You know what, my Taiwanese friend bought me this key ring at a Ssamzie handcraft shop. It was on sale. I like it. I actually kept on my eyes on another stuffs such as diary, pencil and a mug, however, she kicked and drove me out from there as soon as my eyes were glittering. Hey, thanks, you saved my life again.
I went to Insa-dong weeks ago with my friend, one is from Taiwan and the other is from Hong Kong. We had dinner at traditional restaurant in Pimat-gol downtown and walked to Insa-dong to take a look. It was the first time for HK friend that I introduced her there. Pimat-gol is supposed to be excavated soon to regroup that area. I'm sorry to hear that one more old street is being disappeared in Seoul. People seem not know what is beautiful and worthy to keep. We Koreans don't know by what people from other culture would be fascinated. They, especially stupid government officers, really have no idea about so called "culture" or beauty of Seoul.
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| From 인사동 쌈지길 |
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| From 인사동 쌈지길 |
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| From 인사동 쌈지길 |
Actually, there are many various traditional and good things and places in Seoul. However we used to be not aware of those special sites or images. I should say I also don't know much about those although I thought I knew and read many resources of Korean art. I'm going to introduce some of my favorite images which I took a few days ago in Un-hyeon-goong located in Nak-won-dong nearby In-sa-dong. I should confess I never entered before, even I didn't know people can visit inside of those buildings.
I'm in Seoul now. I believe I'll be here until next Summer. Well, I think I'll stay here for the time being. Below is some photos I took by phone recently. It is true we don't know before we get to know treasure is there. I've visited Insa-dong仁寺洞 millions times, but I confess I never visited Su-woon center, Dong-duk college, Un-hyon-goong, and Cho-dong primary school before. I knew where they are, and have passed many times, but I never thought going inside of them.
I think I've learned how to see myself as well as my place and history through the experience in Taiwan. I really enjoyed the old places and sites there and one day found this is great although I like "history" all the time. Yes, history and life and people are out there always. I didn't know, or didn't know how to connect people and history in real place.
It's Summer. Without considering any difficulty, I would dream of easy and lazy traveling to some places where I've never been. If there is enough water for shower in the night, I would go anywhere. It is much better to walk and look around nice places than struggling with heat in the town although it's so hot outside. Just don't forget to bring drinking water and comfortable shoes.
I know people will say I'm fool when I go out in this mid-day heat. Well, I agree. But it's not so bad for me if I walk with nice musics in my mp3 and fully charged camera. Wow, such an ideal description of my appearance! In fact, truly, I did, and I will, today, in the afternoon. Believe me.
Or, I may go to the bookstore near the rear station. It's a big warehouse style whole sale bookstore with around 20% off. Hm, that's good idea, so far.
I'm in Korea for two weeks. I love the weather in Seoul now although it's raining. It's so hot and humid in Taiwan during Summer season. I'm crying because I have to go back to Taiwan next Wednesday, scary hot Summer is waiting for me.
One more thing I'm feeling here is about money. Everything is amazingly expensive. Was is so before? Now my pocket is empty except the air ticket already bought.
I went to Insa-dong a few times with my friend and found many more good souvenirs. In honest, I hated many small souvenirs there before because the quality and appearance were terrible although I'm a Korean. But now I see there are many nice and beautiful goods await to be sold. I bought some for my friends in Taiwan, of course very cheap ones.
I wanted to buy new camera, but I swallowed my desire and instinct once again. Des tiny won again.
I graduated the school on last Wednesday. So, I have a master degree now. In fact, I have walked a long and delayed road to this simple, well, not easy academic career. I can write one more line in my resume when I want to apply for job or further study. I may be happy.
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| From graduation |
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| From graduation |
I have some good tea of Taiwan. As we know, this island is famous for tea products. Since 18th century many merchandisers from West have rushed to buy Taiwanese tea. One of well known name of those is Eastern Beauty東方美人, still being produced. Probably Western people were fascinated by the great taste and perfume of Taiwanese tea.
Taiwan tea industry have produced hundreds kinds of tea. But generally we may know one name, Oolong烏龍 or Oolong tea, which can represent almost all various tea of Taiwan. Of course there are High mountain tea, Iron Kanin, Alisan tea, Puer tea and so on on on if you really insist make a list of Taiwanese teas. But you don't have to classify detail of those great teas. Just come or buy some and enjoy, then you will know the tea is made for drinking and feeling, not for studying.
You would enjoy hot tea with milk, cookie, or biscuit in the afternoon if you are English as well as European. You would cherish a kind of liturgy of drinking tea if you are Japanese. And you will chat and share your life with you friends drinking tea if you are Taiwanese as well as Asian. Whoever you are, whatever you drink, tea can give you some room for you busy day and night. That's all.
Just one more step, if you want to know more about tea and its culture, you can learn about fabulous world of tea which has various kinds of taste and perfume. No wonder, you will be shown yourself as a vintage person to your neighbor and friends.
However, dislike millions of cold shake-hand tea on the street, hot tea which from tea leaves is not so convenient hoby for busy people phyically and psychologically. You have to prepare tea, tea pot, tea cup, hot water, bucket for waste. It will make you mad if it's in Summer.
Nevertheless, still, I enjoy my Oolong teas of Taiwan. You may ask me why. Then I say, Taiwanese tea is quiet, mild, easing, slowing down me whenever I taste it. Even in hot mid-Summer in hot Taiwan!
A few days ago, I was watching CNN about the visit of George W. Bush to Israel. He was delivering a warm-welcome speech at the parliament. I didn't understand some part of speech at a certain moment, he talked some words in Hebrew and achieved a long applause from members. Even many of them began to stand up. Well, it doesn't matter for me what he exactly said at Kneset. The thing is that they were happy together there even though Bush's itinerary goes to the other Arabian nations.
I watched a report in turn about the performance by a documentary director, who is a Palestinian. All of his people, who were exiled from their own home, were commemorating their disaster. Yes, they use this word, "disaster," when Israel and Bush were celebrating 60th national foundation day, May 14th. They call and commemorate this day as "Al Nakba", that is, "catastrophe" in their language.
Everyday rockets are being launched from West to East in Gaza strip, helicopters fire back from North To South. They are killing and were killed everyday. I don't want to repeat the sad history and recent tragedy here. I would like to say that I came to know more about Arab society as well as Israel and Jewish people.
I hope peace. In Middle East, Arab, West Asia, Gulf, whatever you name, as well as my country. I hope people would not kill each other. I pray people do not menace each other anymore. Dafur, Taiwan Strait, DMZ, Myanmar, Tibet, Zimbabwe, Lebanon, Afghan, Iraq, and Palestine. I pray.
But I hope REAL peace at the same time. Without justice, righteousness, equality, and food, there is no REAL peace. I believe so.
But for now, I prayed for their wish of black balloons when I was watching the report. The director was making a film about blowing black balloons on Al Nakba. I also wish God will listen their appeal. I believe in God who listens people's cry. You name Him/Her.
Now I'm heard some people in my country are sick to endure new government. I have no idea how many they are. Actually, almost all the voters chose new president and his government just several months ago. And most of newspapers and TV channels never say something is wrong. But, as I wrote now, much more people than the number of con voters of current government are disappointed and angry day by day.
They voted not for invisible value but for money. Unfortunately, however, that expectation was originally illusion even though they hope to deny. Do you know why? Because they expected not for better economy but for "money." You know what I mean? Yes, they just wanted and want blind money without sweat through real estatement. They don't care where real national economy will go to. That is the value system of rich people in my country. They became rich through that way.
The problem is not only that. The real problem is that the poeple who are "not" rich began to dream and expose their desire to be rich. Why it is wrong? Yes, the desire is not wrong. But, it is actually impossible for them to be rich because of unfair system. One very strong reason out of many is that they will not be allowed to stand at the starting line of game with already-rich people. That is, this society is already fixed to an unfair and imbalanced model.
So it is just a delusion as well as illusion. In other words, it is too late.
Going back to the first topic, my people made their own decision seeking great dream. Therefore absolutely responsibility of result must be theirs. Still, most of people believe new government will bring back old foam to the price of their apartment and land soon. That's it. They don't think about how healthy economy will bring healthy and steady "money" to them. So, they chose this government. So, it's nobody's fault. It's their own bloody fault.
Perhaps there is a kind of resistance to overcome or recover this disaster somewhere in my society. I hope so. But I really wonder people might make good decision on the next elections in honest. Becuase they chose this regime even though they know which is wrong and right. Surprisingly.
I visited one of the oldest and popular shrine in Taiwan. Wan-nien Dian萬年殿 is located in southern end of Tainan city and almost country side even though formally included in city area.
A large and well-arranged park is company with this old shrine. The impressive and huge size of gate is established in front of the park after many millions of donation from believers nearby here. Several famous masters of traditional art joined building and renovating it and there names were carved on the big monument in the park.
Some carpenters were repairing an ancient ship in the left room of the shrine when I visited. They said that it was brought from China more than 300 hundred years ago by their ancestors.
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| From 萬年殿 |
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| From 萬年殿 |
Well, I wonder it's because of virus actually. It might be a kind of bug of blogger to fix either. Anyway, I hope I can upload this post now. I've failed so many times during last several days. Of course, I don't know why.
Once more. I found a virus named SecurityRisk.Cmdow according to Norton Internet Security. It detects this at every scan. But It also says it cannot remove the virus. I really have no idea what kind of solution they provides. They prepare a page of so called "solution" on internet how to "remove" it, but it never works. Not only this time. I've met many cases like this.
I'll never extend this XXXX software after expiry date after 75 days from today.
Well, so, in result, I re-installed whole my XP as well as all necessary softwares. And exhausted.
I'm worrying about US economy because I worry about my economy. Butterfly effect. I worry Tibet too because of the same reason. But the butterfly is not me, but US. Anyway, I need to wait.
Once there was a king, who rules the great land of Nosmo. He was the greatest of all his ancestors and fathers. He has conquered every inch of the earth, colonized any area of public places, and proclaimed it's king's territory.
Today I was banned to enter that sacred land.
Is it materializing women? The question is written as "Are we materializing women?" on the white paper. It's the poster for a movie by a Taiwanese director, whose name is Lee Kang-sheng李康生. Title of the movie is "Help me Eros幇幇我愛神." And that question is posted by the director himself, not by protesters. However, it is his response about the objection from some critics as well as audience.
Of course the answer is "no." But it's a kind of hooking way to draw attention of potential audience. In one sense, it is utilizing those familiar images and method which surely will wake opposition and condemnation on purpose. And is using both sides of cinematic methodology and REAL attraction to anonymous audience. It used to be taken by the other Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang蔡明亮 such as his recent movie "The Wayward Cloud天邊一朵雲(2005)." And Lee himself was main character of Tsai's movie. Even some critics analyses Lee is the "persona" of Tsai, who is regarded as his patron.
See the poster of "The Wayward Cloud" by Tsai Ming-liang.
http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A4%A9%E9%82%8A%E4%B8%80%E6%9C%B5%E9%9B%B2&variant=zh-tw
I found the poster of "Help me Eros" at a second hand book store in front of Chengkong University成功大學, Tainan city in Taiwan.
I once designed an altar of chapel in school. It was prepared for a graduation preach by my friends last year. Basic idea focused on women and feminism that color tone was basically purple. I found and used some curtains which was already used by last year's students.
I'll shoot anybody who ask me about president election. I swear. Why should I explain "Oh, he is a million times worse than Bush," or "Just imagine Ma is even stupid and Christian!"
Future will be better, I think so. But, tomorrow will be worse than today, I guarantee.
That'll be Korea 5 years from now on.
Just now Romney, one of the Republican candidates running for President election in America said, "Liberty requires religion" on speech. And said in the sense that no religion should influence secular politics as well. A journalist featuring on CNN added his speech recalls JFK's. The difference is JFK was Catholic while he is a Mormon.
But there seems another difference between them. JFK insisted religion would not be involved his policy and administrating on the contrary to Romney's naive(I think) statement in Texas a several minutes before casting on CNN. Romney's speech was applauded many times with his repeating stress on American heritage of liberty, which is supposed to be one of the prime values oh human kind. And That value must include religious freedom as well for sure. Actually JFK didn't mix up his religious faith on the policies of his administration.
Romney said, "God gave us(American, maybe) liberty." It makes me feel suspicious about not his sincerity but logic of faith, which used to flow automatically to influence some secular decision with religious faith. Because decision making and faith is commonly personal at their final stage. And we saw many examples such as Jimmy Carter or George Bush now.
I'll check his current position as a candidate toward the next residence of White House for 4 years. He at least is creating many interesting arguments on old issues of separation between state and religion. CNN is still hanging on faith to Presidential candidate.
