"It is the beauty of equilibrium, the word which I can never pronounce properly," the tour guide started her interpretation breathlessly in her French-accented English in front of the ancient Greek statue Venus de Milo at Palais Royal Musee du Louvre in Paris. The shoulders of Venus leaning slightly to right with her head inclining to some 20 degrees, the beautiful lady submits her bending left leg in front to balance herself to keep the centerline of gravity within the bound of her left foot. The tour guide was correct to emphasize the appeal of equilibrium because if Venus stood straight she couldn't be that famous. The ancient sculptor knew how to find beautiful art of the stability in 100 B.C.
My sister-in-law, now 92, knew when she was still a bride how to balance the weight on top of her head when she carried drinking water from the village's well to our house in a large round earthenware pot. It probably weighed 40 kg but she had never spilled a drop of water. And she would never fill water up to the brim of the rounded jar because she knew she would lose balance if she did.
Keeping herself plumb, my sister-in-law steadily walked holding the jar with one hand and the other hand swaying to balance the weight on her head. I know she didn't go to school but she knew how to stabilize herself with the load by keeping the center of gravity (CG) as low as possible. She also knew that only a slight raise of its CG by making the wrong step topples the water jar. So she made sure the CG would stay within the area bounded by her feet.
I'm writing this article looking at a half-meter replica of the Venus I'd bought at the Louvre now standing in my study while the TV keeps showing the ridiculous lost professionalism of the officials engaged in the Korean maritime affairs, and the escape scenes of Captain Lee and his crew members from the sunken ship Sewol.
My heart goes out to you, the victims and their families. May you all receive peace and consolation.
Chang Soon-hee
Seoul
My sister-in-law, now 92, knew when she was still a bride how to balance the weight on top of her head when she carried drinking water from the village's well to our house in a large round earthenware pot. It probably weighed 40 kg but she had never spilled a drop of water. And she would never fill water up to the brim of the rounded jar because she knew she would lose balance if she did.
Keeping herself plumb, my sister-in-law steadily walked holding the jar with one hand and the other hand swaying to balance the weight on her head. I know she didn't go to school but she knew how to stabilize herself with the load by keeping the center of gravity (CG) as low as possible. She also knew that only a slight raise of its CG by making the wrong step topples the water jar. So she made sure the CG would stay within the area bounded by her feet.
I'm writing this article looking at a half-meter replica of the Venus I'd bought at the Louvre now standing in my study while the TV keeps showing the ridiculous lost professionalism of the officials engaged in the Korean maritime affairs, and the escape scenes of Captain Lee and his crew members from the sunken ship Sewol.
My heart goes out to you, the victims and their families. May you all receive peace and consolation.
Chang Soon-hee
Seoul
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