Silver Grasses...and Fine Dust - Yangjaecheon

I recently took a little stroll along Yangjaecheon - something I hadn't done in a while. Terribly preoccupied with school exams among so many things, I had waited an entire week for the day, eagerly anticipating a winter wonderland of snow, ice, evergreen trees and winter birds. To my utter dismay, however, the previous night's news and friends' anxious worries alerted me that the smog of fine particles (atmospheric particulate matter) heading from China would settle over Seoul the next day. I was on the verge of giving it up...but I "triumphantly" strode out into the brilliant winter sunshine (however concentrated the air may be of fine dust). I'm not exactly sure what made me do it, but the biggest reason was that I really wanted to see Yangjaecheon on such a day. It might have been a stupid thing to do, but my carefree and naive self couldn't have cared too much about it.

*      I'm sure most of us are familiar with the health implications that fine particulate air pollution brings. But far less are aware of the particles themselves and the impact they have on the Earth's climate! 
        Atmospheric particulate matter is suspended in the air as atmospheric aerosol. Aerosols are - put simply - a bunch of tiny particles and droplets in the atmosphere. Whereas some are dark-colored, others have shiny surfaces and can reflect the energy from the Sun back to space. Thus, aerosols are capable of imposing a cooling effect on the earth. Note that the the climatic effects happen on a regional scale. (Ex. The failure of the Indian Monsoon is thought to be attributed to the lack of evaporation of water in the Indian Ocean due to anthropogenic aerosol) 
       Volcanoes are a natural source of aerosol - after erupting, there is a temporary cooling effect over the area. Engineers are pondering whether artificial injections of aerosol of similar composition could help curb global warming. However, the effect of atmospheric particulates still remains unclear and so such measures are being debated over.

Ever so different from Summer

I went down by my usual route, and paused before I went under the bridge. I remembered a picture I had taken last summer of the same place (on blog post  'The Sunflowers of Yanjaecheon' http://ecoheal-ing.blogspot.kr/2013_08_01_archive.html) This time, there were no mothers heading down with their babies in prams; fine particles are especially harmful for babies' health. Even with the sunshine, it felt cold with the branches dry and bare and few hanging leaves parched and shriveled. 

Something nostalgic in how
the tree held itself

A maple tree was almost a rusty brown. It still seemed beautiful to me. The majority of leaves above were completely dried up, yet there was that new shade of scarlet among other leaves - something between copper, henna and russet. With an intensity that only time can give, there was something nostalgic in how the tree held itself, not letting go of its leaves when its colors were fading away.

Looking a little hazy, maybe?

As I walked along the stream, I noticed that not many people were around. The image of invisible dust diffusing through my arterioles and bronchioles flashed. The sky didn't seem too different  - I could still see the clear sky-blue and birds flying past. The buildings seemed a little hazier than usual, but that was the only difference I could feel.











Suddenly, I held my breath.

A sea of Lilliputian fluffs - from café-au-lait beige to shimmering pale grey - rippled before me. The stalks were almost of a coppery tan, yet the silky flowers were of a pearly glow. Waves went through hundreds of Miscanthus sinensus (Eulalia grass, maiden grass, zebra grass, porcupine grass) each time wind blew. The cold gust of air was stinging against my flushed cheeks, yet the flowers gracefully swayed, sending troughs and crests through . Their satiny fibers evoked warmth and affection, startlingly distant from the harsh weather. 

 I went to Yangjaecheon anticipating something that only winter can give, and I was right.  It wasn't exactly what I hoped it would be, nor could I be completely relaxed breathing in the contaminated air. But the silvery grasses made up for it. Totally.

As I type the last few words for this blog post, I'm only a quarter away from the beginning of 2014 in local time!

Happy New Year, everyone! 
More refreshing posts and updates are to come!

Into The White

      Now that it's mid-December, the tops of buildings, trees, and benches are covered with "caster sugar", as I used to call it. The trees are not completely bare yet; some of the dried-up leaves are still hanging on. Outside the window, I spot a thin tree standing in snow with its leaves scattering over the white. 

When some of the snow melts away, it leaves footstep-shaped patches of snow. It reminds me of tales of snowmen, walking around when we don't see them. 

In Seoul, these days, the temperatures go down to approximately -12°C in early morning. But as the day warms to about  3°C, the fluffy snow melts to slushy lumps of ice. 

I remember an article I read on BBC News a few months ago - ancient artifacts were discovered on Norwegian mountains due to rapidly melting snow patches. Snow is a really curious thing; snowflakes - as small as 2-4 mm in diameter - cast thin sheets layer by layer on whatever they are falling on, sometimes becoming thick enough to preserve Neolithic weapons and Iron Age tunics through the ages. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23849332

Winter Knocking On Our Door

Last week came the first snowfall of the year. Sitting inside during Korean Literature class, I barely knew what was happening outside until someone squealed out loud. All students' heads turned toward the high windows and within seconds, several had already gone to put the blinds up all the way. It was pretty surreal; the tiniest ice flowers danced down, reaching the surface below with such lightness. Flakes melted the moment they touched the glass our foreheads were pressed against. One disappeared before my eyes like a dream, only leaving a drop that slid down in its wake. *

I tried to capture that special moment onto a picture - the burst of childish excitement and buoyant ecstasy. But the flakes were simply too small to show up clearly...and besides, our teacher had already hollered at us to get back to our seats after his own brief instant of sheer wonder. 

Below are  photos taken recently that embody the mood of the coming winter. One was taken by my friend on the day of the snowfall -  who amazingly took a picture at the very minute the sky turned sepia!

* This reminds me of the story of Bentley - the man who discovered and photographed snowflakes for the first time. From a very young age, he was greatly interested in snow. Using the microscope that his school teacher mother had given him, he attempted to take pictures of the snowflakes. One of the hardest things was capturing them onto film before they melted away. Still, in the end he succeeded in his life mission, and presented to all of humanity the microscopic beauty that had been utterly ignored before. What Bentley said about snowflakes goes well for many other things in life, I think: "No two snowflakes are alike."

Taken by Hyo Jung Ryu

It wonderfully paints the change of seasons. 

You can see snowflakes if you look closely! 

A photo taken hastily on the way out. 

Snow sprinkled on the top of the bike shed. 

Snow among the late autumn leaves

The last of the Ginkgo seeds tumbled onto the ground

An upside-down leaf-chandelier?

How Leaves Change in Fall - Sookmyung Girls' High School

Autumn seems to be passing by really quickly. The leaves are changing their colors in a flash and the ground is becoming simply carpeted, if I allow a little exaggeration. 

Every day adds a different shade to the foliage, so I always try to give the trees I pass all the time more than a few glances. I don't want to miss a single "step" in their transformation; it would be such a shame. That brings me to a question that really filled my mind when I was little: Why do leaves change color?

Only just a while ago, the leaves still retained their green tints

Many of us think that leaves change due to the falling temperatures. Although not entirely incorrect - temperature does alter the intensity of the hues - it's only one of the many factors that contribute to their transition.

In middle-school biology, we learn that the green color in leaves is caused by the presence of chlorophyll. This pigment converts light energy that it absorbs into chemical energy so that it can be used in changing carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and carbohydrates like starch. The jade/grass/lime color is present throughout most of the year because the leaf organ acts as the "food factories" for the plant. Other pigments are present, but the chlorophyll blocks them out because it is constantly replenished. 

Now, an entirely different harmony of colors plays

When the seasons change, however, and the length of day alters with the temperature, a layer of special cells forms at the base of each leaf. They are cork cells, a tissue found in many vascular plants. This layer blocks the movement of fluids into and out of the leaf, so naturally, water and mineral intake is reduced. Chlorophyll begins to decrease as well.

As the green shade begins to weaken, other pigments are unmasked. The yellow pigments (xanthophylls), orange pigments (carotenoids) and red and purple pigments (anthocyanins) burst into the blue-green.

Perhaps the mesmerizing beauty of the shades make autumn seem shorter than it actually is. While a brief (as it seems to me) firework of colorful splashes is taking place, the layer of cork cells continues to develop and steadily weaken the connections between other cells. Eventually, the tissues are severed, and we see the fallen foliage at the bases of trees, withering away, adding a new sound - "crunch crunch" - to the season.

The Sepia-Toned Flutters

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run [...]"

                                   To Autumn - John Keats

Clumps of yellows - lime, saffron, cream-
glowing at the back gate of school

The foliage is steadily gaining momentum to burst into full bloom of gloriously dazzling hues of autumn. There are only dashes of the darkest burgundy and copper at the back gate of my school - a tiny clump of leaves here and there - but I see yellows everywhere, glowing in the light of day. 

Most of the trees are Ginkgo biloba, called 은행나무 in Korean. I think its Korean name is really pretty; its literal meaning is "trees with apricots of a silvery glow".

The trees can be distinguished easily only with a quick glance at its leaves. They look like minuscule fans (or duck feet to the Chinese, hence the name 鴨脚). Looked at a little more closely, there are tiny veins radiating from the leaf base into the leaf blade. The veins are grouped in pairs, which is known as dichotomous venation. I am thinking about how they resemble strands of hair...when I suddenly remember the tree's old name, "maidenhair tree". It's not too hard to figure out the reason behind the numerous names. 

"Trees with apricots of a silvery glow"? 

"Maidenhair tree" ?

My friends have another way to quickly figure out which trees are Ginkgo - by searching for the seeds that have fallen from above. Knowing that these trees are scattered all around the campus, they always scan the ground for  small light yellow-brown seeds before taking a step. The appearance of these little fruit-like seeds can be deceiving: they emit such a foul smell (caused by butyric acid in the seeds) that if you happen to step on them, you can guarantee your shoes will carry an awful stench for days (unless you wash them and scrub them fiercely, of course). It smells a bit like vomit or food waste, which hardly seems possible for  'silvery apricots'.

Still, however rancid the seeds may be, the foliage is simply magnificent. From saffron to beige, hazel, toast, tan and auburn, the seemingly endless shades of yellow are always what I miss when winter comes. 

Small fruit-like seeds tangled with the fan-like leaves...bearing the repugnant odor of vomit

There is something other than the medical properties (although they are still debated over) about the Ginkgo that's truly astounding. It has great capacity for enduring harsh conditions, and that's putting it mildly. Several trees even survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb explosion. They were within 1-2 km radius from the site, and they are still alive. Its enduring resistance against pests and toxins is absolutely remarkable. 

Soon, I'll be seeing other colors of autumn - carmine, rust, chestnut, wine, coral and tangerine - dominate the scene, but the blushes of cream, tints of lemon, glows of gold and sand will always be what I look for throughout the season. 

Something About the Wild Flowers

                 I remember when I was four or five, talking to grown-ups about how I loved each and every flower in the forest we were walking through. It wasn't the "They're just weeds, dear" itself, but the way they said it that took me aback: the flat, impassive tone in which they carelessly diminished the glittering gems into something that sounded dull, even inferior.

                 Today, my adoration for wild flowers hasn't changed a bit. Over the years, my understanding of how they captivate me has become clearer. There is something in their attitude in blooming, the way they hold themselves and how they fit into the world around them. 

         A "bouquet" of green bristlegrass with daisies     

                 They lack the sophistication seen in carefully gardened flowers, but that is what is so charming about them. They are not polished, not manicured; they embody the paradox of having the fine details that make them very exquisite without being too refined. They are subtle instead, almost suggestive in their beauty.

                 A subtle suggestive beauty

                 I admire where, when, and how they burst into life. There are no specific boundaries as to what spaces they can occupy - they grow in the most unexpected places sometimes, not caring who sees them or what threatens them nearby. They escape the contained edges without a second thought, simply aching to see the world, whether it offers them sunshine, rain, snow or wind. They seem adventurous and carefree.

Bursting into life, freely blooming without borders

                 Their strong-willed character in seeing the world for themselves make them more youthful and naive at the same time. They are childish in the way they venture out without a wisp of fear,  to such an extent that they look puerile, even. That's why I can always sense a pinch of silliness, a little mischievousness. 

                 A single flower seems a little too fragile. But when I dare to place a fingertip on its velvety petal, it withstands the force with surprising ease. I wonder at the vitality and energy it holds in its tiny self. 

                 A clover flower among daisies

                 It is that slight imperfection, the way they show up unintentionally but oh so cheerfully that make them so delectable, so lovable. It's autumn, so I'll be seeing my beloved wild flower Cosmos bipinnatus (garden cosmos, Mexican aster) at Yangjaecheon soon!

Cosmos beyond (Picture taken on my recent trip to Pyeongchang)

Full Moon at Yangjaecheon

                  Today is the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar - the day Korea celebrates Chuseok - The Harvest Moon Festival. Besides filling ourselves with foods that simply ooze with deliciousness such as traditional rice cakes (Songpyeon) and playing games with our family, we also go out to see the full moon. Traditionally, the agrarian society made wishes to the moon for health and prosperity. Nowadays, though, many simply enjoy watching the moon, as I did today. 

                  There were more people out at Yangjaecheon than usual, having a fun time with their loved ones under the gorgeous luminosity.

 Just visible above the trees

Shining bright over the apartment blocks

So many people under the bridge, simply having a chat or a laugh together.

The colors of the stream this evening were so harmonious, composed and relaxing. 

A green bus makes its way under the moonlight

 

A wild raccoon, according to passersby. It's hard to imagine such a creature among the sprawling Tower Palace buildings.

Wishing you all good fortune <3

Lavender, Ivory, Cocoa and Cyan at Yangjaecheon

My third day of freedom with the colors:

                  Seeing your favorite flower unexpectedly really makes your day. Aster frikartii (Flora’s Delight) shyly hid among the bushes, but of course, there was no way I could miss the lavender-blue. This type of Michaelmas daisies isn’t just loved for its lovely shade but also for its long flowering season, spanning from mid-summer to autumn. It is also quite strong – it doesn’t need staking except in windy gardens and is also mildew-resistant. BBC Gardening tells me it looks great with Echinacea purpurea (Coneflower) and Achillea millefolium (Yarrow). What do you think?  http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_page/74.shtml 

                  The rain hasn't come for a few days, and I was happy to be able to walk along the skipping stones again under a clear sky.

                  I found out the name of this particular group of trees that I see so often: 쥐똥나무 (Ligustrum obtusifolium). I childishly chuckle at its funny Korean name; literally, it means “Rat Poo Tree”. It was named after the shape of its berries – apparently bearing a high resemblance to rat feces. However the berries may look, the flowers are minute white gems among the deep green when they bloom in June. I heard some people are actually wishing that the name be changed to “검정알나무” (Black Bead Tree”) to avoid the offensive name. These trees can be easily seen in urban environments in Korea. To my surprise, they have amazing medical powers. Applying slightly ground raw berries onto bleeding gums has therapeutic effects. Tea made from their berries has curative properties for diabetes and body aches. http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0001872855 

                                      Its berries apparently resemble rat feces, hence the Korean name "쥐똥나무"!

  

                 Now that the water on the pavement has dried, the cyclists are out to enjoy the cool air and mellow sunlight. I suddenly miss speeding away on my two wheels, getting my hair blowing about messily in my face but gleefully happy at the same time.

                  One, two, three, four… and five! I saw more sparrows than I expected in just a corner of a bushy patch. The soft shades of brown and the tiny beaks are not a common sight in cities all around the world. In the Netherlands, for example, they are already an endangered species. Researchers have not yet been able to pick out one specific explanation for its population’s decline. So far, the electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones and destruction of their habitats through the construction of manicured lawns and other gardening measures are the main reasons to blame.

                  I spotted several blue mint beetles. The shiny electric blue never fails to cheer me up. Yet, they are actually considered pests in various gardening environments; the adult and larval variants of Chrysolina coerulans eat the foliage on mint plants, becoming a widespread problem on the mainland of Europe.

            One small thing! How can we distinguish moths from butterflies quickly and easily? When they land on a surface, the former spread their wings widely while the latter fold theirs. For example, if you ever come across a White Witch moth, don’t confuse it for a butterfly! http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thysania_agrippina

The "Sunflowers" of Yangjaecheon

My second day of freedom with the summer breeze:

                  It’s late afternoon and families are out to enjoy the first proper bask in the sunshine in days. Little children are running around, delighted with the bustling summer sounds. The anxious mothers never let them get out of their sight, but even they seem breezy and buoyant for once.

                  Having hung around 영동 3-4교 last time, I go off in the direction of 영동 2교.

                  Trees, flowers, and the sparkling waters envelop me; the sounds of cicadas ring in my ears. It seems as though life is bursting with sweet juice with each step I take. It feels almost like a culinary experience – of nature’s blissful wonders. 

                  I see many earthworms again, and this time, many are moving around near the puddles. I wondered last time why such a big number of them had emerged at once, so I researched a little. According to some worm experts such as Cindy Hale, the annelids do not surface from the underground to avoid drowning. In fact, they take advantage of the temporary wet surfaces to move safely to new places. Maintaining their skin moistness is crucial: they breathe through their skin, and it must stay wet to have a constant intake of oxygen. That is why they move around after rain in high humidity, so that they will not suffocate while out of the soil.

                  I see sticker orange lilies - splashes of apricots and carrots - among the greens. Suddenly, a small black cat swishes past the bushes. I am reminded of a particular characteristic of some lilies: Toxic to cats, causing renal failure. I make a mental note to find out whether the ones I see are such lilies.

                  Looking closely at the pavement, the dirt and concrete, I find many dead insects. They all seem dried up, shriveled and shrunk. A particular body of one that has a close resemblance to a cockroach remains only as its exoskeleton. How intricate, how perfect and how fragile its outer “covering” is!

                  Dragonflies flutter past, and I feel like a child again when I see lady bugs, the little gems that I adored – and still do - so much.

                  Oh look! The particular shade of tangerine and the shape of the leaves make me think I could be looking at pumpkin leaves and flowers…and I’m right! (proved by matching my picture with ones on Google Images) Pumpkins have both female and male flowers on the same plant and so are classified as monoecious. The female ones can be distinguished by the little ovary at the base of the petals. They are usually very close to the vine and stems – usually a few inches. I marvel at such delicate shades of yellowy peach; apparently, they can only be open for periods as short as a day, having short life spans.

                  The level of water of the stream has lowered a little, but not enough to expose the stepping stones and the small concert stage in the middle of the stream.

                  As I walk past the Hibiscus syriacus, the national flower of Korea, I notice the uniqueness of the lights in the shape of sunflowers. They’re solar-powered, and I see many of them lining the edges of the stream. Specifically, they are Hybrid Solar Power LED lights: A solar power system and a hybrid system are connected to the grid, but the latter includes a battery bank. Most hybrid systems have a back-up generator, to supply power at all times. These sunflowers, too, are on even on rainy and foggy days, when not much sunlight can be converted into electricity. These 30W LED lamps have replaced the previous 100W metal lamps, increasing their efficiency. The energy consumption of these lamps is only 12 percent of that of the previous ones, also reducing carbon dioxide emissions. An additional feature: the lamps are dimmed to 15W at very late night hours, when few pass the area. 

I am sure to come back again at dark; the sunflower lamps gleam in lavender light at night, they say. And where else can you ever find sunflowers in aubergine?

http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/pollen.htm

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/search/WormNotes3.html

http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=ojye00&logNo=100157741854

http://blog.samsung.com/1388

http://namoonala.tistory.com/430

http://www.greenpowerco.com.au/solar-power-hybrid-systems/

Summer Rain at Yangjaecheon

After just three and a half weeks of break, I am now back to the buzz of school life. They weren't all dazzling sunshine and dreamy strolls across white sand or the greenest grass; it was the heavy monsoon season instead. Still, I was able to catch up on the little things that make me happy, one of which was exploring the various places near home.

My first day of freedom with the rain:

                  All I see are foggy skies with alarmingly huge grey clouds, puddles deep enough for my feet to bathe in, and the inevitable tiny beads of perspiration on my limbs. I decide to walk along Yangjaecheon, a stream that runs through Gangnam. The sound of the flowing water can refresh me up on this sweltering day.

                  The first thing I notice is the angle at which the grasses are. The thick rains overnight have flattened the various plants and have completely covered the stepping stones from view. The waters are quick and strong; no wonder a chain has been placed around it.

                  It’s no surprise that some plants, including bamboo grass, have withstood the force to a certain extent; we all know how strong bamboo is. I've even heard that bamboo can be “stronger than steel”. Really? So I research a bit and find out about the fascinating structure of Bambuseae.

                  And Bamboo IS as many times powerful as steel if measured just the right way! The internode is the area in which it is the strongest – tests for compression and tension are taken here. The strength of bamboo is very directional; fibers are bundled within the internode parallel to the axis of the pole. These fibers are surrounded by lignin – waterproof with cellulose – hence the powerful resistance to external forces. It is important to note that the ratio of bamboo being 11.2 times stronger than steel is calculated by weight. One kilogram of steel is tested against one kilogram of bamboo. Bamboo is much lighter than steel (Density of 0.5g/cm³ compared to 7.859g/cm³). Bamboo is much weaker perpendicular to the axis of the pole. That is why it can be easily split – another feature that makes it a very good building material. It also has fast regenerative characteristics: A pole of bamboo can regenerate itself to its full mass in just six months! There is a lot of controversy surrounding its being transported all around the world as a green material, but that’s another long story. (http://blog.bamboofencer.com/bamboo-poles/bamboo-stronger-than-steel-really/)

                  I meet countless earthworms of all lengths on my way. Looking closely, I see that those directly exposed to the sun seem dry, hardened and stiff. I wonder if they are alive? They’re not moving, at least when I’m around. Other ones, though, are moist and moving. One quivers violently when a loud noise erupts around it.

 
   

                   The winds that came with the rain have exposed the bits of trash that have been lurking under the thick bushes and behind trees. I have never seen the usually pristine Yangjaecheon strewn with garbage like this before. This is a clear example of why we should be cautious with the packages and various materials we carry, for we never know whether they will end up as a hazard to the small organisms, not to mention a sore sight. 

                  Looking closely at the ground and the holey leaves, I discover many arthropods...then to my horror, I find a dead rat, bony but with flesh and skin intact, attracting many flies. 

                There are yellow and blue strips of plastic hanging onto small branches in the bushes. One side is covered with an adhesive which I find by noticing the sticky surface. There are many small insects stuck onto it. Questions spring up to my mind. Are they for killing them? Or are they part of an investigation?

                   It’s about time I go home. I look on around me, this time at the people. As always, there are pedestrians walking their dogs and having chats on benches, but there is also a little girl catching dragonflies with her mom. A KBS news crew is taking videos of the stream and the clean-up team is using water from the stream through their hoses.

 

                  What many things I saw in just half of an afternoon! Sometimes, when we go out in the nature to have a good time, we pass the tiny details because of our carelessness, ignorance, and indifference. But they’re always there, the exquisitely beautiful: smooth segments of an earthworm, water drops tangled among the grass, two delicate pairs of wings of a grasshopper. I’m eager to come back another day. We all know nature is all around us, even if it’s just a small length along a local stream surrounded by an urban setting of towering office buildings and apartment blocks.

*I found out a day later the purpose of the sticky sheets of plastic that hang in the bushes! 

These are natural traps that have been introduced to this area for the first time in the nation. Emitting the smells of rose, lavender, strawberry and green tea, they attract mosquitoes and other dayflies, particularly the “Apgujeong Bug”, the Asian dayfly. This is an earth-friendly and economic solution: the threats to the environment usually caused by chemical pesticides are eliminated, and the cost of such a measure is greatly reduced.