Is blood really thicker than water?

Tell me is blood really thicker than water , or is it water that is stronger than blood ?

Pride and prejudice

Well yes pride and prejudice explictly prejudice, but not that Pride and Prejudice by Miss Jane Austen. No I’m talking about prejudices that basically most adoptees experiences on a more or less daily basis. For example many, many people do approch me in English instead of Swedish some look down on me, because of my foreign looks.

Yes I look like an immigrant, but I am pretty well assimilated for a foreigner a.k.a immigrant

Royal pains

A few days ago there was a big headline about Queen Sylvia saying Her Royal Highness was sick…

surprisingly enough Her Royal Highness Queen Sylvia is apparently suffering from a nasty flu and recoperating in Germany possibly at relatives. Apparently even royal people do get sick, but really a flu isn’t that bad if you’re not suffering from a permanent illness or having detoriating health due to old age. And yes Her Royal Highness Queen Sylvia is over 60…

I do think it’s quite remarkable how the Swedish royal family can make such a decisions to take time of from work or royal duties or whatever. This isn’t the first time a member of the royal family has taken time off… Just a few years ago Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine was devastated and heartbroken after her former fiancé’s infedelity was made public. Then she decided to go an o long cruise and then of to the States for months. All this time she didn’t preform her royal obligations altough she visited Sweden for her sister Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding.

I’m not saying you should work when you’re sick, neither am I saying that a heartbreak isn’t a big deal I know it is. But most people don’t have the freedom and luxuary to take time off from work let alone leave Sweden and travel overseas for months.

To put things in perspective I know that in Korea people are entitled to 5 days of payed holiday but they rarely use it for the off cance that they’ll lose their work or if they do they might use it for sick leave, if they really want to make sure to keep their employment working over time is something you do regularly. That to me is dedication.

No more sushi

I know that sushi, might still be exported and sold but as sushi is the most known Japanese dish internationally I delibrately chose to include that dish in this post title.

EU has recived instructions to scan and analyze any Japanese food and edible products coming from Japan and more particularly the northern area of Japan, as well as food items and produced that are stored in that area…. (The location close and near Fukoshima). Maybe we’ll have no more sushi, green tea and rice in Sweden… or at least the possibility of tarrifs and quotas doesn’t seem to be that far away and even a possible inflation…

It’s already affected the national market as the farmers from that area grows lettice and alike these products are new shunned by Japanese consumers. And pregnant women, infants, toddlers and elders are being told not drink the water and now sprinkled water and bottle water is only available for those with young children.

As Sweden are one of the member states in the EU they have decided to follow EU’s guidelines, and now all Japanese food products are being examined prior to being shipped off for the stores.

Updated

14:  Apparently that’s the number of Swedes that were in Japan when the disaster hit , surprisingly only 4 out of those decided to return to Sweden. Some has been forced to leave someone they love and care in Japan. So how could it be that many Swedes decide to stay while many Japanese people are terrified for their lives?

Could it possibly have something to do with the fact that Sweden is a fairly highly developed country in terms of relief, benefits and state funds ?

Korean age

Korea do have there own system when it comes to counting age. When a child is born it’s already one year old and at first New Year he or she becomes one year older. For me this would mean I only have 3 or so more years left until I become 30, once I used to believe 30 was really old but nowadays you can live to be 100 or even older.

Equation: 2 + years = real age.

Once the child has reached approximately 3 months there used to be a big celebration to celebrate the child’s ability to live and then there’s another really big birthday celebration at the child’s first birthday. Then there’s nothing more left for the child other then; grow up marry, someone nice and have 1,2 children, after that wait for the 60th birthday and if they’re really lucky they get to enjoy their 70th birthday celebration too.

If you’re a Korean woman you’re expected to marry at 25 or at least to have found a significant other and bare in mind that Korean age adds two years to your real age…

I’m a Korean

… not raised but born, I even reclamed my Korean birth name. And that is a long separate story I might decide to share with you (some day). But since barely 3 months old I’ve lived in Sweden, a fairly nice country but as all countries it’s not perfect… Growing up as an adopted Korean child wasn’t that painful, not in comparison to going through teenage years, and young adulthood.

That’s what’s hurts the most.

Libya and Gadaffi

Meanwhile as Japan is trying to coop with their ongoing situation … Libya is having their own problems. Sweden has decided not get involved while the UN has been forced to make a decision… Egypt is preparing for a general election as we speak , and what’s happening in Sweden ?

       

Egypt (left)                                         Libya (right)

Apparently Stockholm is having a big number of road constractions done… Also a  Swedish woman is reported missing in Sri Lanka.  And what’s more ? The famous polarbear Knut has unfortunately died at the age of 4. A plane full of tourists were stopped because of fear of bombs, and finally the famous Niklas Lidstrom is finally getting his own street.

This suddenly feels so ironic and really puts things in perspective, at least for me…

Updated

Swedish soldiers (planes) has been granted permission to assist in the Libyan war by ensuring that the airspace and air traffic ban isn’t violated. In an interview yesterday a Swedish commander commented by saying that it finally had happened Sweden had gotten their chance (to join in in a war). But really wouldn’t have been unfortunately instead of finally ? Just asking

안녕하세요 /你好

안녕하세요 / 你好 or ございます ! I hope you will find this blog as interesting as my other blog, but I havn’t started blogging here just yet. I hope to see you when I do, until then 잘있으세요 / 照顾 and 気をつけて.

 

Korea flag (left), Japan flag (middle), China flag (right)

Nature’s greatness

I know this probably might be a sensitive subject so I try to my best … Nature is mightier than the man we’ve all seen that especially last week. Japan you’re in my thoughts…

First Japan suffered through an earthquake closely followed by a big tsunami and resulting in a possible nuclear plant disaster. The emperor of Japan even made a special Tv appearence and to solve the potential catastrophe Japan seeked volunteers that willingly would sacrifice their life for their nation. Apparently the younger employees at the powerplants was quickly evacuated to keep their fertility intact.

Japanese map

 Recently another great tsunami ravaged through and it affected several nations… Japan’s situation is still not fully estimated. I’m refering to the big tsunami of 2004 which severly affected Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, most of those countries used to be very popular tourist attractions.

As for Swedes and Sweden, we focused more on Thailand as Thailand and especially Kao Lak was a really popular tourist attraction among Swedes. (Especially during Christmas and New Year’s many people flee to warmer countries to escape the cold and snow). Still missing and presumed dead are 543 Swedes compared to 223000 – 23000.

R.I.P