Sunday, May 25, 2003
Yesterday I bought the book Korea Unmasked by Rhie Won-bok - a 236-page cartoon about the Korean people, their neighbours, their successes & tribulations and unification wish. It is a must to read this book if you have been to Korea or have plans to do so. I recognize many things about the Koreans and it explains much too.
The expats (someone sent by his/her company to work abroad) here in Seoul say that: the first country you spend more than half a year in, you will fall in love with - and have a love/hate relationship with it. Can it be that I became an "expat" when I was four years old (when I moved to The Netherlands)? I complain about The Netherlands when I am in The Netherlands and I complain about Korea when I am Korea. In both The Netherlands and Korea, I never feel at home completely, but I can feel at home anywhere a little bit. But I hope there is room for another country I can "fall in love with": for example China - since I really want to work for a few years in Shanghai...
Saturday, May 17, 2003
Thursday and Friday we went out of Seoul and had a two-day workshop with the four teams of marketing. On the first day we discussed roadmaps and on the second day we had a sportsday - footvolley and basketball. Even our vice-president participated in basketball!
In the evening, when we went for dinner and noraebang or "singing room", I realized you should always have a song ready for the noraebang. You should really practice singing this song until you can sing it (preferably by heart) and have a "100 score". Since there are no Dutch songs in noraebang here in Korea, my song is "Hotel California" by the Eagles. Now that I study Korean - level low intermediate - in a hagwon (eveningclass) every week again, I realize that one of the good things about doing an internship is that you don't have to study books for a while...
However, what I miss from my previous semester is the opportunity to read papers and magazines for free in a library! I still have to find a public library in Seoul where they have international papers (International Herald Tribune, Financial Times) and magazines (The Economist, Harvard Business Review) .
Monday, May 12, 2003
On May fourth, I went to the beach together with Sumi, Shiva and some of her colleagues and their friends. Although it took a while to leave Seoul by car (6-hour traffic jam), it was great to spend an afternoon on the Mallipo beach and visit the Chollipo Arboretum.
For the past two weeks Seoul has been decorated with paper lanterns of which some were lit in the evening. It was a great sight, especially May 8th, when it was Buddha's Birthday. So there was a big happening in Insadong at Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple. Every lantern at this site had a piece of paper under it with someone's name on it, even inside the temple. Also, there was a major Korean broadcaster filming the whole event: including a group of very young apprentice monks singing a song.
Later that evening we went to Mokdong where people at the Buddhist temple there were just lighting the candles inside the lanterns. After having dinner we went back, but unfortunately some lights had already been blown out by the wind. Nevertheless, the sight was astonishing.
Later that weekend we went to climb Seoul's highest mountain Bukhansan (837 meters high). It took the whole afternoon - but once we were up there we could see how big Seoul actually is. Some "Seoulites" were equipped with survival gear, tents and food to camp for a week (?) on the mountain.
This month Turandot - after Italy, China and Japan, hit Korea. This originally Italian opera by Puccini about a Chinese princess was now directed by the worldfamous Chinese director Zhang Yimou (who also directed the movies "Hero" and "Raise the Red Lantarn"). Whereas the opera was staged in the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, here in Korea the Seoul World Cup stadium was the venue - which means 30,000 people can watch this famous opera at the same time. The whole was show was very impressive.
Finally, last week I confirmed my flight and this year August 2nd, I will fly back to The Netherlands.
Wednesday, April 24, 2003
For the past three days I have been to P'yeong T'aek, LG's learning center. This time to have training together with people from Marketing and Sales. Everyday waking up at 7:30 at the Lake Hills hotel and lectures until 20:00... It was a great opportunity to meet people from other departments and overseas offices.
So what is it like working for LPL? I encounter one of the few things most interns will experience I guess: paranoid colleagues who are reluctant to give away top secret information. Then we usually makes jokes like: 'Yes, selling top secret information to our competitors is a great idea. I never thought of that; that way I can make some extra money since I am underpaid!' My colleagues would then respond: 'OK, in that case I will give you the information - but we have to split the money 50/50!'
In Shinchon, I feel most comfortable spending my time with international students. I guess they really know what it is like to live in different cultures. I think it can make you more flexible and tolerant in many respects. In my opinion culture simply is a country's identity which people have to respect and understand. Handling cultural differences is an issue that requires a subtle approach. In an international setting one person can get easily offended by another while this person does not even realize this. This can be very difficult, but you can also learn a lot from it, I think. It is difficult to recognize something until it is gone for a long time... And to be honest I can recommend everyone to spend some years abroad - perhaps only then we can understand each other really well?
Sunday, April 20, 2003
First of all, I apologize I haven't been updating this website for a long time... On March 31 I decided to move back to Sinchon, since the 3-hour commuting from West-Incheon to Yeoido every working day simply was too much. Now I live with Yonsei students in a one-room ha-suk-jib, or boarding house. Our ajumma cooks our breakfast and supper for us.
What have I been doing lately? Chess-parties in Apgujeon, together with my colleagues we went skiing in February, I went to Gumi - Korea's "Silicon Valley". And together with some Dutch students studying at Yonsei we were invited to have a delicious traditional Dutch meal at the Dutch Counseller's residence. His wife was friendly enough to cook hutspot for us! At this gathering I met a student from Technische Universiteit Eindhoven who will also do an internship at LG.Philips LCD. He is part of a group of (15) TUE students who are doing a tour through Korea and a 3-month case study at companies here in Korea. And last but not least, together with some friends from last semester we went to the show Cooking Nanta (crazy beat) in Apgujeon - as my birthday present... I really appreciated that!
Next weekend most of the Dutch people here in Korea will go to the charity gala "Orange Ball" at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel. This yearly event is to celebrate our Queen's birthday and "Hamel Year". This year it is 350 years ago that Hendrick Hamel visited Korea - the first westerner ever to visit Korea.
Saturday, February 22, 2003
After my first week of work at LG.Philips LCD, I can say I am pretty tired. I am staying with my Korean uncle's family (in Incheon), and have to travel to Yoido every day. So every Monday to Friday I have to get up at six o' clock. And, I get home at about 22:00... But I really like my internship! I am receiving training about the marketing department and learn about the technical aspects of TFT LCD's. The team is really nice so I have a great time.
Tuesday, February 4, 2003
I am back in Korea after travelling for 5 weeks, and I was just in time to celebrate Chinese newyear (February first this year). For photos and text, click the link below.
From Beijing to Bangkok
Jan 23 - Jan 30: Ko Chang
Ko Chang is the second largest island of Thailand (40 kilometers wide) and there are less tourists and is less developed than for example Phuket (Thailand's largest island). It takes about 6 hours by bus and one hour by ferry to reach Ko Chang from Bangkok. For the whole week I stayed in a bungalow at the beach (6 euros) and rented a scooter (only 4 euros per day). Staying at the island was in one word great. The weather was great, the ocean clear and warm, and at Pen's bungalows there was everyday a BBQ on the beach and everyday a party at Sabaybar.
From Beijing to Bangkok
Jan 27: Khlong Plu waterfall, Ko Chang
These are photos of a waterfall on Ko Chang.
Sunday, May 25, 2003
