[MANNAM Heal the world] Peace, Love and Understanding

[MANNAM Heal the world] Peace, Love and Understanding

                   Elvis Costello “Peace, Love and Understanding”

As I walk through

This wicked world

Searching for light in the darkness of insanity.

I ask myself

Is all hope lost?

Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?

And each time I feel like this inside,

There's one thing I want to know:

What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh

What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

And as I walked on

Through troubled times

My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes

So where are the strong

And who are the trusted?

And where is the harmony?

Sweet harmony.

'cause each time I feel it slipping away, just makes me want to cry.

What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh

What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

So where are the strong?

And who are the trusted?

And where is the harmony?

Sweet harmony.

'cause each time I feel it slipping away, just makes me want to cry.

What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh

What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? ohhhh

What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

 There is much music about peace. The topic may sound difficult and heavy for others, but some of the artists make this kind of music as and exciting song. Elvis Costello is one of these artists. He made a song “Peace, Love and Understanding.” You can guess that this song is about peace and loving others. It was a surprise to see and hear this music for the first time, because the music was so exciting and interesting. As you can see in the video clip, the audience is so into this song. Speaking peace in a cheerful way is a way to make the people understand. And also the form “Music” can make people more understand about peace. Now, if you look at the lyrics, there is a man. He looks around him, and sees that the world is a mess. No more love, nor peace and understanding. So he is saying that the world needs a change and needs the three important sources back. In the song he says this world needs love, peace and understanding.

 So let’s change the world. Something is happening around the world. Do you know what is it? MANNAM Volunteer Association is making world peace into action. How? By loving, caring, understanding people from the need to the people around us. By this way world peace can come. This is the way we are changing the world. Many people think about peace and love. What can we do about this? We can make a difference with volunteering. This can be the key to peace. MANNAM is changing the world now. Many people want to change the world but don’t know the way how. In MANNAM we can make this for real! One by one J

[MANNAM] Interview: Mongolia Naadam Festival 2013 in Korea

[MANNAM] Interview: Mongolia Naadam Festival 2013 in Korea

Mongolian major holiday, Naadam Festival held in Korea. I participated Naadam festival and also joined traditional game ‘shagar’ and tug of war. Shagar is a game of hitting the target with a piece of wood. It needed to take good aim and power of middle finger.

 

In the tug of war, our international team lost. But no matter about the result, it was exciting.

Best part of Nadaam festival was Mongolian Wrestling. What’s interesting about rule is that there’s no weight divisions. All wrestlers looked like brave commander and real men.  

Beside the games , there were plenty to see and do outside– traditional dance, food, music, traditional custom; the culture of Mongol.

 

I had an interview with cute Mongolian student who was cooking Mongolian food.

Q1: How do you feel having a Naadam Festival in Korea?

A: This is the biggest festival of year in Mongol. It means a lot. I’ve stayed 3 years for studying in Korea and it reminds me my hometown. It is held in large scale in my area.

Q2: They look like friends, family, relatives to each other. What’s Naadam Festival for?

A: It’s a huge event of sports and traditional culture and we can see which guy is powerful with many sports.

Q3: Mongolians seem good at gathering and being united. What should we do to unit peaceful as you guys do?

A: well, it’s not easy to gather as one. How about what if we participate  sports and cultural event as an internatioanl team (with people from around the world), would it be easier.

Q4: I agree with that. I don’t draw huge picture for World Peace. I hope to held that kinds of events. In this question, you should think realistically.

Do you think World PEACE IS POSSIBLE?

A: Yes, It will be someday when we want.

I enjoyed Naadam festival with Mongolian and MANNAM international friends. It was great opportunity to get to know about Mongolian and beauty of their culture.    

[MANNAM] Korean Culture: What Do You Exchange with your Neighbor?

[MANNAM] Korean Culture: What Do You Exchange with your Neighbor?

In modern life, what did you exchange with people today? Money? Products? Or Ideas?

Here is something special to exchange in Korean culture. I will give you a hint. It’s invisible.

In rural areas, neighbors help out on each other’s farm. Helping each other’s works for nothing, we called it “Pum At-i.” “Pum At-i.” means exchange of labor. “Pum” is “work”. “At-i” is “exchange”.   

As developing the tertiary industry, agriculture has declined in Korea. Therefore it is uncommon now like before but it is still exist with the other shape of “Pum At-i.” For example, helping friend in moving to new house, making kimchi together(usually make more than 10 heads of napa cabbage each house at once), featuring in album without no money, etc.

We have regarded mutual help as a virtue. In company, there is a Mutual Aid Society. If some employee has a family event like funeral or wedding. Mutual Aid Society attend and help him.

When I was a kid, I remember my neighbor who was genial middle aged women. She was willing to take care of me in place of hospitalized my mother. After mom came back from hospital, mom said to her “I am so appreciate your help. I don’t know how to repay you for this.” She said, “We need more mutual help in adversity.”

This spirit of mutual help and “Pum At-I” is what the root of MANNAM. MANNAM is exchanging not only labor also a warm heart. Let’s suppose we exchange a warm heart. so all of people got warm heart. Isn’t it easier to make world peace?  

[MANNAM] Misunderstandings

[MANNAM] Misunderstandings

 A child is waiting for his turn in a concert on the back stage. Next turn is his turn. He is waiting anxiously. But soon, his friends and family comes up to him and cheers him. Not only with the words, also gives him courage with a Thumb-up gesture. In this situation, what does the thumb-up gesture mean? You can easy think it is a way to cheer people or a saying ‘You will do fine’, ‘You are the best.’ But this means only in western places. Because if you are a person who lives in the Middle East, you could have thought the meaning is a swear word. That is what the people think in that place.

 Let’s look another example. A Korean who lived in America runs a convenience store. A person comes in and pushes the gun into the face of the owner. The owner is in confusion. “Give me all the money you’ve got!” shouts the robber. Since the owner has his wallet inside in his inner pocket, he tries to pull it out. But the robber thinks the owner is taking out his gun. Unfortunately, at the end of this story, the owner died because of the misunderstanding of culture. If the robber knew Koreans keep their wallets in their inner pockets, and if the owner knew Americans keep their guns in their inner pockets, this kind of disaster would not have happened.

 We live in a world which has many cultures and environments. In one country if something is A, the same thing can be B in another country. So, how can we solve the misunderstandings for other countries and cultures? We need an open mind about things. This is happening in MANNAM. Also we have to care for others. If we only think about my culture and don’t have the thinking of others, this person can only be a person who falls behind. In MANNAM I meet people from all around the world. That is how I knew how to make relationships with people that I never meet before. Especially in cultures, I now know how and why people do such actions. At first, even small things were hard to understand, but while I started to try, I can do better than before. Making peace is not a big thing and a difficult matter. By starting to learn and understand others, that is the key for hope. Learn more in MANNAM!

[MANNAM] MANNAM Culture Tour Epilogue #1

First of all, I would like to give thanks to MANNAM organization. Because without MANNAM organization, we never meet each other. Working since for 2 years in Gangneung, before meet you guys I had felt loneliness, helpless and felt like I don’t have such place to call home. But after meeting MANNAM people, I really feel happiness and so excited. About last Sunday, I really had great time with you and MANNAM friend. I had lot fun and enjoyed it very much. The Tofu lunch was my first delicious food in Korea. I ate a lot. I didn’t ride cycling with MANNAM friend, but I enjoyed a lot. I had no idea about this city and Korean culture and language. I gained opportunity to learn everything. I heard about historical place, O-Juk-Heon. I visited there with you guys. It was great visit. I like to say few words. MANNAM people are working so amazingly and feel graceful. MANNAM people’s mindset are so nice.

[MANNAM Judo] When MANNAM Judo Meets Yoga

Hi, MANNAM International friends! Most of you may know either Judo or Yoga, but do you know what the result will be when Judo meets Yoga? One is a rough sport while the other one is a soft one. Here, we have some photos of MANNAM Judo Club members practicing Yoga instead of Judo and you can find the answer yourself.

Now, you can answer the question. What the result will be when Judo meets Yoga? Have seen all the photos, I find that although the two sports which are poles apart, when they coexist, there are happiness, understand and victory.

It is said that there are more than 5,000 races in the world. Each race may look different form the other one, but there is a heart longing for peace within everyone. Therefore, together we can overcome all difficulties and make a harmonious world.

Source: http://mannamjudo.blogspot.kr/2013/02/when-mannam-judo-meets-yoga.html

[MANNAM] Knowing the cultural difference

[MANNAM] Knowing the cultural difference

Have you ever wondered what ‘rice’ means) to Asians? Or 'bread' to westerners?

Both rice and bread are staple diets.

Then what would ‘bread‘ mean to westerners?

It seems like rice means something more than a staple food for Asian.

Then what is different and how is it different?

While I was googling, I found a very good article which explains how bread means to Asians and Westerners.

It gives a good explanation based on the author’s own experience of living in Korea as a foreigner.

I found this article is very interesting, so if you want to read it, below is the direct address to that article.

Source: http://healingmanmam.blogspot.kr/2013/02/mannam-culture-clues-s-korea-and-united.html

[MANNAM] Culture through food: MANNAM Korean Cooking Class

What is food?

According to online dictionary, food is any solid substance that is used as a source of nourishment.

Really? Do you think that is all about the food?

When we look deeper, food isn't only the substance that provides nutrient to our body.

Food contains the history and culture of that country.

For example, when we eat kebab, it reminds us Turkey.

The ingredient of food also show the cultural aspect of that country, if the country is geographically near the ocean, then its food are mostly made of seafood that can easily get from sea.

The taste of food also portrays the characteristic of that country.

When you try Thai food, it has its unique sour, sweet and spicy taste!

Thai food is usually salty because Thai people need to intake missing natrium due to sweat from hot tropical weather.

Like I mentioned all above, food can be one of symbolic items to represent a country.

As it is, trying out local food is one of ways of directly experiencing the culture.

Then, how about cooking the local food? Why? Does it sound difficult because you do not know how to cook it?

That is why MANNAM intentional offers Korean Cooking Class, so many expacts who live in Korea can have chances and experience to cook Korean food!

So if you want to learn how to cook Korean food or want to try it, MANNAM provides an amazing cooking class as one of our culture clubs.

Here is the youtube video about how to cook Kimchi Stew, which was taught during the MANNAM Korean Cooking Class!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMjBDAmgWTk

For more information, this is the website of MANNAM Korean cooking class.

You. http://www.mannamcooking.com/