Monday, April 16, 2012

Do you love me?


This morning I had a very lovely conversation with Joshua Songmin:

Mama : Do you love me?
JoSH   : Yes!
Mama : (melted and hugged him straight away)

JoSH is still 19 months old but somehow I feel that he grown up faster than his age. Looking back on videos and pictures of him taken last year, he was a very young baby, just started to eat solid food. But one year after, he is a little man who can express his feeling. Time flies! Now, he can answer questions, he can react to our requests or instructions. He is so independent he wants to hold on his spoon and plate and feeds himself. He even helps us doing laundry or using vacuum cleaner to clean the floor. He kisses our cheeks and hugs when he want to show his love to my husband and I. 

JoSH is smart. But that's not the most important about him. As JoSH parents, the biggest responsibility is to bring him knowing Jesus Christ who loves him even bigger than us, the parents. 

I love you, my son! Jesus loves you, too.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Conversations with JoSH

JoSH (J)    : Mama...
Mama (M) : Yes...
J                : 됐다! (showing me his empty milk bottle...)
Before going to Indonesia for vacation he said 'finished'; while in Indonesia for a month, he said 'habis'...but after two weeks back in Korea, he said '됐다'...

Showing him Jiajia's pictures on facebook...
M : Do you want to see Jiajia?
J   : Yes!
M : (smiling)


M : Let's pray together...
J   : 앉아? (Sit down?)
M : Yes.
J   : OK...
M : ...dalam nama Tuhan Yesus, kami berdoa...(in the name of Jesus, we pray)
J   : AMIN...(Amen)

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Welcoming Ceremony of Worldwide Korea Bloggers



The WKBs were invited to a welcoming ceremony in Seoul, last March, 2012. We were invited to a ceremony held in Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) Office for a brief explanation about WKB, what WKBs had done in the previous year and a symbolic certificate award to one of the bloggers.


After the official ceremony, we joined a guided tour in National Museum of Korea. We were guided by a professional tour guide who introduced us to the main items exhibited in the museum. 


Baekjae incense burner

The museum has a huge collections about Korea and its history, but since we had only limited time, we could not see the whole collections. I think I have to go back someday to the museum. Few hours visit was not enough!



On the way to the painting class we would join in the museum, we were invited to see the souvenir shop. My eyes can't stop looking at those beautiful stuffs displayed in the shop. I wanted to buy many of them :)


 Prior to the painting activities, the art teacher explained us about the dragon we would draw later on. This year is the year of black dragon, but I painted my dragon in red, green, orange instead of black. I brought the dragon painting home and gave it to my son. He loves it!

A great video made by Steve Miller about the Welcoming Ceremony of the WKBs.

To give you a glance of what we did on the welcoming ceremony, here is a video about the event. It was a nice day to see fellow bloggers and get to know them more. Thank you for inviting me, Korea.net. I did enjoy the day!.

Some news about WKBs Welcoming Ceremony on media:
Arirang TV - brief segment
Arirang TV - featured bloggers
reporter.korea.kr - “우리가 바로 대한민국 홍보대사랍니다!”


Some postings from other bloggers:
Asif Quadri - Welcoming Ceremony, Museum Visit & Painting Class, Arirang T & Korea Herald
Johanne Miller - WKB Welcoming Ceremony
Jo-Anna Lynch - WKB Welcoming Event

[Korea] Korean Cookbook - Translated in 10 Languages

When I saw Korea Tourism Organization's Facebook page, I jumped happily!
They posted about a new released book of Korean Family Foods, and it is translated in 10 languages: English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Thai, Filipino, and Indonesian. Oh, yes! Learning to cook Korean food will be so much more easier for foreigners.


The English version

The Indonesian version


The book was published by The Community Service Group of Daewoo Securities Co., Ltd. to introduce many kinds of food usually found in the table of Korean family. I believe this book will help many people around the world to learn and make their homemade Korean food. 


Kimchi recipe


The book consists of many types of Korean food ranging from kimchi, side-dishes (banchan), steamed vegetables (namul), soup (jigae), special food (such as bulgogi, samgyetang, galbi jjim) and snack (gansik). 
Beside that, this book also provide the readers with Korean culture of cooking, tips on how to make delicious soup stock, choosing right cooking utensils and tips on buying the ingredients.


I checked the book in Kyobo Bookstore website and found that the price is not too expensive, 12,000 won. And...I have sent to my husband the link of the book in Kyobo website, asking him to buy it for me ^^ Can't wait to serve Korean family food for my little family!


Source:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1594947
http://www.kyobobook.co.kr/product/detailViewKor.laf?ejkGb=KOR&mallGb=KOR&barcode=9788960512108&orderClick=LAH&Kc=

Monday, April 9, 2012

Discipline

Hebrews 12:11- “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness.”


*Patient & Consistent...two words that are in my mind...*

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Have you run to the cross?

Because of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, that place of safety is available. Have you run to the cross? (ODB)


The Old Rugged Cross 


On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.




Thursday, April 5, 2012

[Korea] Busan Biennale 2012


Among many festivals that will be held in South Korea, Busan Biennale 2012 is on top of my list to visit. Busan Biennale is an art festival that integrated three different festivals: Busan Youth Biennale, Busan Sea Festival and Busan Outdoor Sculpture Symposium.

 Artwork from Busan Biennale 2010: SataRLIT, by SATA

Changing the name into Busan Biennale in 2002, Busan Biennale is recognized as a major international culture and art festival of the city of Busan. It became one of the largest art festivals in Korea. Many artists came to Busan to install and exhibit their creations and artworks. The exhibitions took place not only in Busan Museum of Modern Art or Busan Cultural Center, but the installed contemporary art works could be seen in outdoor places such as Gwanganlli Beach and Busan Yachting Center.  

Artwork from Busan Biennale 2010: Structure & Force, Language Series, by Shin Sang Ho

Artwork from Busan Biennale 2010: Untitled, by Chritina DY. 
It was made of charcoal. Video of the making could be seen here

The biennale art event is an event that presents the hard-to-understand contemporary art to the public and gives easy interpretation about it. It is served for public to have an access to contemporary art and to communicate with professional artists both from Korea or other countries. 

Artwork from Busan Biennale 2010: Stage of Meditation, by Anxiong Qiu. 
Location: Gwangalli Beach.


Artwork from Busan Biennale 2010: We Must Be Seen, by Jung Seung. 
Location: Gwangalli Beach.

This year Busan Biennale 2012 will be held in various venues in Busan from September 22 to November 24, 2012.  It was reported that about 270 works by 110 artists from all around the world will be displayed in the biennale under the title "Garden of Learning". 

Roger M. Buergel

The title "Garden of Learning" is an idea from the artistic director of Busan Biennale 2012, Roger M. Buergel who was also the artistic director for Documenta XII Kassel. He proposed the idea of stage collaborations between artists and audiences as the key element of this year biennale. The goal is to create long and lasting effect of the exhibition to the community. People are not supposed to just see the result of artistic creativity or the objects of the exhibition but take part into the process of artistic production. To achieve the lasting effect, the communications between artists and audiences shall start prior to the official exhibition.

Image: Labyrith Garden Château de Vendeuvre (1750), Normandie, France 

As a result, the Busan Biennale offers to local people, both Korean and foreigners who have interest and idea to participate in the planning stages of the Biennale. The "Learning Council" initially looked for 10-12 members who will have the role as intermediary between participating artists and visitors. The Learning Council will also be the source for  participating artists about the history of Busan, the characteristic of people in Busan and any information that  they need for research. However, apparently, more than 100 people showed up their interest and attended the first meeting of Learning Council in February, 2012.

It was presented by the artistic director on the international symposium last year in Busan to make the biennale as unique and different from any other previous biennales around the world that tend to be similar to each other. Personally, I agree with the idea that it is important to make a biennale with characteristic of the place where it is held which by then Busan Biennale has its differentiation from other biennales in the world.

Source:
http://www.busanbiennale.org
http://gardenoflearning.info/blog/
http://www.e-flux.com/announcements/roger-m-buergel-appointed-the-artistic-director/
http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2949948

Sunday, April 1, 2012

"내꺼야..."

When seeing San kissed on my cheek, the little boy said "내꺼야..." and hugged me :))