Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Preparation for flooding during the rainy season - 장마철!

The rainy season (Jang-ma) in Korea begins in June and continues through early July. During this season, sometimes flood happens together. Those who live in flood areas should prepare in advance to minimize damage from it. 

1. Before Flooding
     - Prepare for sandbag or tube to keep rivers from overflowing and divert flood water in a flood-prone area.
     - Listen for flood warning and news updated.
     - Make sure the elderly or infirm are taken care of.
     - In case of water pollution, prepare for drinking water in advance.
     - Check out the drain in a house and the overflow around a house in advance.
     - Be aware of an emergency evacuation plan and emergency contacts in advance.
     - Be aware of first aid procedures and prepare essential medicines in advance.
     - Prepare disaster supplies in advance.
          ; Purchase emergency food and water, self powered flashlights in case. 
     - Place objects on a safe place to keep them from flood water.



2. During Flooding
     - Listen to the local radio for up to date information.
     - Do not drive on unknown roads where water is over the road.
     - If you are driving, stay away from storm drains and irrigation ditches. 
     - If your car won’t start and water is rising, leave the vehicle and find higher ground.
     - If you see a flood coming, evacuate soon as possible to higher ground.
           - Replace belongings into a house from outside of it. 
           - Turn off all utilities. 
           - In case running water is polluted, receives water in advance.
     - Turn off the power, water and gas before leaving.
     - Call 119 or city, country, district officials or Korea Electric Power Corporation if power transmission tower is
          collapsed.
     - Get in a building or a lower place to evacuate from thunder or lightening.
     - Stay away from landslide or slope.
     - Stay away from fast currents and drains, culverts.
     - Stay away from streetlights, traffic lights and high-tension wire.
     - Stay away from a construction area.
     - Close windows and building gates.



3. After the Flood
     - Avoid flooded areas.
     - When water is draining away, move away from water in case of pollution with oil or wastewater. 
     - Clean up your body using soap if you are wet from flood water.
     - Call city, country, district officials or dong-office if water and sewage is broken or embankment/ road are gone.

Cooking - Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Pancake)

One of my favorite Korean food which I call "Korean pizza" - Haemul Pajeon!

Ingredients

200g shallots
1 octopus
50g clams (no shells)
50g shrimp (peeled and tails removed)
1 red pepper
1 egg
1 ½ cup frying flour
1 ¼ cups water
pinch of salt
vegetable oil for frying
Directions

    1. Trim, rinse, and cut shallots into 7cm pieces. If the roots of the shallots are thick, slice in half once more.
    2. Remove internal organs and ink from the octopus and rub with coarse salt to remove slimy parts. Rinse and cut into
        3cm long pieces.
    3. Rinse the clams and shrimp in a shallow bowl of salt water and squeeze out excess water. Cut red pepper at a slant
        into 3cm long pieces.
    4. Mix a pinch of salt with egg.
    5. Stir frying flour and water to make pancake mix. Add octopus, clams, and shrimp and mix lightly.
    6. Heat vegetable oil in fry pan. Pour pancake mix into fry pan so that it covers the pan and top with leeks and red pepper.
        Add egg mixture on top.
    7. Flip and fry to a crispy texture.



*source: recipe from Seoul Global Center, photo form naver

Gochang Dolmen Museum

Dolmen is more than an tomb in the dim past. But before we begin, we need to learn the history of dolmen.
Gochang Dolmen Museum
It first appeared at around the time when the Stone Age was shifting to the Bronze Age. Various tools and weapons used to be made of stone before the era, however, the number of people who got an access to bronze and copper increased, they became more powerful than the others who didn't have those tools. As the bronze and copper enabled them to have power to control the others, the concept of hierarchy, ruler, state were born in their society.

Dolmen was made to visualize the death of rulers. Goindol, Korean name of Dolmen, was originated from the word 'Goida' that means 'support(something heavy on it)'.

In December 2000, Gochang Dolmen was listed in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage. Since then, as part of an effort to preserve and maintain the dolmens, the government built the dolmen park and museum. You can't have the experience anywhere else but in Gochang.

There are so many attractions in the Dolmen museum. Dolmen museum provides not only an overall introduction of dolmen, but also the glimpse of the life of those days. You'll see the old ancestors' life in the hut, and also learn how they buried the dead, how they cremated, and how dolmen was created. There are the prehistoric village, yard and dolmen model for experience next to the museum. You can try dragging a real size stone for building up the dolmen, putting the logs on the bottom.

It is 30 minutes distance between the museum and the dolmen sites. You can take a sightseeing train if you want. There are 30,000 dolmens in Korea and 2,000, which is 10% of the total number, are in Gochang. When you stand up on the dolmen field, you'll be amazed at their existence over 3,000 years.