Learning Strong Wisdom of Sea Women in Jeju Island

Learning Strong Wisdom of Sea Women in Jeju Island

 Ocean of Jeju island has Mt.Halla and hundreds of parasitic volcanoes. In addition, the ocean has sea women who represent strength. Sea women are the past and future of Jeju island. Ocean is their life and they have struggled over hundreds of years. Let’s learn who they are.

Catch A Glimpse of History and Footstep of Sea Women

Sea women may be only in Korea and Japan. Most of Korean sea women live in Jeju island, estimated about 20,000. We assume that the origin of sea women started at prehistoric era when human sought their food in the sea, considering that the shrine for fishermen and sea women existed from ancient times. But most of all, Jeju island is believed to be a birthplace of sea women.

Jeju women have been destined to swim in the sea unless they did not farm in the field. Girls started to swim at the age of seven and eight. When they were seventeen and eighteen they became sea women. Their prime time last until 40.

They usually work five meters under the sea for 30 seconds but if necessary, they dive 20 meters and endure for two minutes under the sea. Whenever they come up to the surface, they breathe out deeply. In addition, they join community gathering and organizing sea women’s club or diver’s club. By these activities they decide diving time, diving manner and joint collection and carry out on their own. They contribute to prosperity of villages by joint raise and joint collection of sea food.

They dive 20 meters under the sea and endure two minutes long and swim in the cold winter. They have extraordinary skill and spirit. They dive even after giving a birth. There is a folk song, ‘Song of Sea women’, showing determination of sea women of Jeju island.

Meet Sea Women in a Variety of Way

It’s not easy to see them even though we often heard that they have strong spirit and wisdom. Fortunately, the Jeju city government hosts a festival and opens a museum to promote sea women. The festival started first at 2002 world cup season. There are a variety of programs showing a myth of Jeju, life of sea women and life of fishing village. During the festival, many events are presented such as photo gallery painting contest, food court, and fireworks in order to promote sea women.

Sea women museum displays the history and work of sea women and the tools of collecting sea food. Four story museums have three exhibit rooms, video room, observatory, and children hall. The first exhibit room reproduces sea women’s house, fishing village, shamanism and seasonal customs. The second exhibit room is made of workplace of sea women. The third exhibit room has fishery of ancient times, sea of hope for better understanding of fishing village and culture. Museum is the place for children education. 

Movement to Preserve Sea Woman

Sea women would disappear if the seniors stop diving. Jeju University and other Korean research centers claim that sea women should be designated as the living culture heritage. Central government and local government need to work hard on the matter.

Jeju sea women are very rare so city government is trying to list them as the world cultural heritage. Because they are the only one who collects the sea food without any tools. Sea women can be world class culture asset if we preserve them well.

Sea women became the representative brand of Jeju island. Their frontier spirit and diligence became known outside the world. Their image swimming in the sea is a present to modern people. They awaken frontier spirit and wisdom. They could disappear as they get older in the future. We hope that their spirits continue to be preserved. Through the centuries of history, sea women have struggled to survive in the ocean. It is necessary to preserve their spirit and promote sea women as world brand.

To all friends in Korea

We all are very efforts to adapt our self in Korea, studies about Major, learn Korean language, work a part time job, and etcetera.

As we already know, Korea has four seasons with a wet monsoon in the middle of the year which is muggy, hot, and rather crowded. It is also when the monsoon begins so many activities are subject to the fluctuations of heavy rain. Autumn experiences warm, sunny weather, skies that are cobalt blue and spectacular foliage that is perhaps the biggest draw. Spring is beautiful with all the cherry blossoms in bloom and Cold winter. ^^

And this time is autumn, even it’s warm, sunny weather, skies that are cobalt blue and spectacular foliage but for myself, it’s already a cold winter season ^^ ㅎㅎ kkk

Although it is cold outside, we all know that our heart is hot with vision and dreams for the future, hope we’d burn them in Korean University and have great achievements regardless of our studies.

Take care and Good luck

your friend

JM Neves

Happy World Teachers' Day!

Today, October 5th, we celebrate World Teachers' Day!

So to all the teachers out there. Thanks for making a difference to our lives!

You definitely made our lives more meaningful. Thanks for all the things you have done!

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. ~William A. Ward

One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. ~Carl Jung

2012 Korean Government Scholarship program for Undergraduate- Application Guideline

Korean government invites 100 international students from 62 countries who wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Korea.

To be selected as a KGSP grantee, any applicant should successfully pass through the 1st selection process set by the Korean embassies (or Consulates) of his or her origin.

So to apply for the program, please contact the 1st selection organizations to get detailed information on the 1st selection process such as application deadline and required documents, etc. *

Application deadline may differ from one country to another; it will be expected to fall in late September or early October.

As for the application guideline, please refer to the attached files.

Wish you all good luck!

Application guideline click

http://www.niied.go.kr/CommonBoard/board_view_user.jsp?seq=65&&boardid=TB_NIIED_ENG_BRD04&keyword=&searchtype=&chk_title=null&chk_contents=null&chk_writername=null&no=65

Merry Chuseok 2011

Chuseok (Korean: 추석), originally known as Hangawi (한가위, from archaic Korean for "great middle"), is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Like many other harvest festivals, it is held around the Autumn Equinox. As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food such as songpyeon and rice wines such as sindoju and dongdongju.

Origins

Historically and according to popular belief, Chuseok originates from Gabae. Gabae started during the reign of the third king of the kingdom ofSilla (57 BC - AD 935), when it was a month-long weaving contest between two teams.^[1][2] Come the day of Gabae, the team that had woven more cloth had won and was treated to a feast by the losing team. However, it is also said that Chuseok marks the day Silla won a great victory over the rival kingdom of Balhae. It is believed that weaving competitions, archery competitions, and martial arts demonstrations were held as part of the festivities.^[3]

Many scholars also believe Chuseok may originate from ancient shamanistic celebrations of the harvest moon.^[4] New harvests are offered to local deities and ancestors, which means Chuseok may have originated as a worship ritual.^[5] In some areas, if there is no harvest, worship rituals are postponed, or in areas with no annual harvest, Chuseok is not celebrated.

Traditional customs

Another table with many traditional food offerings on it.

In modern South Korea, on Chuseok there is a mass exodus of Koreans as they return to their hometowns to pay respects to the spirits of their ancestors. People perform ancestral worship rituals early in the morning. They often visit the tombs of their immediate ancestors to trim plants and clean the area around the tomb, and offer food, drink, and crops to their ancestors. Harvest crops are attributed to the blessing of ancestors.

One of the major foods prepared and eaten during the Chuseok holiday is songpyeon (송편), a crescent-shaped rice cake which is steamed upon pine needles. Other foods commonly prepared are japchae, bulgogi and fruits.

Folk games

A variety of folk games are played on Chuseok to celebrate the coming of Autumn and rich harvest. Village folk dress themselves to look like a cow or a turtle, and go from house to house along with a Nongak band playing music. Other common folk games played on Chuseok are tug of war, archery, ssireum, . Folk games also vary from region to region. The Ganggangsullae dance, forming a circle under the moon is performed by women and children in southwestern coastal regions.

Dates for Chuseok on the Gregorian calendar

Songpyeon

Chuseok is on the following days:

• 2006: October 6
• 2007: September 25
• 2008: September 14
• 2009: October 3
• 2010: September 22
• 2011: September 12
• 2012: September 30
• 2013: September 19
• 2014: September 8
• 2015: September 27
• 2016: September 15
• 2017: October 4
• 2018: September 24

Chuseok, as well as the day before it and afterwards, are legal holidays in South Korea.

Merry Chuseok /추석 day to all my friends here in Korea

Accommodation in Seoul – Hi Seoul Youth Hostel

If you are planning a trip to Seoul but have not decided where to stay yet, Hi Seoul Youth Hostel offers high-quality and comfortable budget accommodation.


Located in Yeongdeungpo, Hi Seoul Youth Hostel recently opened its doors to offer visitors a new, state-of-the-art lodging facility. The hostel, which is comprised of 8 floors, features 95 guestrooms that can accommodate up to 330 people, as well other facilities such as a laundry room, a restaurant, a café, a lounge and a kitchen. Wi-fi is available throughout the whole building, but for those who forgot or choose not to bring their laptops, the hostel has an internet lounge where you can have access to the Internet for about 500 won for 30 mins.



If you are coming to Seoul for a business trip, the hostel also has four different conference rooms suitable for meetings and presentations.


Nearby Attractions


Times Square
Located in Yeongdeungpo, ‘Times Square’ is one of the largest multipurpose shopping complex in Korea. The complex offers a shopping center, a department store, CGV movie theaters, green areas and cultural spaces, making it an excellent addition to your trip itinerary.

Yeouido
Yeouido, the so-called “Manhattan of Seoul”, is known for being one of the most important business districts here in Seoul. You will find however, that the little island offers a wide array of exquisite restaurants and cafes, beautiful parks with fresh air and an impressive night view of the Hangang.




Price: Standard rooms are available from 50,000 won (single) to 80,000 won (quad.)
※Please refer to the website to learn about the prices for the Youth Room and the Family Room.
Amenities: Lounge, Cafe, Restaurant, Laundry Room, Kitchen, Internet Lounge, Tourist Information Center, Wi-Fi access.
Rooms: 95 rooms (Western-style: 74 rooms, Korean-style: 21 rooms)
Check-In: 2 p.m. / Check-Out: 10 a.m.


Address: 57 Yeongdeungpo-dong 7(chil)-ga, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

Phone: 02-677-1779

http://www.hiseoulyh.com/

http://www.facebook.com/hiseoulyh?sk=photos

Dive Timor-Leste (East Timor)

Dive Timor Lorosae is Timor Leste’s (East Timor) premier PADI (professional association of diving instructors) 5 star IDC (instructor development center).

Diving in Timor Leste is simply fantastic, a great reason more and more people choose to travel to East Timor. Great visibility in the dry season and warm tropical water the whole year round are guaranteed here. Explore an unbelievable variety of pristine, live coral and aquatic species while drifting through the underwater canyon between the mainland and Ata’uro.

Dive Timor Lorosae (DTL) was established in 2002 by Mark Mialszygrosz. After traveling, exploring and scuba diving the country since 2000 he set up Timor's first PADI dive centre and has strived to set and maintain the standard for scuba dive travel, scuba dive training and scuba dive tourism within Timor Leste.


DTL offers a range of services to expats and tourist alike including;

PADI scuba diver training from your first breath to becoming an instructor

Boat Charters, diving, fishing, whale watching

Shore dives and safari trips

Scuba equipment sale, retail and servicing

Own dive pool (12 x 5 x 2.5m deep)

Castaway bar and restaurant

Airport transfers and guide city tours

Looking for a Hotel in Timor. DTL also have our own Hotel Accommodation, Guest House accommodation and Backpacker accommodation. All with free internet and western modern facilities and all located in central Dili on the beach front!

For more information http://www.divetimor.com/index.php