) According to ancient mythology, the kingdom of Korea was founded by the son of a woman who had once been a bear. This woman bore her son after being impregnated by a god-turned-mortal called Hwanung. Hwanung had to step in to seed her belly because no human was willing to do the job. No human was willing to do the job because she had once been a bear. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
This is just one small part of the story of the dubious provenance of the Kingdom of Korea. The full version would pull your credulity and patience to shreds, honestly it would.
3) There have been many disputes arising from long-standing animosity between Korea and Japan. One of the pettiest among them is the accusation that Japan deliberately changed the transliteration of the country's name from Corea to Korea so that Japan's name would appear first whenever they were listed alphabetically. This came to a head when the two nations co-hosted the World Cup in 2002, with Japan renaming the competition '2002 World Cup' on all official literature, choosing to remove the names of the host nations rather than accept FIFA's ruling that 'Korea' should appear ahead of 'Japan'. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
Japan and Korea argued like a pair of tomcats both throughout the World Cup and throughout their recent histories, so much so that after 2002's organisational debacle, FIFA have said that they will never again try to have to nations co-host a World Cup.
4) It is illegal to hold on to the prescription drugs of a deceased relative in Korea. To prevent this happening, once a month, collectors walk the hallways of all residential apartment blocks chanting 'sae'ttang' in a distinctive low voice. This roughly translates as 'bring out the discarded prescription drugs of your now-deceased relatives'. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE.
Of course it's false. The guy who walks around saying 'sae'ttang' is collecting dry cleaning, as any fool knows.
5) In accordance with Confucian beliefs about maintaining good fortune when travelling, the main circular line on Seoul's subway system only operates in a clockwise direction. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
Although given to many, many, many irrational beliefs, even Koreans wouldn't hamstring themselves to the point where a subway line could only run one way. That doesn't stop them naming one station on that line 'Sinchon' and another 'Simchon', mind you.
6) When Kellogs introduced cereal to Korea in 1996, it had to take into account both the fact that Koreans don't distinguish between breakfast and dinner foods, and that they normally eat from the same bowl when dining together. With this in mind, they opened a cereal restaurant in Seoul's fashionable Myeongdong district where groups of young people and students could eat Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies from a large communal bowl that was sunk into the centre of each table. Although open 24-hours, the restaurant - named 'Deliciousy Breakfast Time' - was most popular during the evenings. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a cereal restaurant in Seoul. That does not mean that it's not a good idea though.
7) During the 1980s, a man having long hair or a tattoo was considered a clear indicator of criminality or subversion and so both were an arrestable offence. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
Up to the late 80's, Korea was still a military dictatorship and so the government were perfectly acquiescent with the notion of limiting the personal freedoms of it subjects. Thankfully, the 1988 Seoul Olympics helped Koreans and the world forgive and forget its wrongdoings and get on with being a lucrative figure in international trade. Good old International Olympic Committee, eh?
8) Demand across Asia for Korean soap operas is now at such a high that the studios are having a hard time keeping up. To compensate, new actors joining any of the main soaps are required to legally change their name to that of the character that they play, allow cameras into their homes to watch them sleep and dress and involve real-life friends and family in storylines as required. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
Although Korean soaps are inexplicably popular across all of Asia, things haven't yet got this desperate.
9) The island to the south of Korea - Jejudo - is floating away from the peninsula at a rate of 5 metres a year, in a south-southeasterly direction. At present, it is predicted to become part of Japanese sovereign territory in 2170. TRUE or FALSE?
FALSE
Patently, blatantly false. This question was only included to offend Koreans, who view Jejudo as a sun-favoured corner of the Garden of Eden, left aside by God as a gift to the great nation. The idea that it might become part of Japan would cause most Koreans to swallow their tongue in their rush to communicate their outrage.
10) Finally, the Korean language writing system hangul is renowned worldwide for its simplicity and ingeniousness. It was thought to have been created by revered Korean monarch King Sejeong (1397-1450). His other main claim to fame is that he played the saxophone on Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street'. TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
Well? How did you do? No-one actually managed to send me the correct answers, but one or two had a fair crack. Still, the dried squid is still up for grabs and it will go to the first person to copy the answers from above and send them to me.
That is all,
Anyonghi kasseyo,
S
posted by Stephen Beckett at 2:28 PM
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