Whimsical Weather - the Monsoon/Changma

It's already mid-July, and the Korean peninsula should be under a really heavy monsoon or "Changma", as we call it here. Although it rained during early morning on Friday in Seoul, it remained sunny throughout the day. It was slightly humid, but bearable. The sun was out and there was even a slightly cool breeze when I walked on the sidewalk. This would have been considered a pretty pleasant summer day, but there's also something to worry about: the Changma is starting really, really late.

See any sign of rain, anybody? (Photo taken at Yangjaecheon)

Having lower levels of humidity and not having to worry about rain boots, rain coats and umbrellas may be convenient to most of those who live in the city, but this means big trouble for the farming industry and the natural environment. When I watched the news last weekend, I was astonished at how some small lakes had dried up in the countryside, leaving only a threadlike streak of water in the middle of cracked soil. Last night, though, I was relieved to watch the report of rains falling throughout the country. That the Changma has begun is evident, but there are reports of low levels of precipitation compared to the previous years'. A Changma during which there is little rain is called "Dry Changma", and this year's definitely one of those. Even if the rain has been becoming heavier in some regions, the accumulated rain volume remains less than a quarter of last year's. Low levels of rain also mean many hotter days, so Seoulites must brace themselves for the suffocating warmth!

And why is any of this so significant? Here, summer has always meant Changma; the stickiness and the omnipresent beads of precipitation are things we've always accepted as the norm. The Changma is such a consistent part of the season that its vastly changing patterns observed in recent years can become a source of confusion and bewilderment. And of course, as I mentioned, vastly negative impacts on the environment.  

Whereas a Changma as late as this is not something Koreans are used to (yet), a Changma that is irregular, heavier and extends to the autumn months has become a somewhat common trend in the last few years. Since the rain season is such a crucial part of life in this country, it is important to be aware of at least a few factors that influence its fluctuating patterns. A lot of research has been done on this subject - not just the Korean Changma but that of entire South East Asia - which deal with Eurasian ice cover, marine and continental temperatures among other factors. 

The next post will be about such factors; it will be posted by the end of this month! Cheers :)

http://w3.sbs.co.kr/news/newsEndPage.do?news_id=N1002467806
http://news1.kr/articles/?1768511
http://www.kjdaily.com/read.php3?aid=1405338616324842001

Pictures: Whimsical Weather

The title of this blogpost says it all. There has been really capricious weather lately. A streak of lightning would burst into the sky with tempestuous rainfall only to be suddenly replaced by marvelous sunshine and a gentle breeze. Here are some pictures from the past two weeks! Hope you enjoy :)

 Shaky, but it was this picture that best captured the speed of the rainfall!

A slightly eerie air about the apartment blocks

Behind the classrooms - the statues say hello!

Young summer leaves intact after the rain 

A very light burgundy brown among the greens...wait, hair dye, anyone? :P

Now a much sunnier collection - !

If you could really fall in love with a color...

The artworks under the sunshine - an entirely different scene from the previous picture

The school's old library - red bricks and red leaves

The Korean national flower - Moogoonghwa (Rose of Sharon) 

See you again in a week or two! :)

"Dream, Design, Play": Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Last week, I FINALLY got the chance to see the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) - an incredible multipurpose cultural complex officially inaugurated on the 21st of March 2014. Built by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it is hoped to become the hub of the Dongdaemun district of traditional markets and shopping centers. 

The exterior seemed perfectly seamless to me; as I crossed the Miraero Bridge, the curves simply flowed along walls and ceilings...Wait, it would actually be a bit inappropriate to distinguish between the two...because you can't. A surface here would merge with another there, and when I wandered around the plaza's grounds, it became a bit difficult to figure out how far a distance I had come, for the lines poured into the center, and then out to the edges again. But this is not to say that it was 'dizzying' or 'confusing' by any means. Perhaps the pleasant weather helped, but I felt completely at peace as I walked; the dusty grey of the concrete felt smooth under my fingertips and the soft glow of the aluminum panels gave off a luminescence calming and soothing. 

The soft glow of the aluminum panels give off a luminescence calming and soothing

Every step was amazement itself. There were hardly any straight lines and right angles. I had never seen acute and obtuse angles just dominate the design of a building before. What was really remarkable, I thought, was a wisp of cool breeze followed me everywhere I went. At an intersection pictured below, I could have forgotten that it was summer - was it the last bit of spring lingering under the ripping arch? 

A wisp of cool breeze - quite improbable, but maybe...

the last bit of spring lingering under the ripping arch?!

I particularly loved the Miraero Bridge I mentioned above. An entrance (there are many) into the plaza led to the bridge at the end of which you could enter the interior of the structure. Everywhere I went, I noticed concrete was used to set the base, but the material at one location reflected an intensity unlike any other. When I crossed the bridge, the trusses seemed almost off-white, a sandy shade of beige. I loved it.  

Miraero Bridge - to the future-!

Sadly, I couldn't spend a lot more time after taking a walk around the open grounds. I did take a look inside, of course, and it was wonderful to go around the 533 meters' spiral pathway (Design Pathway) that led me to fascinating exhibition halls. Next time I visit DDP, I'll focus more on the interior of the structure :)

After I came back home, I looked up the design of the plaza in greater detail. I was surprised it had a number of very important environmentally-friendly features - a geothermal system, an insulating glass fiber reinforced gypson board, a 3-dimensional solar power system, a rainwater harvesting system. I was surprised because the entire time I was there, I never saw any information about the green aspects of this structure. Whereas I saw many screens featuring Zaha Hadid and beautiful shots of the plaza, such features were not mentioned, not even in the detailed promotional leaflet. Did the operators believe the architectural achievements and the social prospects should be the focus? Or maybe, they thought that people would not be as interested in such information? Whatever the reason, I'm glad that I got to know about the environmentally-conscious sides in the end. Add that to my agenda the next time I visit - check out the green features, even if they're hard to find!

Hello again, Yangjaecheon!

          In early May, I was reading the local newspaper when I came across a short article about the Yangjaecheon Visitor Center holding a display of flower samples from the area. Naturally, I got quite excited. Firstly, it was the first time I had heard of the center; I took it as a sign that it must be a bit far away from where I usually roam about. Besides, what a perfect excuse to spend an afternoon getting a little lost here and there, exploring a new area of the stream! Secondly, I knew this would probably be the best way to find out the names of the countless flowers I had taken pictures of. There were so many photos of flowers stashed away in my hard drive; I really wanted to get to know the curious little smiling faces - their names at the very least. 
          So off I went! I started from the stepping stones of the Yangjaecheon area I usually go to and headed in the direction of the Daechi Station. It was a relief to get away from the tight, sometimes smothering towers of concrete, glass and steel and just let myself wander around the sparkling water, cooling myself under the shadows of the bright green foliage. I was a little worried though, as I went further and further away. There was not a single sign to help me go in the right direction. Plus, the journey was turning out to be a little longer than I expected. After walking for about an hour, I finally saw a little arrow beside a lamp post telling me to go up some wooden steps. I hurriedly ran up...and saw this:

The greens, the bridge, and stream...all of them made up the painting that was simply breathtaking. If you have read my early posts on Yangjaecheon, you would have seen many pictures...none of which look anything like this. I felt incredibly happy to see it all before me. I had never seen this part of Yangjaecheon before...and probably wouldn't have for some time if it hadn't been for this little trip to the Visitor Center. 

After taking some time to take the scenery in, I finally went into the building. I went up a flight of stairs and found an entire wall of flower samples and more displays of the flora and fauna of the area. 

Every sample was labeled with its scientific name as well as its Korean name. Just like I mentioned in a few older posts (Ginkgo biloba: "trees with apricots of a silvery glow"; Ligustrum obtusifolium: "Rat poo tree" or "Black bead tree"), Korean names can be incredibly funny and charming at the same time with a hint of innocence. So here are a few of the most memorable names I learned that day: "Embracing Spring" (Androsace umbellata), "Wind Facing Skies" (Fimbristylis miliacea), "Baby Poo Grass" (Chelidonium majus). 

The following are some more pictures!

"Plants at the center of Yangjae stream"

 The blue mint beetles I adore

Before and after the makeover process

A very important thing I thought I should tell everyone: As recent as the early 1990s, the stream was heavily polluted. From 1995 to 2000, it went through an intense makeover process. One of the most profound effects it had on this environment was the reintroduction of the great biodiversity it once had. Now we can even see raccoons on our daily morning walks :) 

If you would like to go to the Visitor Center yourself, check out the website for more information: http://www.gangnam.go.kr/portal/main/contents.do?menuNo=200652

Tints of Coral Pink & Carmine

I've wanted to share my pictures of spring flowers for ages; I've been saving them up, hoping to capture the delicate beauties as well as I could. Some are a little shaky, some are overexposed...but I hope you'll enjoy these photos of spring colors as much as I did!

They remind me of bacteriophages...

Is it just me, or do these azalea buds look like heads of bacteriophages? Maybe I've been studying biology too much...haha. Tell me if you agree with me! (See a diagram of a bacteriophage here!)

The shade of green - somewhere 
between citron and avocado?

By the school gallery - blushes of pastel magenta 

I adore these flowers - but I can't help but think

of feather dusters whenever I see them. :S

Upside-down lanterns smiling down at me :) 

These are same flowers mentioned in an older post! Their petals became a gorgeous plum^^ Their name is simply "viola", belonging to the Violaceae family. They're called 제비꽃 (pronunciation: "Jebi-ggot"; literal translation: "Barn swallow flowers") in Korean because they are known to bloom when barn swallows come back from their migration in the winter.





Please leave comments below if you know the name of other flowers in this post! :D