World Water Day 2009: Transborder water

Cr!key Creek, via All My Faults are Stress Related has invited bloggers to post about water basins and aquifers that cross political boundaries for World Water Day (March 22).

Quoting Cr!key Creek:

There are hundreds of water basins and aquifers that straddle our political boundaries, at both international and national levels. Neighbours stick their own straws into the same glass. This has historically led to both conflict and cooperation.

"Over the last 60 years there have been more than 200 international water agreements and only 37 cases of reported violence between states over water."

In the spirit of World Water Day, and in an effort to contribute towards transboundary cooperation, I propose that all us waterbloggers (and other bloggers too!) dedicate one or more of our posts that day or beforehand specifically to transboundary water issues. What's more, I further invite you to email your posts' URLs to me at crikeycreek/gmail/com once they're up so I may link to all of them from one central location, and thus provide an archive of the collaboration.

The UN website has this to say:

The world’s 263 transboundary lake and river basins include the territory of 145 countries and cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface. Great reservoirs of freshwater also move silently below our borders in underground aquifers.

With every country seeking to satisfy its water needs from limited water resources, some foresee a future filled with conflict. But history shows that cooperation, not conflict, is the most common response to transboundary water management issues.

© World BankOver the last 60 years there have been more than 200 international water agreements and only 37 cases of reported violence between states over water. We need to continue to nurture the opportunities for cooperation that transboundary water management can provide.

We share the responsibility for managing the world’s transboundary waters for current and future generations.

Gwynne Dyer is not so optimistic that cooperation with continue to be the norm.

Shared water is a big deal everywhere. We Canadians, especially from around the Great Lakes, constantly hear rumours of American plans to to try to pump or move Great Lake water to the southern Midwest, as their underground aquifers are drying up, leaving farmers with nought but sinkholes.

Here, president LMB's canal system could be jeopardized... ah, I'll leave that dead horse alone.

Here in South Korea, two-thirds of the Imjin River basin is in North Korea. A September, 2008, article in the Korea Times describes the effects a dam the North Koreans are building across the river.

``If [the imjin River] dam is completed, the amount of water flowing into the Imjin River in the South is expected to decrease,'' Kim said.

Beside the decreased water flow, Rep. Kim said water quality has worsened and flood control is at risk.

Kim urged K-Water to take adequate measures to secure the water supply.

The lawmaker also asked the government to sit down with their North Korean counterparts to discuss mutually beneficial use of water resources.

``The water resource issue should be addressed through inter-Korean dialogue,'' he said.

The lawmaker said the government should quickly complete the ongoing construction of the Peace Dam near the North Han River, which is designed for flood control in Gunnam, Gyeonggi Province.

Kim's conclusions are based on a dam, completed 2003, on the North Han River: A Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) report found that the amount of water reaching the Hwacheon Dam in the South has decreased by 43 percent following the completion of the Imnam Dam.

Finally:

``The water resource issue should be addressed through inter-Korean dialogue,'' he said.

The lawmaker said the government should quickly complete the ongoing construction of the Peace Dam near the North Han River, which is designed for flood control in Gunnam, Gyeonggi Province.

Flood control is also an important issue in Flood Runoff Simulation Using Physical Based Distributed Model for Imjin River Basin. In this article, from the Journal of Korea Water Resources Association (Volume 12, #1, 2009/January, by Bak Jin-hyeok and Heo Yeong-taek), researchers attempted to use indirect means to estimate water levels and flows reaching South Korea. The methods are indirect as South Korean researchers are not welcome on that side of the border. The main tool used is hydrological radar.

I was only able to read the abstract, as the full article is in Korean (and didn't jump out at me on Google - I found the journal at my university's library). It appears that the radar measures rainfall. The result was not completely successful but peak flow was accurately predicted.

To complete my review of news regarding rivers crossing the DMZ come the, um, quaintly titled A Dragon Swamp is a Microfilm, which Taped a History of Nature. Fish Hunting of the North Korean Soldiers (Internet translators make reading fun!)
The article starts:

Visitors at the armies near the boarder (sic) area are carrying water bottles these days. The visitors of border area armies at places like Inje, Hwacheon, and Yang-gu run to the wells as soon as they are done with visiting their sons. They get to see their son and bring some clean water back. The scenery of people carrying water bottles is a new phenomenon caused by contaminated water supply in cities. The soldiers at DMZ must be happy with the water they are getting. It is free of the danger of carcinogenic chemicals such as Benzene or Toluene. The parents of soldiers at DMZ are even told that they should have no worries about their sons who reside in such a clean area.

This news may not be true as the water comes from North Korea, and, as the water is leaving their area of influence, they have no pressing need to keep it clean.

South Korean soldiers have the rivers under constant observation against infiltration by North Korean soldiers. Strange things interest the soldiers and intelligence officers. A rubber shoe, size 230mm, floated down and civilian habitation in the basin was deduced.

More seriously, a mass of dead fish floated down Seohwa Creek (near Inje, Gangwon - no date given) and concerns over poisoning were quickly raised. Eventually, it was decided that North Korean soldiers had gone fishing with explosives.

Interestingly, several rare fish were found among the dead. An animal called "tongari" was also mentioned - not in the river but in the area. It is brown, has a waving tail and looks 'cut' (probably 'cute'). However, it has a stinging tentacle.

The behaviour of the two groups of soldiers is to be expected: the North Koreans, at the point where the water leaves North Korea, don't waste much concern with how they treat the water while the South Koreans, at the beginning of the river for their country are not allowed to dip a toe in the river.

College professor and bicycle commuter killed by bus

I'm late in noting the story. From Korea Beat.

A math professor in Gwangju who had commuted to work by bike since 1987 was struck and killed by a kindergarten bus. The bus driver suffered from kidney failure and the medicine caused drowsiness or exhaustion, causing him to lose control of his bus.

The Joongang Ilbo (Korean) has an article describing him as the cycling professor. Sounds like someone I would like.

Wobbling weakly through my work day

I gave blood today. That and yelling to be heard over the roar of fighter jets training overhead have exhausted me. Time for a nap on my sofa before I take the shuttle bus (and nap on it) home.

Oh, the answers to the questions are two "Yes" and the rest "No". The last question is whether you have been out of the country in the past three years. Stating yes on this one is typically not going to disqualify you from donating.

Bad news for swimmers

I often hear of sharks appearing on the south and west coasts in the summer and making their way north through the summer but never heard of any in Gangwon Province.

The El Camino Packer has found a Korea Times article telling us exactly that. Click either link to see the 4 metre shark caught near Donghae. At 1.5 tonnes, I wouldn't want it around while I swam.

The El Camino Packer loves surfing and likely wears a dark wetsuit; the combined silhouette resembles a seal and is the staple food for great whites. He should be especially careful.

I may obey the lifeguards and stay within the buoy-line this year, especially if the buoy-line includes a shark net!

Leisure games? The PR guy seems cool.

This is Um Hong-gil, the first climber to climb all sixteen of the peaks over 8,000m in the Himalayas. He has also "been named the public relations representative of the Chuncheon 2010 World Leisure Congress and Leisure Games" according to the Korea Times (but photo is from a previous article).

I have a degree in recreation and leisure studies, so you know I am going to defend the field of study (a great deal of the coursework was in management). Still, I am not sure what leisure games are.

I know there are lifeguard games, in which lifeguards perform simulated rescues, judged on time and technique...

Ah, I'll let it go. I have to pick up my son from the daycare.

Students work to save the economy, the Chosun reports and bloggers mock.

The Chosun Ilbo has an article about high school girls rolling up their uniform skirts to show more leg. The Ilbo has both complained in the past about Foreigners being oversexed and many photos of these girls in their short skirts. Bizarro Brian (I just like the name- if you don't, Brian in Jeollanam, I will stop) and Korea Beat quite rightly comment on the article.

However, what if there is a good and important reason, both for the shortened skirts and the reporting of same?

Skirt Lengths and the Economy

Rising skirt lengths are a symbol of youth, playfulness and women's liberation – but are they also related to a nation's prosperity?

Believe it or not, there is a long-standing theory that skirt length is linked to booms in a country's wealth: the better the economy, the shorter the skirt (and vice versa).

Possibly related: XKCD has a comic about correlation and causation and confusion between the two.
----
This post is slightly longer version of the comment I left at Korea Beat in the above linked post.

Attention: All Sokcho readers!

I've received word that today is the last cheap day for locals at Waterpia!

Don't panic. This report is unconfirmed, although terrifying.

From the same source, it appears that Waterpia will offer a year-round 40% discount to locals, in place of the two cheap days a month. Such a discount, at current rates, would make entry to Waterpia about 20,000 won. Today, it is 9,000 won.

The above two photos are from visit Korea.

From Korea.net.

3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288

Today is Pi day!

10 things I like about my job

A coworker said (with some justification) that I was surprising negative about work considering that I had signed new contracts for seven years. Again, there is some merit to my coworker's claim, although I think it has more to do with our relationship at work then my native feelings. Still, the coworker struck a nerve and so here are ten things, in no particular order, I like about my job.

---___---___---___---

On Tuesday I have a full day with seven hours of classes. The classes, through the day, just keep getting better, with the three pm students appearing to be eager to learn right from the first day. The earlier classes are alright, but take a lot of energy to keep moving. The final class energizes me.

My office is large and comfortable, with a sofa and a sink.

The staff who keep everything organized, do, in fact, keep everything organized through the semester. They seem to run to help any teacher who has computer problems in the language labs. I think they are underpaid and I fear they are overworked but they are cheerful and friendly.

I don't work that much. I put this point in the middle as I didn't want to emphasize it much. It seems a little pathetic to say a good thing about work is that there isn't much of it. Still, I definitely enjoy having a long vacation; I will go to Canada this summer for a month, and still have a month to relax at home. I will have significant time off around Christmas. Throughout the year, I have a lot of time to spend with my son. I like that.

Interesting and likable coworkers. The ESL business in Korea involves a lot of transients, which means making friends is a challenge. Still, my university has a lot of long-term foreign teachers and we are fairly tight-knit. A lot of new teachers arrived this year and what I have learned of them, I like.

Freedom in teaching. For the most part, I have a lot of control over what I teach. There are exceptions but I am mostly happy with the confidence the university has in me and my choices. I can be as creative as I want.

I teach the same chapter of the first year book six times in a week. Lat year, I taught the same material to nine classes every week. Some people find this boring, and sometimes I agree, but mostly, I feel I am improving with every class. In January, my son and I watched a magician perform, and he had clearly rehearsed thoroughly and almost every move he made was deliberate. That's what I want my class to be like (minus the cruelty to birds, of course. I promise that I will not harm any birds in my class).

I have seniority at the university in my department. It's nice to be sought out and listened to.

I don't think you can beat the location. Well, it's possible that more beautiful places in Gangneung exist, but you can't beat Gangneung or the East coast of Gangwondo. There's no place in Korea I would rather live.

There's a surprisingly good English library on campus. Most, or all, books are at least twenty years old but many journals and magazines are current. This point reminds me to return to the library and have a look around tomorrow.

---___---___---

bonus: I might SCUBA dive with the university club this year. I have looked into it in previous years and either they've been unwilling (for language reasons primarily) or my schedule hasn't allowed it. I want to dive again.

Bear cubs in Jirisan

Once again, I was wrong.

In August, 2005, when bears were released into Jiri National Park, I predicted a quick and messy end to the experiment.

It soon appeared I would be proven right and that quickly.

However, some bears do remain and their numbers have increased by at least two:

Two female Manchurian black bears gave birth to cubs in the wild around Mt. Jiri in January after being released from captivity in 2005, the Ministry of Environment said, Monday.

The discovery represents the first time the bears have reproduced in the wild without the need for medical assistance, the government said.

The Korean National Park Corporation said both mothers, named Janggang and Songwon, are doing well. It was said that they have been sheltering in a cave since December after mating in May.

Congrats to the new mothers and I hope to continue to be wrong about the fate of these bears.

Oh, some Bear safety advice for Jiri hikers.

Via Bizarro Brian

Soccer and Olympics

I don't normally watch soccer, or any sport, but on a clear, spring day, I could think of few better things than sitting out in the fresh air watching Gangwon FC kicking Jeju's butt. I did not, in fact, watch them, but I hope to see some future game. I will have to make finding the schedule homework for my students.

Ho-hmm. Pyeongchang wants to hold the 2018 Winter Olympics. I hope their bid goes better this time than it did the previous two (three?) times. I know they applied for the 2010 and 2014 games but I don't know if they did in 2006 as well. During my March 1 run in Sokcho, I noticed that the organizers were handing out Pyeongchange 2018 headbands for the run.

I am worried, though, that as a Canadian, they might decide to be upset with me when Vancouver hosts the games next year. I will just remind them that I am from the East and the El Camino Packer is from Vancouver - they should focus their crankiness on him.

Creativity is needed.

The Joongang has yet another article about Korean airports losing money, including some that could never have been considered profitable. Uljin airport and Yangyang airport, on the East Coast, are in locations that are far too rural and their construction must be the result of porkbarreling.

I was surprised to learn that Incheon itself is losing money. Its bad news when a major hub for Asia isn't turning a profit. I'm willing to put that one down to the current economy, as a possibly temporary situation.

Uljin and Yangyang, however, are likely to never be profitable as airports.

Uljin is a little ways from here and I've haven't visited it. The Yangyang airport, on the other hand, is one that my wife once worked at, offering tourism advice to arrivals. I have also flown to and from it (me and five others).

Now the Yangyang Airport is huge, roomy and constructed of beautiful granite - I would say marble, but I don't know the difference between marble and not-marble. After writing the post, I looked for photos online and I don't see much stone. I am convinced that the arrivals floor (first floor) has a lot of stone but the departures floor (second) has a more modern roof.

On the grounds, are some very well-constructed but very short roads.

Security is taken care of.

Now, considering the building alone, I first thought wedding hall. Parking is limited but that could be improved.

Concert hall? Again, it has the aura, with the stonework, but major renovations would be needed.

What ideas can my readers come up with? Remember, you ideas don't have to turn a huge profit; the premises are losing 28 million won PER DAY! Management should accept any idea to reduce that.

Photo one found here.
Photo two found here
photo three found here
Photo four found here
Photo five found here (really, here at Gangwon Notes).

I wish Health and Welfare Minister Jeon Jae-hee the best.

According to the Joongang, two university freshmen died recently in Gangwon:

One freshman, identified only by the surname Kim, 19, was found dead on Feb. 28 after falling from the fourth floor of a resort motel while on an overnight outing for freshmen in Pyeongchang, Gangwon. Police said that Kim fell after he drank until 3 a.m.

Another death took place in the city of Gangneung, Gangwon, where one freshman, surnamed Park, 19, was found dead in front of his dormitory on March 4. An intoxicated Park fell from his eight floor room. He had been drinking with 20 peers during an initiation rite for freshmen.

These deaths took place after the Health and Welfare Minister sent letters to university student councils asking them to promote a healthier drinking environment on campus.

This is a serious issue and I wish the families of the deceased the best in this difficult time.

There was one somewhat accidentally-humorous line:

If we don’t take the issue seriously, I personally believe that students are likely to retain their bad drinking habits even after graduation,” she said.

Yes, some adults might very well have bad drinking habits.

In the market for a new camera

A few months ago, I learned that my camera no longer had the strength, or possible had a slipping belt or other mechanical problem, to zoom in. In holding the zoom down, I would here it try but not get anywhere. Last week, the camera would not turn on without being plugged in. Three screws in the base were loose and I lost two but was able to tighten the third. There is one yellow always-on pixel on the viewscreen.

It was a great camera when I got it and I will try a new battery to get some functionality out of it but the camera is about seven years old - it came out just as digitals were taking off. People laughed when they heard I bought a huge four megapixels camera. "Kwandongbrian [in fact, this was well before I had hear of blogs], are you going to make posters? Why do you want 4 megapixels?"

Anyway, I am now looking at either the Nikon Coolpix p5100 or the Sony Cybershot DSC-T500.


The Sony has a great video feature - possibly the best in it's class. But, it uses touchscreen and some large fingered people have trouble with it. Even for regular-fingered people, you have to look at the screen rather than through it at your subject.
The Nikon uses wheels that you can learn the positions so you can click-click-click and get to the setting you want. The video function is not as good and it is a bigger camera, but I suspect it is better for stills.

Comments or suggestions for a camera that is under 400,000 won and easily portable?

Snowy Seorak

Soon, I will go hiking on a small mountain in the shadow (figuratively, I will be hiking in bright sunlight) of Seoraksan. From this view of Seorak, I see some snow, but nothing like this.
I think this is Baekdam area, March 4. I think the photo is originally from Yonhap News (link managed from Internet Explorer, for a search for Seorak at Yonhap - the picture I see is close but not quite right- perhaps they changed the photo after ROK copied it), which doesn't seem to like Firefox. I took the photo from ROK Drop.

Oh, near sea level, the ground is dry and firm - good for hiking and not muddy as it was only a week ago. I will be in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt but probably no jacket.

I thought it was the non-Buddhists who were upset about the hiking fees.

The title is awkward or misleading, but "Buddhists angry again over temple entrance fees" in the Korea Times describes a problem that began two years ago.

Starting January 1, 2007, National Parks dropped their entrance fees but entry did not become free. Temples on the park grounds continued their fees (which had been about half of the original fee) and often increased them.

People have been upset about paying the fees to the temples when they visit the parks exclusively to hike and do not even go near the temples. More (actually, not much more, but..the same?) from this website at the time.

Finally, a group sued.

A provincial court’s ruling banning temples from collecting fees from mountain hikers has drawn strong protest from Buddhists.

The Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea, is even considering shutting down gateways to mountains owned by Buddhist temples.

The reaction came out after the Uijeongbu District Court ruled Tuesday that Jajaeam, a small temple on a mountain in Dongducheon, northeastern Gyeonggi Province, should return the entrance fee of 1,000 won ($0.65) each it had imposed on 22 climbers, who jointly filed a suit last August.

Commenters at the Korea Times are disgusted that the hikers are upset about such a small amount of money. I understand their (the commenter's) feelings but wonder if the hikers are more concerned about supporting Buddhism.

As a foreigner, Buddhism, even after ten years in-country, is novel and exciting for me. I don't mind giving them a little support.

At the same time, I am an atheist and unwilling to support religion in general and would not be eager to pay the fee if it supported a Christian church, for example. I understand that my viewpoint is contradictory but I hope it is not hypocritical. I am for supporting the temples for purely cultural reasons, even though I do not want to support any religion.

If the weather is good, I'll be hiking tomorrow at Seoraksan and I'll let you know about the fees there.

Gangwon KOTESOL meeting: March 14

I received this by email with the suggestion that I could print it out and give it to anyone interested. I suppose posting on this blog is similar.

Gangwon KOTESOL
presents
“Speaking of Speech:
A Conversation Teacher’s Toolbox”
Tory S. Thorkelson
(Hanyang University, KOTESOL National President)
Saturday, March 14th
3:00 p.m.
Sokcho-Yang Yang Office of Education, 3rd Floor

There is little question that teaching conversation is the mainstay of most of the jobs
and programs where Native English speakers work in Korea. While CBI (Content
Based Instruction) and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) may have made inroads
into the EFL classroom, many people still lack a real understanding of how hard it is
to implement, assess, and help students see their own progress and feel they have
input into what and how they learn to speak English. This presentation will highlight
and elaborate on some of the tips and tricks that have helped the presenter succeed as
a conversation teacher for Freshmen university classes and institute classes over a
12+ year career in Korea and 3 years as a middle school teacher in Okinawa, Japan
for the JET program. Whatever level you may teach, Elementary, High School, or
beyond, this presentation will certainly give you something to put in your own
toolbox!

For directions to the Sokcho-Yang Yang Office of Education or further information,
please contact Michael Free (m_d_free [at] hotmail [dot] com)
{Or click to find a map}
*All are welcome*
*Refreshments will be served*
*Please join us for dinner and drinks after the presentation*

new traffic regs- a little clearer now

The Korea Times now has an article about the new traffic laws and it seems a little clearer:

The government, law enforcement agencies and civic groups have waged a campaign to reduce car accidents but have made little progress due to a traffic law clause that exempts drivers with comprehensive auto-insurance policies from criminal charges for car accidents. The Constitutional Court finally ruled Thursday that insured drivers should be criminally liable for accidents which cause ``serious injuries."

There are some "clearly-a-foreign-country" ideas:

But, the ruling will have many side effects due to its suddenness. Drivers might be indicted for inflicting grave injuries that would threaten lives and cripple victims with no chance of recovery, including the loss of eyesight or hearing.

Presumably, this is the goal.

Then comes a real problem with the new regulations:

Not only drivers but also police are confused over how to handle car accidents because of the vague definition of ``serious injuries" the court cited. And, Friday, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced a set of guidelines in this regard that are still not clear enough to alleviate the confusion....
[lawmakers will now need to] set a clearer definition of ``serious injuries." They also need to heed concerns that some victims may seek to extend their period of hospitalization as bargaining chips to receive more compensation. Doctors are required to issue fair and credible medical certificates for victims.

The 'serous injury' part of the law was one I missed, but I have a simple solution: Make it "any injury". Speaking as a poor driver myself, if you hit another car or person, you should have to defend your actions.

First Prize is Hamilton Island, Second Prize is Muskoka

I paraphrased Major General (Ret'd) Lewis MacKenzie in the title. He was running for office in my district and locals became upset that he thought Ottawa was better than Muskoka. He lost the election. Then he moved out of Muskoka.

Anyway, I applied for the "Best Job In The World" and did not make the shortlist. This summer, instead, I will go home and visit friends in Muskoka.

The BJITW was an advertising ploy by Queensland Tourism. They created a sweetheart of a job that was mostly intended to focus attention on the area. The successful applicant would live on Hamilton Island, enjoy him/her-self and make a video blog each week about his/her activities.

I, and 35,000 others, applied. Today, the shortlist of 50 was announced. I was not on that list.
There was one Korean entry, however. A girl named Gina. Go Gina! I have already voted for her. UPDATED: There are two Korean entrants - I missed Juweon. Go Juweon!

Applications took the form of a video, which had to be one minute. My first application was 1:00:5 or something and was rejected. My second application was a tiny bit shorter and was accepted.

For anyone who cares, here they are (Queensland Tourism doesn't care).



I would link to Gina's video but I am having some difficulties with the URLs - they don't change as I change websites. Maybe later. UPDATED: The link is now added. Hope it works.

Oh, and MacKenzie's quote was along the lines of "First prize is Ottawa, second prize is Muskoka" - he wanted to win the election, but Muskoka was waiting for him if he didn't. Of course, he then moved out of Muskoka so I wonder what third prize was.

Kwandongbrian Health Report

For the past few years, I have participated in a seven km run on March 1 in Sokcho. Koreans call any run of five km and longer "marathons" which sounds strange to me, but I guess I am a marathon runner.

To prepare for it, I start exercising in December as the fall semester finishes. I try to exercise year-round but late in the fall semester I tend to be doing nothing athletic. So, each December, I start from around zero and return to some kind of regular program.

Indeed, I was close to absolute zero this Dec 1, despite having a good routine through the summer, until around September 10. I was increasing my running mileage and preparing for the Terry Fox run. The day I learned it was cancelled in Korea I put down my shoes and did not run again for two and a half months.

This year, I joined a health club and have been running and pumping iron for three months.

Each March 1, Sokcho has a seven km run around Lake Yeongnang which has great participation. Several hundred men, women and children do the circuit.

This year, I ran the fastest I ever have around the lake and was close to the speeds I managed ten years ago (for the record, 7km in 33:20).

I am also the heaviest I have ever been. Usually, during the winter exercise period I would lose a few kilos and occasionally see 89.--kg at the end of February. This year, 92 kg was the best I achieved.

Still, I am happy enough about the run, and have learned of another run in mid-April to motivate me. I hope I can find a way to work around my schedule and my wife's to keep running.

Oh, Gord and Sean, get outside and run. Man, I turned into a human waterfall on the treadmill. I suspect that anyone walking behind me while I ran was sprayed by sweat falling from my body and launched by the moving conveyer belt. Outside, the fresh and moving air kept me comfortably dry.

Of course, every March 1 that I have run has had beautiful weather and been unseasonably warm, so that may be a factor in how great I felt.