May 3, 2013 Jeonju, South Korea

Yin-Yang Weather


I have never realized how much the weather could matter to one's well-being. One of the rarely advertised features of the misnomer that is the “Land of the Morning Calm,” [a.k.a. Korea], is its wildly unpredictable but consistently unpleasant weather roller-coaster. And, of course, the seriously subzero winters that feel about 10 C colder than they actually are due to extreme humidity. The weather, like the country itself, is bipolar. Day-night gradient is 20-30C easily. The nights are moist, all-penetrating cold that one needs winter gear for in May. The days – one could walk in a t-shirt. Add to that the frequent, unpredictable rain, and you more or less have the picture.

I have never been so irrationally pissed off by the weather. Until Korea. Wise Russians say: “there is no bad weather – just bad clothes.” Perhaps - in fact, until I came here, I believed them. Or maybe they just haven't been to Korea. Plus, Russia has a very consistent, moderate climate without the insane fluctuations of this sort. When it's cold – it's cold. Day and night. For a few weeks. When it's warm – it's warm. No tricks. On can anticipate and prepare. In Korea, one needs a Harry Potter purse that can fit an entire wardrobe – so as to choose the temperature-appropriate attire.

And, of course, through all that, the perky Korean maidens run about in their “come-hither” 4” spike heels and miniskirts, shivering in their short lacy cardigans. Brrrrrr. Makes me cold just looking at them. And, of course, ironically, Koreans don't really believe in the “luxury” of being sick. Nor do they make space for it. A general contract includes 3 [!] sick days a year.

It makes me wonder just how much the climate influences the national character and the nature of the country. Can this intense bipolar pattern be one of the root causes of the extreme polarization of this country? Starting with the yin-yang flag to the head-spinning combination of the Confucian politeness and unpredictable, inconsiderate brashness from the very little old ladies one is supposed to venerate ever so... To the North-South hostile dynamic and the wild hot-cold combinations of the local cuisine. And the general surviver/fighter mentality that oozes out of every pore of this culture as well as the binary emotional range [i.e., "uber-polite" to "witch on wheels" in 0.0001 sec, without any nod to the shades of gray]. One just wonders...


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