What's in a Name?

Korea is such a country of extreme temperatures. It was just a few months ago we were sweltering, and now it's minus 7 degrees as I write. Clara leaves the bathroom window open for the cats, and this morning there was ice in the toilet.

The pic of the week shows the apartment building, behind the new trees recently put in by the local district. I've labelled my room and Clara's room. The landlady runs the clothes shop underneath.

What's in a Name?
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One of the things that is very difficult for us westerners to understand in Korea is the hierarchical structure of Korean society. When you meet Korean people they ask you questions we'd consider indiscreet. Typically, How old are you? and Are you married? Sometimes about your job and salary. And these are so they can work out where you 'slot in' to the hierarchy. I read recently about the names of various family relationships. We wouldn't address someone back home as 'brother-in-law', or 'maternal aunt', but in Korea it's usual to use the title. And there are a huge array of titles. For example, a woman would refer to her older brother's wife as 'hyeongsu' and her younger brother's wife as 'jesu'. Her husband's older sister would be addressed as 'hyeongnim'. His older brother would be her 'siajubeoni', and his younger brother would be 'seobangnim' to her. It's very detailed. You would have to know that 'sungmo' is your aunt, the wife of your father's younger brother. Other aunts would have different names. I don't know how they keep up.

Job Hunt Continued...
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Some more universities have advertised this week. I'm now lowering my sights, and applying to universities outside Seoul, and also to public schools within Seoul. I'm aiming to be sorted by the end of the month.

Costa Rican Earthquake
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Spare a thought for my friends and colleagues in Costa Rica. They were hit on Thursday by a 6.2 earthquake, which was the strongest in Costa Rica for 150 years, according to CNN. The epicentre was close to the Poás volcano, the edge of which I could see from my bedroom window when I lived in Heredia. I've talked online to a former student who described how terrifying it was, she thought the house was coming down. There are 34 confirmed dead, mostly in mudslides around little villages near the volcano, and a further 50 to 60 are missing.
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Well, that's it for now, so until next week,

Annyeonghi kaseyo.

Éamon

Today's headline in The Korea Times: WiBro Turns into White Elephant