MLT Club Member Jürgen
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DIH (동이혼) is a Korean rock band that originally consisted of four members, but currently only three of them are musically active.
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For me, a fascinating phenomenon of traveling to Asia is that when you leave the pulsating cities, an invisible gate seems to open and you enter a completely different, fascinating world. A world in which tropical landscapes and pristine nature open up to the viewer and a world whose cultural heritage has been cultivated there for centuries or even longer. There is a lot to discover. Some very interesting, some unusual but all in all worth seeing. I no longer have such an experience here. Sometime in the middle of the 19th century, when industrialization attracted more and more people to our cities and we began to live according to the rhythm of the machines, our lifespan was suddenly measured by how much coal we transported up from the womb of the earth. The clouds of smoke that rose into the sky from the chimneys of the blast furnaces determined the rhythm of our lives and liquid steel flowed through our veins. Our souls became gray and dusty if we stayed there too long. That’s why I loved traveling with my parents as a child. Even if we didn’t go far, perhaps to southern Germany, Austria or Switzerland, the dusty soul there could breathe a sigh of relief. The colors and smells of nature revived the senses and red blood flowed in my veins again. Even though a lot of things have changed for the better in my region, I still travel further whenever I can. Enjoy the rhythm of nature, let the scents of distant lands enliven my senses and listen to the customs and stories of other cultures. Not everything is meant for me, but I can always take something home with me and keep it in my heart.
A somewhat long introduction for a somewhat long documentary about the original nature and wilderness of South Korea. 😀
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Heo Hoy Kyung is a Korean song writer who has established herself as an independent musician:
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For many people, modern South Korean music is synonymous with glittering, shimmering pop music. The music scene is dominated by boy and girl groups who liven up the stage like colorful wings of paradise, with unusual outfits and cinematic choreographies
But modern Korean music has a lot more to offer when you delve deeper into the rock and independent music scene. One of the things that particularly fascinated me about Southeast Asia is the mentality of the people there. They are curious and open-minded to new things. They are determined and absorb new cultural and musical impressions almost like a sponge and synthesize them into their own creations and their own style.
Thornapple (쏜애플) is a South Korean indie rock band. The band was formed in 2009:
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Seoul
When you think of vibrant, modern cities with rich, unique culture in the Far East, examples like Tokyo, Hong Kong or Shanghai probably come to mind. You hear less about the capital of South Korea. However, Seoul can easily compete with the metropolises mentioned. It is a highly technological and lively cosmopolitan city with 10 million inhabitants. Skyscrapers, shopping streets, chic restaurants and beautiful green spaces alternate with royal palaces and traditional Hanok houses. Korean customs and traditions come to the fore in the big city of Seoul. At least that’s my impression, based on everything I’ve read and seen about Seoul so far.
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Hi Jung,
yeah the pop culture in Asia is overwhelming. Thanks for the video of the live concert “Champion”. Axel F. in Korean style. 😀 The performance of the audience is almost even better than that of the musician on stage. Like a living organism. Full of life and joy. Actually a nice transition to South Korea and Seoul. We’ve already talked briefly about the music scene in South Korea (page 7 of this topic), but the music scene there seems to me to be so diverse and powerful that Seoul is worth another trip. I haven’t been there yet, but I would love to experience South Korea for myself.
Before starting with Seoul, I wanted to finish the topic Indonesia by showing a nice video about the railways there, because railway lines often give a good impression of the respective country and the people who live there. Unfortunately I didn’t find a nice documentation in English. But what I’ve found out: Surprisingly, Indonesia produces a bullet train since autumn 2023, which they have called “Woosh”. The train reaches a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph), making it faster than, for example, the Shinkansen in Japan. All you can say is: woosh
So instead I would like to present some relaxing underwater shots of Raja Ampat, an archipelago located off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia’s Southwest Papua province.
A nice contrast to our current weather outside: gray clouds are darkening the sky and the weather can’t decide whether it should rain or snow.
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And then there are the countless bands that impress with their beautiful vocals and nice melodies. In my opinion, these pop ballads have been very popular throughout South-East Asia for many years. This type of music is constantly heard on the radio and on music stations, such as Keisya Levronka. She is an Indonesian singer and actress. The following song topped the Billboard Indonesia charts for 11 weeks.
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„Edane“ is an Indonesian rock band from Jakarta, initiated since 1991 by Eet Sjahranie in the golden era of Indonesian rock and metal music scene in early 1990s. Nearly three decades of their musical journey, Edane has released six studio album and one compilation album. Their existence has become one of the most influential bands in today’s Indonesian music scene. Meanwhile for international presence, Edane’s song “Cry Out” was included in the official soundtrack of Spider-Man 2 (2004).
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The island of Bali, which is also part of the Indonesian archipelago, is rightly considered one of the dream destinations in the world. Rice field terraces that shimmer like large emeralds in the light of the late morning sun. Bali is the world of temples, there are said to be over 20,000. Bali is also the island of jungles and volcanic landscapes. The island is also very popular among surfers, as there is always a light surf on most beaches. Well-known names like Monkey Forest, Elephant Cave or Lovina Beach (“Love in Beach” was what it was once called in the hippie era. This then became Lovina Beach. That doesn’t sound quite so offensive). Like many other dream destinations, this tropical paradise has a downside: it has become crowded in Bali. The cultural center of Bali named Ubud was once considered an insider tip for people seeking relaxation and who wanted to explore the secret of Asia’s spiritual energy. Today there are countless souvenir shops and the streets are clogged with cars. Rush hour instead of yoga and green tea. Tourism has long since arrived there too. If you would like something a little more original and quiet, you might be better off with the small neighboring island of Lombok. Lesser-known sights, fewer temples, but still a welcoming Indonesian gem: wonderful nature and beautiful beaches with much less hustle and bustle.
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A band that impressed me deeply is “Voice of Baceprot”. The group was founded in 2014 by singer and guitarist Firda Marsya Kurnia, bassist Widi Rahmawati and drummer Euis Siti Aisyah, initially as a cover band (Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and other). Because of the contradiction between their music and their religious attitudes – all three members of the band wear a hijab when performing – the musicians were criticized by several conservative Muslims in their hometown, but received a lot of support from other circles. The musicians’ parents also initially forbade the girls to make music. Their desire to play music has helped them break traditional chains. Very remarkable.
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Fadhilah Intan is a 25 year old singer who comes from Surabaya, a city in the eastern part of Java:
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Hi David,
yes, I also think I vaguely remember hearing something about this experiment during my studies. This clearly goes beyond simple imitation behavior. And this also shows the dilemma of the intelligent species: in the end, they use all their wits and their concentrated intelligence to satisfy simple animal instincts. 😀
I found another touching video about orangutans. What they do when they observe us humans for a longer time. I just think the saw should be taken away from the orangutan lady. This somehow violates current workplace safety regulations.
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Hi Bud,
nice to hear that you liked the videos. It’s too bad that your trip to Indonesia didn’t work out. That would definitely have been very interesting. Observing Orangutas in the wild is certainly fascinating.
I’m glad to hear that your daughter is interested in Korean art and music. Can she also be enthusiastic about the languages there? What did she particularly like about Japan?
I also enjoy watching travel videos of countries I will never see in person. The BBC has very nice productions in its program (BBC Earth). I don’t know if these will also be broadcast with you. On the subject of monkeys, I can think of the following: the Uluwatu temple in Bali. It is famous for two things: its spectacular location on a steep cliff and because of the monkeys that now inhabit this temple complex. The monkeys have discovered the economic potential of the numerous tourists and are notorious for snatching visitors’ belongings, such as flip-flops, cameras, and sunglasses. They can usually be persuaded into ransoming the items for fruit, nuts, or candies, although this only encourages them to steal more. Scientist and experts on primate behavior have conducted studies on the Macaque monkeys in the area and have collected data suggesting that they learn bartering behavior. This trade is passed down to the young offspring. New groups of Macaque monkeys introduced into the area quickly adapt and learn the new skill from the local monkeys.
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Hi Tom,
that sounds like a good resolution for the New Year: live to be 100 and still see a lot of the world. I’m with you. 😀
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Hi Jung,
the attached photo in the last chat shows a handwritten note by Beethoven. I would like to copy the text for you and translate it, but: Beethoven has a very nice handwriting, but I can’t read it either 😀.
The script is written in old German. I can decipher individual words, others remain a mystery to me. My grandparents learned this while they were still at school, my parents could also read it, but my generation has already lost this knowledge. The Old German script emerged sometime in the Middle Ages and continued to develop until modern times. The last version that my grandparents also learned was the so-called Sütterlin script. I once attached the Sütterlindeutsch script as a picture below.
I wasn’t able to find out exactly what language and script Bach used (in a short time). According to his place of birth and the time in which he lived, he must have spoken East Middle High German. Perhaps he also used Latin in his speech and writing, or at least a mixture of Latin and High German. This was common in educated circles at the time. However, I would probably have had difficulty understanding him and I wouldn’t have been able to read his handwritten notes. But I understand his music and that’s enough for me. Music as a universal language. This still works today and across cultures. I have attached a handwritten note from Bach. If I find any additional material as part of the planned exhibition in Leipzig, I can send it gladly to you.
Bud, thanks for the feedback. I also find it very exciting to find out who the people were that we otherwise only know as famous composers. Beethoven’s hearing loss had probably already progressed when he wrote his diaries. I imagine he was already suffering from depression and probably felt very lonely, isolated and bitter.
