Korea - landet som påverkade min fars ...och mitt öde. Korea - the country that affected my father's life....and mine.
En av de vänliga damerna på ambassaden berättade att flaggans svarta symboler ska tolkas som de fyra elementen och rundeln i mitten står för yin och yang = harmoni.
As daughter of a volunteer at the Red Cross hospital in Pusan during the war, I was honoured to be invited to lunch at the Southkorean Embassy in Stockholm.
Vackra möbler med pärlemorinläggningar och ett kaffebord med koreanska kakor av ris och sesamfrön mötte oss.
Beautiful furniture and coffee and Korean cookies made with rice and sesame seeds welcomed us.
Ambassadören hälsade välkommen och Koreaveteranernas ordförande, Katarina Eriksson, höll tal.
Bland de inbjudna fanns flera veteraner och även barn (som jag) och barnbarn till veteraner. En av veteranerna som var med, fyllde 100 år för något år sedan och blev uppvaktad av en delegation från ambassaden. Hela dagen genomsyrades av den tacksamhet man känner i Korea för de frivilliga insatser som gjordes under och efter kriget.
Speeches were made by the Ambassador and by the chairwoman of the Swedish Veterans, Katarina Eriksson.
Among the veterans there was one gentleman who was over 100 years old and still going strong.
During the entire day we were told, over and over again, of the great gratitude their country owed to the volunteers.
All our hosts were warmly, and with a great sense of humour,taking care of us.
Vid kaffet berättade ambassadören om ett möte med nordkoreanska arbetare i ett gemensamt företag vid demarkationslinjen. Man bjöd på chokladkakor och de nordkoreanska arbetarna gömde dem för att låta familjen smaka. Han rördes av att han upplevde att syd och nord fortfarande hade värderingar gemensamma, främst det att dela med sig av det lilla man har. Man anade i hans tal den starka längtan till en återförening.
After dinner the Ambassador told us about an event when he and a delegation of Southkoreans were visiting a joint venture on the demarcation line and there presented the Northkoreans with a chocolate cookie each. He was moved when he realized that the south and the north still held high some common values. You see, the Northkoreans did'nt eat the cookie but saved it to share with their families, just like the Southkoreans would have done. Familiy values...share what little you have. One could sense how strong his longning was for a reunion.
Maten var en upplevelse i sig. Kryddstark och god! Jag åt kimchi för första gången.
The food was an experience in itself. I had kimchi for the first time...and liked it. The food was spicy and I like spicy.
Dessert - chocolate cookies and rice jelly sweets with bean filling..a lot nicer than it sounds!
We were shown a movie about a man from his childhood during the war up until today. One could follow Korea's development through his experiences.
Särskilt de första sekvenserna i filmen rörde mig för det var vad min pappa såg när han var där. En annan vinkel än serien M.A.S.H. It was very emotional to watch the first part, from 1950, because it gave me a glimpse of what my father must hav seen when he was there and from an angle different from the M.A.S.H. series.
Under försommaren 1958 började han få smärtor i magen som han sköt undan för allt arbete med skolan. Smärtorna tilltog, men han tyckte inte att man skulle sjåpa sig - han hade sett människor amputeras utan tillräcklig bedövning, i Korea. Så hans blindtarm sprack vilket ledde till bukinflammation. Vid den tiden var det svårt att få bukt med en sån infektion och i början av juli avled pappa. Han lämnade efter sig min mamma, min nyfödda syster och mig.
When my father, Birger Lind, left for Korea, he only had the most rudimentary schooling - only allowed school every other day up until the age of 14 when he was considered an adult and expected to work. But his hunger for knowledge was great as was probably also his longing for adventure.
When he came back from Kora, his mind was set. He wanted to study. As a social democrat through and through, he wanted to do his part for a better society and what better way than to help the sick?
He had seen nursing it its most dramatic form in Korea but he knew also that there was much work to do in Sweden. So he worked and studied hard and finally in 1957 he was admitted to the nursing school in Borås.
When he started to have stomch pains he ignored them. He had seen people suffer much worse agony in Korea, he said, so why complain about tummy ache.... And then his appendix burst and caused generlized peritonitis and in 1958 they couldn't cope with that. In July he passed away leaving my mother, my new born sister and me without a father.
Det var en tröst att få möta människorna på Koreas ambassad och få höra om landets djupa tacksamhet till de frivilliga vid de svenska sjukhusen under och efter kriget.
I must say it was a great comfort to meet the people at the Korean Embassy and learn about their country's deep gratitude to all the volunteers at the Swedish Red Cross hospitals during and after the war.
posted by Knit-Marie @ måndag, maj 30, 2016
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