Aug 15, 2024

Capturing Korea's Blue July: A Photograpic Journey with Meditations


Meditations on Nature and Humanity in the Heart of Summer

July 30, 2024. In Korea.

Korea's summers are a fiery crucible, a relentless test of endurance. The oppressive heat and humidity transform the landscape into a shimmering mirage. Yet, within this seemingly hostile environment, a world of beauty and wonder awaits discovery.

    Armed with a camera and a sense of curiosity, I embarked on a series of early morning walks, seeking solace and inspiration in the heart of the Korean summer. As the sun cast its golden rays across the dew-kissed landscape, I found myself drawn into a world of extraordinary detail and unexpected beauty.        

    Even early morning walks offered little respite from the relentless heat. Exhaustion set in as I navigated the promenade around my home, the stifling air heavy with humidity. 

    The Korean government has issued repeated warnings about the dangers of heat-related illnesses. Citizens are inundated with safety guidelines via text messages, urging caution and preparedness.

    As I wandered through the promenade, I found myself drawn to capturing fleeting moments. Gradually, photography evolved from a casual pastime to a cherished hobby. Each image became a canvas for my thoughts and emotions, a visual diary of my experiences.      

An Upside-down Spider

    My attention shifted to the vibrant green bushes, a miniature world teeming with life. I spotted a pair of grasshoppers, their antennae twitching with anticipation for autumn's bounty. Hidden among the foliage lurked a menacing figureã…¡a large, hairy black spider!

    Intrigued by its unusual posture, I captured the spider in a close-up shot, its silhouette stark against the bright yellow background. The arachnid hung motionless at all, its eight legs outstretched as if in a delicate dance. It was a patient predator, awaiting its unsuspecting prey.

    A chilling realization struck me as I observed the spider. Humans and spiders, though vastly different, share a common predatory instinct. Our pursuit of sustenance often mirrors the spider's relentless hunt. Yet, unlike the spider, humans possess the capacity for empathy and morality. The spider's world is governed by survival, while ours is complex and morally ambiguous.

    I wondered how long this particular spider had endured hunger, its patience tested by the passage of time. Would today be the day its persistence paid off?...

    I stumbled upon a delicate cluster of daisy fleabane there, their tiny white petals resembling a miniature bridal bouquet. Often used as filler in floral arrangements, these unassuming wildflowers held a quiet beauty of their own. 


 A Cluster of Daisy Fleabane

Close up: Daisy Fleabane

    Along the way, I unexpectedly found this:

Lush Arowroots' Vines

Arowroot, a plant native to Korea, has a complex relationship with its environment. Renowned for its medicinal properties, the plant's root is used to create a bitter extract believed to offer various heath benefits. However, arrowroot's aggressive growth habits have earned it a less desirable reputation. 

Arrowroot Climbs Trees

    With its vine-like structure, arrowroot climbs trees, resembling a serpent encircling its prey. This invasive behavior often harms the host tree.  

    Observing the arrowroot foliage, I was struck by a profound realization: duality exists within all things. The plant's nature embodies this concept perfectly. On one hand, it offers medicinal benefits, a positive attribute. On the other, its invasive behavior presents a challenge, highlighting its negative impact. This inherent contradiction mirrors the complexities of human existence, where light and shadow, creation and destruction, coexist in a perpetual dance.

    In Korea, arrowroot has been traditionally used as a herbal remedy. Its extract, a dark and bitter concoction, is derived from the plant's root. 

A Huge Arrowroot's Root Is Being Used a Herbal Remedy

This tuberous plant exhibits an intriguing duality. While its root offers potential medicinal benefits, its growth habit complicates its reputation. Arrowroot climbs trees like a tenacious vine, hindering the host tree's growth. As a result, the Korean government has implemented measures to control its proliferation by removing its stems annually. Despite these efforts, arrowroot's resilience is evident. Even in the scorching summer heat, remnants of the plant persist.


A Twisted, Barren Stem of Arrowroot

     While a twisted, barren stem stands as a poignant reminder of its struggle for survival. Deprived of essential nutrients from the soil due to its parasitic nature, the arrowroot withers and decays under the relentless sun.

Open Road
Open Space with Two Bike Paths

 

Carp


    Look at that! 👀" A magnificent carp emerged from the depths, its size a stark contrast to the typically diminutive fish inhabiting Korean waters. The unexpected encounter ignited a spark of excitement, igniting a desire to cast a fishing line and engage in this aquatic challenge. Beyond the thrill of the catch, a longing emerged to explore the underwater realm. Scuba diving beckoned, offering a portal to a hidden world teeming with diverse marine life.

Towering Apartment Complexes 

    The opposite riverbank presented a stark contrast to the natural surroundings. Towering apartment complexes formed a dense urban skyline, a testament to Korea's rapid urbanization.

A Picturesque Sky

     The Summer sky transformed into a living canvas, as fluffy clouds drifted and morphed with the wind's gentle caress. A stark contrast emerged between the serene beauty above and the frenetic pace of life below. In our pursuit of material success, we often neglect to appreciate these simple yet breathtaking moments. 

A Cluster of Foxtails

    A cluster of resilient foxtails clung to life in an unlikely locationã…¡a narrow crevice on the bridge. Their presence sparked a contemplation on the nature of existence. These unassuming plants, forced to endure harsh conditions, embodied a spirit of perseverance against adversity. A fleeting moment of connection with their struggle left a profound impression.

An Extensive River

    The once-mighty river now resembled a shrunken, lifeless channel, a stark contrast to its swollen state after the recent rainfall. A cyclical pattern emerges: abundance, followed by scarcity, only to be replaced by abundance once more. The rhythm of life and death, played out on a grand scale.

Another Miniature Forest Beneath the Bridge

    Beneath the bridge, another miniature  world unfolded. Sunlight filtering through the foliage created a dappled, ethereal atmosphere reminiscent of a fantastical realm. And fish scales, shimmering like liquid silver, danced in the shallows. The scene evoked images of 'Alice's Wonderland', with its peculiar inhabitants and surreal landscapes.

    A solitary walk offers a sanctuary from the world's chaos. It invites introspection, allowing thoughts to unwind and clarity to emerge.



Quotation By Albert Einstein











May 22, 2024

West Coast Korea Beaches Wonder: My Unfiltered Review of Padori Beach


Padori Beach 


1. Padori Beach

         Every time a blazing summer heat arrives, many of us crave a refreshing escape from the daily grind at least once. If you live in Korea,as forigners, and if you are looking for beaches on the west coast of Korea, then I highly propose "Padori Beach", an eye-catching, unruffled, serene, secluded,and pristine beach.

Image Google
        

2. Real Reviews About Padori Beach

       Recently, in May 2024, I set off to Padori Beach with my family and spent single night there. In my book, Padori Beach was quieter, more pristine than other west coast destinations I have been to in the past. At that time, we arrived at two places on the west coast, including ‘Kkotji Beach’, ‘Mageompo Beach’, and I also went to 'Eoeundol Beach' in May, 2024.  If you choose to set off for Padori Beach like me, you also get the benefit of being able to visit Eoeundol Beach at the same time since Eundeul Beach is very close to Padori Beach!
      
Scenery of Padori Beach:





Glittering water scale



Marine Life:

         Do you want to see marine life at beaches?
At Padori Beach, you can discover marine life such as small and colorful starfishã…¡I saw a lot of themã…¡ seaweed, tiny conches, marine marsh snails, hard-shelled mussels, too-small crabs, tiny fishes, and ugly, squashy, and lumpy trepangs. It looks like a gigantic leech whose mouth sucks blood!
Images Google: Trepangs

I never knew starfish could be so smelly despite thier pretty appearance.
 
          I also caught a small balloon fish that day! You might wonder how I got my hands on it! Haha! When I arrived at the puddle on the beach, I unexpectedly discoved it. I went to the beach to look for marine life very early in the morning, when the low tide of the sea had already ended, and besides, it was very cloudy due to the rain. The beach hills seemed mystic with misty rain pouring here and there!  

        While I was looking for marine life in the puddle,  luckily, a little swellfish was just swimming there! Oddly, the swellfish seemed sluggish and slow moving, like nothing happened around despite I went into the water!😯 Aa as soon as I saw 👀 it, my heart was racing to catch the sluggish balloonfish! Thus it was so easy to grab! Have you ever caught a balloonfish in this way? Haha! Look at the balloonfish I caught! :)


When it breathes inside a narrow jar

        However, the ballonfish was dead in the end struggling to only survive... Yes...I killed it in that way... The eyes of the fish was getting lost a pep...

The dead pufferfish with starfishes and conches 

⚫ Seagulls:

          Around that time, I also saw the sound of the wave crying. Sea mews seem to frequently reside there because marine life thrives there and provides abundant feeds for them. As I was watching seagulls on the sea rocks, I was reminded of the book "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach.


        “The bird that flies high sees farthest,” Jonathan Livingston Segull told his readers. This means that we humans must live longing for metaphysical philosophy, just as Jonathan Livingston Seagull searches for a way to fly the farthest, but Jonathan Livingston Seagull was just another mundane seagull that first used its wings to find feeds in the sea. The other seagulls were busy hunting for feeds, chasing hylic things, of all things. In that sense, Jonathan Livingston seagull, as a bird whose wings to soar, would have sensed  who he was, the origin; when most people think of birds, they probably think of their wings, which may be where birds originated. Jonathan Livingston Seagull yearned for something more. Jonathan was not just interested in finding feeds; his wings craved 'the freedom of soaring flight.' Freedom... Jonathan must have felt a deep sense of purpose, a connetion to somthing greater, the very essence of what it meant to be a seagull who could truly fly.
For this reason, Jonathan Livingston Seagull has flown as far and high as wings can take a seagull.

       ... So what kind of invisible wings would you like to have? Is it a metaphysical philosophy or hylic things? Well... I think it's too drastic, like dualism. Both will be necessary to keep us alive... Even so, in my eyes, we humans should seek a metaphysical phiosopy rather than hylic things in this world,  as if Jonathan Livingston seagull seeking first flight in the sea.  

Image: Google


Primeval Sea Caves:




 








Beautiful Pebbles:


3. Tour Guide

⚫ Sandy Beach Size: 30,000 square meter
⚫ Sandy Beach Langth: 1,000 meter
⚫ Width: 30 meter
⚫ Safety Distance: 150 meter
⚫ Degree of slope: 6
Pension Cost:
       When I used one of pensions there, the charge of using pension a nigit was about $118(₩160,000) in April, but the charge of using pensions are changeble based on a peak season like summer or a low-season like winter. When you depart to beaches in peak season in Korea, the charge of using pensions is more expensive. I spent one night this nearby pension as below:


Camping site under the pine trees:


Restaurants:
       The beach lacked a variety of restarnts nearby.
⚫ Enterance fee : free
⚫ Parking : available
        But I am not sure if you stay at a pension, but if you are, parking is surely available for it is included with your stay. The beach is not very commercialized, so there's limited parking. It does not have big, developed parking like some urban beaches.  been developing to assure wide and urban parking lots. 
Times of high and low tides: 
     Visitors are allowed to stay on the seashore for up to 4 hours, for example, when the low tide starts at a.m. 10:00, then you could go into the seashore as early as a.m.  8:00 and would need to exit by a.m.12:00 based on the standard of the low tide time.


4. Things To Keep In Mind
        You should beware of eating marine life such as various conches, although it looks edible for they tend to have poisons called 'tetramine' so it brings up 'food poisoning'. The pufferfish that I caught also has a deadly neurotoxin called 'tetrodotoxin' which can be fatal to  humans. Since it is NOT SAFE to eat, after comming home, I discarded all the marine life I had caught. 


My silhouette on the glassy surface of water 







ISOURBLOGBLOGSPOT










Nov 25, 2022

What Is Marriage? Explore.

 


The Curse Of Marriage

        

      Lately, I have sensed what marriage is rather than before. The spiritual enlightenment about marriage is getting engraved deep in my heart over the tragic experience that is never fictive like when we just watch movie screens but is real.  Well, it seems to me that no one can censure what I have realized about marriage, although I have a negative and skeptical perspective. 


      What I want to write in this article is to make known the paradox and absurdity of the marriage institution.  French philosopher named Albert Camus mentioned 'absurdity'.  In fact, everything in this world is absurd to the bone!  In conclusion, Albert Camus said that we humans should take up all the absurdity of our lives in this world and ride out the absurd storm.


Albert Camus

       

       We humans might have to know that an ideal marriage is thoroughly impossible to be actualized in humanity's lives. Even if Bible has professed that marriage is sacred, and God blesses marriage all the more, all is a whopping fake!


     I think that marriage is like God's commandments we humans can never observe. How ironic marriage is God blesses! Candidly, marriage law per se is unrealistic and impracticable; how could a couple become one body and one spirit? Or rather everybody is independent and too selfish beyond that one body and one spirit...


     Of all things, love itself is always fickle as though a blowing and disappearing wind and a changeable sea...; people have built love into the wind and the sea endlessly, and then love demolishes the thing that we humans call love over and over, moreover time water down the intensity of love more and more...  


A fickle sea with a sea wind


      Thus we humans would have wanted to catch such love with the institution of marriage or the cage of marriage or the cursory framework of marriage or the law of marriage willfully.  How could marriage be ever? It is completely impossible, even if it seems to have been maintained for such a long time outwardly. However, the marriage institution is being broken down in the 21st century like Christianity is getting ruined in Europe. Oddly that Europeans have already rejected the marriage system as a result of their opposition to Christianity; so I get the impression that marriage and Christianity must have had something in common, in other words, when Christianity is being rejected, the marriage institution is also being collapsed and when Christianity is being flourished, the marriage institution is also being thrived, which is meant that the vibe of Christianity has been incredible in our society for 2000 years!

      Having said that, marriage and Christianity are still powerful in our society so they occur tons of incorrigible social problems because therein lies the cruelest crimes!  That marriage institution is getting entangled with the worst bitterness like bitter roots deeply taking root in the soil; the aggregate of every evilnesses and conflict that is marriage.


Bitter roots


       And the visible and diverse troubles of marriage are just covered up in our homes and society yet the seriousness of absurd marriage is being exposed more and more, thus some say that the marriage institution is likely to be abolished in 2030 like  Christianity in Europe already withered away...

      Still, we humans seem to want to marry for a rosy dream in family and at home, farther in this world...; sadly, therein lies all kinds of tragedies. All sorts of afflictions begin from a marriage which is why the Bible has deceived humanity first like below: The Bible proclaims that we humans should marry: But is it really true? 

Genesis 2:23~24 esv 23: Then the man(Adam) said, " This is at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of Man." 24: Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

      Let us read this part carefully: Wow, it seems not God's own commandment but seems Adam's own word, if not, who said verse 24 like this? 24: Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

     Look at verse 24 carefully and meticulously; God's own word is nowhere to be seen. In my book, Adam himself would say, concluding his thought, so he is using the word "therefore". Do you think that God would speak that? or else, do you think that Adam would speak like that? The subject who is speaking is subtly omitted in that verse, isn't it?...


     What is more, what does it mean that "they shall become one flesh." Does it mean to have a sexual relationship? Otherwise, what does it really mean?... In this passage, no one said that it was meant a modern marriage institution, rather the meaning Adam said sounds just abstract and metaphorical like the literary expression. Nonetheless, theologians and pastors seem to have interpreted or dreamed up that verse for 2000 years like we humans should marry necessarily that is God's commandment! Because they should have established or fit the doctrine of Christianity in this way in order to make humans join with Jesus Christ with the method of marriage like the metaphor of the holy bridegroom and bride that the Bible says.

      On the contrary to this,  ironically the apostle Paul professed that it is better not to marry as possible as you can, so which one is correct? LOL

1 Corinth 7:25~40 25: Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26: I think that in view of the present distress( it stands for the parusia) it is good for a person to remain as he is. 38: So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who remains from marriage will do even better.

      Even the Bible seems to beautify the marriage that humans should marry with Jesus Christ in order to overcome an absurd and unrealizable human marriage itself through Jesus Christ for humans can never fulfill such marriage the Bible commands with God's law. What if Jesus Christ who accomplished God's law instead of all humanity is a symbol of freedom beyond God's law, then the earthly marriage cannot help but ruin. Keeping earthly marriage is an impossible realization and makes troubles between husbands and wives. 


     Therefore, according to the Bible, when humans become one body with Jesus, it is meant that such a combination is perfectly ideal! What is different from flaming greed for salvation exploiting the union of Jesus Christ? That's why Christianity is one of the religions that humanity has dreamed up so as to achieve their greed... In that regard, Christianity is like other idolatry that's why Jesus Christ has become a savior of humanity, in other words, Jesus is like an idol whose power can even feel the effects of gratifying humans' avarice, hope, and even eternal life in heaven over the holy union of Jesus Christ the Bible describes. It is another greed for salvation in the name of marriage, namely, marriage is meant salvation. 


    In one sense, the earthly marriage we humans have married on this earth might also be regarded as a sort of salvation out of this hellish world that's why we humans still desire to marry involuntarily with cherishing a rosy dream that is likely to be given happiness over a husband or wife who might be able to expect and rely on like Jesus Christ in this hellish world...humm..., so the myth of the union between Jesus Christ and humans the Bible says would have also been concocted based on that kind of mechanical, unconscious, human's ardent hope. In short, humanity has projected their hope to Jesus Christ, since earthly husbands and wives are all imperfect beings to be satisfied over marriage institution.  Nowadays, I think that the Bible was also written by humanity, which means that it is not God's living word.


     Anyway, humanity has formed the law of marriage under the harsh and cruel teaching of the Bible, and what is more, that marriage institution has served the prosperity of each nation. What if has no marriage law, how could humanity be flourished based on each family which is the basic unit of our society? And what if has no marriage law, we humans will have love affairs everywhere, then the order of society will be messed up and ruined... Well, our manifold modern society's laws would also have been derived from the Bible, precisely speaking God's law, first. Likewise, Christianity and the Bible have dominated humanity for 2000 years in this way!

      Having said that, I don't want to deny God's(or gods') being who might be ruling each person's destiny...  I assume that God would not be the God Christianity defines at least...  Because we humans have kept that kind of impractical and unrealizable marriage, whatever the overcome, in this devilish world, in other words, the marriage law under this devilish world is still standing up to 'the impossibility of marriage'; even the world's population is being reached 8 billion in 2022 which is no longer 7 billion! ; it sounds crazy! How supernatural it is that that kind of absurd and unrealizable marriage institution is still being maintained! It might be a numinous God's providence we humans never know...

     And in the process, we humans should be matched with only one by means of marriage institution among 8 billion all over the world, and then some of them are divorced... That said, that marriage law is just a token, cursory, framework as thousands of husbands and wives have had love affairs with others because of the inborn nature of humans, that is to say, human avarice is endless... 

    Along the way, some do not steal from others' husbands or wives, and some do steal from others' husbands and wives only pursuing their own greed, contrariwise some observe marriage and social laws, and some do not; why is that?... We people might have to regard others' husbands and wives as commercialized or owned goods because humans are none other than money, namely commercialized or encashed bodies, under inexorable capitalism and mammonism, so if someone steals from others' husbands or wives, then he or she should be punished like the case of stealing money. Sadly that kind of love is not called love but is called adultery. 


     Additionally, some are married; some are not; even some are remarried several times in their lives; some are not; some are divorced; some are not; why is that?...   All these things may come from each destiny God plans... Savagely it seems to me that we humans can never conquer that kind of predestined fate... 


    Humanity has sought love in the name of marriage. Sometimes love gives much pain and drives humanity into a wreck, and at times that love gives the energy of life; in this manner, love not only gives life but also gives destruction; even love has an awful dilemma and absurdity... However, that love cannot help but become a contract based on money in the end; frankly, people do marry for money and divorce for money under mammonism... Truth be told, everything in the world is the same as a contract based on money as if a business works, by doing so people calculate profit and loss as always...


Money: profit and loss

      Despite all of this, some are still married; some are still divorced; some are still remarried several times; some are still not married but should be alone in their entire life that is the history of the Earth has been 4.5 billion years...  We humans might be becoming victims of Christianity and the victims of the marriage institution and the victims of each destiny in these ways; that each destiny may still be occurring tricks of fate... 

An irony of fate. 

The power of destiny. 


So now where am I going? 
And where are you going?...