Seongnam, Korea

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The Hotel Gallery in Seongnam

 

I spent a couple of days in Seongnam, the first planned city of South Korea. Two of the international schools in our athletic conference are located there. This was my second trip to Korea and I gained a few more impressions of the neighbor of Japan.

Korea is very similar to Japan in many ways. It is modern, clean and a fully developed nation. The Koreans seem to have a bit more of an edge, both in their demeanor and the architecture and infrastructure, compared to the more sedate Japanese culture. The citizens of both countries come from the same gene pool and both were heavily influenced by China throughout their history. Both countries have extremely homogeneous populations.

 

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Trails along the Bundangcheon River 

 

There seemed to be more and larger apartment complexes than in Japan cities. The restaurants and hotel were more spacious than in Japan.

My new favorite Korean dish is Bibimbap, a bowl of rice mixed with veggies and some type of protein. Delicious, especially when served in a hot stone bowl and lots of red chili paste and kimchi. 

 

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Ginpo Airport has a temple decor

 

Seongnam started to relieve the congestion of Seoul, but the city has overtaken it. It is a really nice area and similar to our suburb of Osaka. There are lots of parks and they have kilometers of bike trails along the rivers. Our hotel was near a large mall and plenty of really good restaurants. I was working a lot and didn’t have time to really enjoy much of the city.

 

 

Latest Reading: The Nature Fix: Why nature makes us happier, healthier and more creative

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I loved Florence Williams’s book about how wilderness and nature are good for human physical and mental health. She travels the world talking to researchers who are trying to pinpoint, why time spent in a forest, desert, beach or even a park, lowers our blood pressure, helps us think, lifts our mood, alleviates symptoms of mental illness, etc.

The chapters are varied. I particularly like the idea of “forest bathing” shinrin yoku that is popular in Japan and Korea. It hearkens back to a time before penicillin and the cure for tuberculosis was going out to a spa or retreat and taking in the healthy air. Although now, scientists are looking for what triggers these outcomes. One researcher showed how spraying cypress tree oil on someone, immediately lowers the heart rate and blood pressure. What other oils do trees and plants give off that are beneficial to us?

Different cultures view the healthful impact of nature in different ways. The Finns, who live in the most heavily forested country in Europe (74%)  really get into the woods, with the idea of metsan peitto, which means a deep surrender to the forest. I also like jokamiexhenoikeus which means that anyone can go on anyone else’s forested land to pick mushrooms, berries or to camp. Nature is that important to the collective good, that ownership of land cannot deny people having access to it. She came to the same conclusion I did about Singapore which has a lot of nature, but it is mostly artificially set there and controlled. With more people living in cities today on earth than ever before and the allure of games and screens, getting unplugged and out into nature is more important than ever.

Williams describes how time spent in nature can help everyone from former soldiers with PTSD to students with ADD/ADHD, etc. There is a chapter about walking in nature and how it helps creativity and thinking.

She ends the book with the idea of a nature pyramid, similar to the food pyramid. It is the recommended allowances of nature that humans need for optimal health.

daily – nearby nature – birds/trees/fountains in our neighborhoods – pets/houseplants, architecture that allows for natural light, fresh air, patches of blue sky

weekly – outings to parks and waterways where sounds of city recede; 1 hour per week, the larger and wilder the park the better

monthly – forests, state parks, etc.

yearly – multiple days in a wilderness; backcountry hiking and camping; kayaking, etc.

PYP Osaka Olympics – Golden Week

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We had a couple of days of school last week during the “Golden Week” here in Japan. Golden Week is a series of holidays strung together to give everyone some extended time off, hence, the week is Golden because you do not have to work. Outside of New Year, this is one of the few times that the entire country is on holiday, so we usually stick close to home to avoid the crowds.

Ocean is shown above running the 50-meter run on Wednesday as part of the PE department’s Osaka Olympics. Our family loves track and field so it was fun to watch Ocean compete. She is not the fastest runner, but she has good endurance. Nadia is prepping her for a 5-kilometer run at the end of the month as part of her Girls on the Move club.

 

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Canal Views in Ibaraki

I have been cycling a lot this week, getting out daily. The cool, sunny weather has been perfect to be outside. I took the photo above on my way back to my house. I usually go for loops of 10-20 kilometers, depending on how much time I have. This is a typical “river” in suburban Osaka. The sides and bottom have cement or stones to prevent erosion, good to prevent flooding, bad for wildlife. There is usually a paved path next to them which makes them ideal for running or biking.

 

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A hot and tired Oliver

Besides Ocean running, we also have Oliver running with us. He beat Nadia and I in a 7 kilometer run yesterday. He complained about going, but once on the route, he ran strongly the entire time. Ollie is getting taller and slimming down as he ends grade 6.

 

 

 

Counting Sheep (err Major League Baseball Cities)

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I suffer from insomnia often, waking up in the middle of the night and I cannot get back to sleep. I seem to be getting more of it as I get older. I’ve been experimenting with ways of calming my mind of all of the tasks I have to do and my concerns. One method I use is going through mentally,  lists with sporting themes.

Last night the topic was Major League Baseball and I was comparing the American and National League cities. I took the perspective of a player and considered which set of cities would be more enjoyable to visit and play in. I took into account the quality of the team, the history of the stadium, attractions the city has to offer, etc. I came to the conclusion that is slightly better to have a predominately American League schedule. I rated the American League East and Central over the National league’s East and Central divisions. The National League West would be better than the American League. For example, traveling to San Diego, Denver and Phoenix, in my opinion, is more interesting than playing in Dallas, Houston and Seattle.

I then made my ideal league from this perspective. What would be the ultimate League schedule? I came up with the following:

Kralovec League

East Division – Boston, New York (Yankees), Toronto, Washington and Miami

Central Division – Milwaukee, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis, Detroit, Minnesota (I am biased towards the upper Midwest/Great Lakes region where I am from.)

West Division – Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego, Seattle, Colorado, San Francisco

 

Oliver is a Teenager!!!!!

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We now have 2 teenagers in the house after Oliver’s 13th birthday on Monday! It  is a Kralovec family tradition that the birthday person is the boss and gets to do what they want on their special day.

It started with Ocean and I preparing Oliver’s favorite breakfast. He loves chicken pesto with eggs on toast. We gave him breakfast in bed along with his gift of two Nintendo Switch games (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) (Poken Tournament). He invited several of his friends over for homemade pizzas. We went to Avengers Infinity War at the local 109 cinemas in Q’s Mall.

 

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Nico, Noah, Chiharu and Oliver at Infinity War

Oliver also had volleyball games on Saturday. His team won both games and he is a pretty good player. He is shown below with an impressive serving form. The ball is quite high!

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Oliver is growing up into a fine young man and it has been wonderful to guide his journey into adulthood.

 

A Spectacular Day at Koshien Stadium

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Sunday afternoon we went to the Hanshin Tigers versus Yomiuri Giants at the hallowed grounds of Koshien Stadium. Despite the Tigers losing 1-11, we still had a lot of fun. To sit for an entire game is boring, especially for young people, but between eating stadium food and walking around the stadium, we did pass the time in a pleasing way. It is nice for Owen especially to watch live baseball and see if he can improve his own play. He is playing left field this year for his high school team.

The Giants are the most popular team in Japan and the oldest and most successful in the history of the NPB similar to the New York Yankees. They had 16 hits and really shut down the bats of Hanshin. They are in fourth place at 9-11, a 1/2 game behind the Hanshin Tigers, who are 9-10. In the Central League, the DeNA Bay Stars from Yokohama and Hiroshima Carp lead the way with 11-7 and 12-9 records respectively.

 

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Owen and Oliver in front of the stadium 

 

With much of the crowd leaving in the eighth inning, I walked down to the first row and took some photos. The setting sun and the yellow-clad Tigers supporters made it a really great photo! The iPhone cameras are really good!

It will be fun to follow the Tigers this year!

 

Family Journal: April 22, 2018

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Spring is here and the past week has been absolutely lovely with blue skies, a cool breeze and azaleas blooming all over the city. Yesterday Owen’s baseball team opened their season with a 12-0 victory over the Marist Brothers International School. Owen made the varsity as a freshman and is playing left field. In the video above, he doubles to left field, his first hit of the season.

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Ocean had a delightful time at the grades 4-5 parent/student dance on Friday night. She is shown above with her friends in the foyer of the conference room, where they set up a photo booth. It is such a great idea to have a social event for parents and students. School dances are a foreign concept in Japan so introducing these types of events is part of the intercultural understanding we are developing at the schools. Ocean is a party girl and loves dancing and socializing with others. She takes after her mother!

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Oliver has a volleyball game over in west Kobe so no photos for this blog post. I did snap a photo of him at lunch the other day. The students were eating the courtyard, can you spot Oliver?

 

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The MidoSuji highway with the Cielia Tower under construction

On the way back from visiting businesses downtown Osaka, I took this photo from a pedestrian bridge over the freeway. A new apartment tower (Cielia) is under construction and the azaleas in the median are in bloom. It is really difficult not to be in a good mood with such fine weather!

 

 

 

Family Journal: April 15, 2018

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Palm Sunday at the Suita Catholic Church

 

A pretty domestic Sunday today. It was cool and rainy in the morning so I spent time tidying up the house and watching the NBA playoffs. Nadia had a list of places (the famous Honey Do list) to go so we rented a car from the local Toyota Rent-a-Car, about $35 for the day. We went grocery shopping at Takenoko, the budget supermarket in the neighborhood and Kansai Supermarket for some specialty items. I dropped Ocean and Nadia off at Q’s Mall so they could buy a dress for the upcoming grades 4-5 student/parent dance.

 

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Ocean with her pet hamster, Caramel

 

We have been going to the Suita Catholic Church lately. When my family came and visited over Easter break, we started going because they were faithful Catholics. Both Nadia and I enjoyed going to mass again, it brought back memories of our childhood. Going to church reminds me of my parents and it is nice to be part of a community. Despite the boys complaining, we made them go. The 2:00 PM English mass is a good time for us on Sundays and with a car, it was an easy drive.

The majority of parishioners are from the Philippines and so the English of the priest has an accent. It has a totally Latino feel, however, with a bit of late start and disorganization and warm feelings all around. We are considering getting the children First Communion and Confirmed in the church, but will see how we go.

On a personal level, I do not believe in anything supernatural, but the weekly quiet reflection time, the sense of belonging to a community, the rituals are relaxing and it does bring up some good discussions with our family about how to treat others and live our lives.

 

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Oliver playing volleyball vs Canadian Academy

 

After church, we had a couple of more places to go. I had a few laughs near the end of the shopping trip. When we got to a stop light near our home on the way to the last supermarket after church, Owen, followed by Oliver, bolted out of the car and sprinted home. They had enough shopping for the day and with our consent, they took off running! Then we rewarded Ocean for staying with us by going to the drive-through at Starbucks. She ordered a chai latte with ice, but instead they sent a cold coffee latte. Nadia selfishly wanted the first sip so took a deep drag on the straw, thinking it was chai latte. She hates the taste of coffee and almost threw up. It was so funny to watch her struggling and watching the stunned employees in the drive-through window. Nadia is always entertaining, being so animated! After explaining the situation, we got a chai latte. This time I took the first sip when it was passed into the car and I faked vomiting like Nadia did to give the women working at Starbucks a hard time.

 

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Ikebukuro Station

 

It was then back home to finish packing my bags for two days of meetings in Tokyo, returning the rental car and getting to Shin Osaka trains station to take the Shinkansen. I arrived safe and sound in the lively Ikebukuro section of Tokyo and my hotel. I went out to buy a razor and stopped for a meal at a pretty good sushi restaurant.

Family Journal: April 14, 2018

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Ocean is a bit tired after our run together

I should be writing more as it relaxes me and allows me to collect my thoughts. I also capture those small, fleeting moments in life.

Oliver last night was in a panic. At 8:30 PM he tells me he left his uniform and shoes in his locker. He has a volleyball tournament today and needs to be at the train station at 7:00 AM to travel to Kobe. The school does not open until 7:00 AM. I calmed him down and this morning we rode to the school at 6:45 AM, asked the guard to open it early and we rode to the train station and got him on his way. He was truly thankful for my support. It was nice to help him and hopefully, he learned his lesson to prepare the night before. Procrastination runs in our family 🙂 so I know what he is dealing with and to lower stress in one’s life, one should be more on top of things. I love those mornings when Oliver or Owen have to get to the train station for a sports event. It is quiet and I get to share some time with them. They are a bit groggy being teenagers and need my help in packing their bags and getting them to the station on time.

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The highlight of the day was running with Nadia, Owen and Ocean. We did Nadia’s 7-kilometer loop around Osaka University and Kita Senri park. Nadia is leading an elementary “Girls on the Move” club and Ocean is now into running. I bought Ocean some running gear tonight at Sports Depo.

Oliver wanted to see Pacific Rim: Uprising tonight so I rode with Ocean and him and watched the movie. I enjoyed watching Oliver’s reaction more than the movie, but there was a bit of science fiction to the movie which made it tolerable

Catching up in the past week or so, my friend Ilan and I rode the Saigoku Highway to Kyoto. The road was made in the 1600s during the Edo period and has a lot of very cool traditional Japanese homes and temples. We ended up riding 52 kilometers, more than either of us expected. However, it was a really nice day and fun to spend some time with a friend and ride. If I was independently wealthy, that is about all I would do, cycle and hike and explore the outdoors.

Finally, a Japan post would not be complete without an earthquake story. The other night I was up, as the past few weeks I’ve been suffering from insomnia. The house started shaking and about a minute or two later, I went to the Japan Meterological Station website had the quake map on their system. On the map below, we live in the blue, which was a 3 and the quake originated in Totori, the orange section, which indicates a 5.

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Osaka: Birthplace of Instant Noodles

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Designing our Cups

During my university days near the end of the month when money was tight, I would buy instant noodles for some cheap meals to make my budget go a bit longer. I didn’t really think about the origin of instant noodles until I moved to Osaka, Japan. Momofuku Ando invented the technique to fry-dry noodles, add flavoring and dried vegetables and meat and most important, put all in a sealed styrofoam cup perfect for warming up the noodle soup.

His background is interesting. He is Taiwanese and grew up in Japanese-occupied Taiwan. He attended Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. Life was tough after World War II in both Taiwan and Japan. Momofuku saw people waiting in long lines for hot noodle soup. There was plenty of flour around after WWII from the American occupation forces and that led to Momofuku experimenting in his modest home. He perfected instant noodles, first coming out with them in 1958. Eventually after some stop and starts and a bankruptcy, he hit the right formula as head of Nissin Foods. He turned the company into an international company with over $100 million dollars in profits, and factories all over the world, including Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

He built a museum in Ikeda, a suburb of Osaka where he died in 2007 at the age of 96. We took the tour and made our own instant noodles. You can decorate the cups, choose your flavoring and four ingredients. I chose “seafood” flavoring and added shrimp, green onions, edamame and kim-chi.

Quite a legacy he left as the inventor of instant noodles. The number of companies and types of instant soup-style cups has proliferated. They are not the most healthy food to eat, being high in sodium, but on a cold day or while traveling, a convenient, hot cup of noodles really hits the spot!

Living in Asia I’ve learned how to eat noodle soup with chopsticks. It is proper etiquette to slurp noodles, as it is acceptable and expected of eating companions. Scientists showed that the increased air intake of slurping enhances the flavor of the noodles. We went for the real noodle, called ramen, which is technically, a wheat-based noodle in a pork or beef broth. Americans call instant noodles ramen and the two terms have become synonymous.

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Hakata Ramen – Ippudo 

We have a famous ramen chain restaurant called Ippudo near our house. They specialize in the tonkatsu ramen, which is from Kyushu, the most southern of the main four Japanese islands and is pork-based. They are one of my favorite meals in winter.