341

Oooh shiny! Oooh colors!! Approximately 1/3 of my favorite public piece of art in Korea, a mosaic outside of Kyobo Tower in Gangnam.

342

Not convinced by the message on the nearby sign, Hyemin imbibes in the sacred-pure-holy libido-restoring soul-cleansing endurance-building life-extending glacier-fed charcoal-purified Fountain of Youth at the Gil-Sang Temple... you know, just in case.

343

A muted scene from the temple. Ow my eyes.

344

After I sneaked this picture, some other dude yelled at me in what I presume to be Korean obscenities and whacked me on arm with the back of his hand... at the Gil-Sang Temple. Man, I am good at getting middle-aged Korean men real vexed. 3rd time: count it!

psyyyyyychhhhh!!!!! It's only happened twice, both times on different forms of public transit. And, minus the physical violence.

345

The Gil-Sang Temple is colorful and should be viewed from multiple angles. Hence, the repeat location pictures. And, I'm 3 days behind.

346

So last night, while watching Season 1 of Weeds, my idle hands found some strips of paper to manipulate into these charming little stars (they're approximately the size of the nails on my index fingers). Then, when I woke up this morning, I vividly remembered three of my dreams. Three! Under normal circumstances, I'll be lucky to remember one in a week. In an effort to fill the empty jam jar with a rainbow of miniature origami, and to regularly enjoy other lives in my unconscious, I shall continue to patronize the stationery store on my way to work for the week's supply of glittery stickers and magical paper.

347

Nekkid trees and shadows await Buddha's Birthday ... and Spring.

Gil-sang Temple, Seoul, April 2010.

348

A fraction of the stash for the graffiti demos at R-16 Korea 2010 World BBoy Masters Championship. Or, a tagger's wet dream.

349

A lovely view from the Seoul Fortress wall of the concrete jungle that is this thriving metropolis.

AND super-high-powered telescopes!?

And, cherry blossoms.

350

What you can't see are the five other watermelons-only market shops within a 30-foot radius of this one.

351

Shiny happy kimchi pots holding hands.

352

Enjoying a cold beer in front of the convenience store. Cause, you know, When in Korea ...

353

In a sticker-makin photo booth.

354

Somewhere outside of Seoul, in a far-off land, where the highway runs beside the Hangang River, and North Korea is visible from a nearby peak with just a pair of binoculars, lies Provence -- a quirky, vibrant, lush, and lavender-scented shopping park, with vibez not unlike those of Disneyland at night. Our lovely director took us out for a scrumptious, decadent, carbilicious Italian dinner, served at long tables adorned with green place mats and Western cutlery. I had to duck beneath these whimsical blown-glass octopus-egg chandeliers to get to my seat.

355

Delft, The Netherlands, November 2009.

356

I can't imagine more than two people on this earth with enough love for and devotion to Pocky as to inspire this art project and a rewrite of O Captain! My Captain! Maybe they found each other, and now happily reside in my old apartment building.

357

Brilliant Public Service Announcement. Dublin, Ireland, September 2009.

358

Tis an unfortunately blurry picture, but I reckon the closeness of this particular Settlers (of Catan) match is apparent. While travelin in Thailand for three weeks, I met some (obviously) very cool brothers from Germany, who happened to have brought their new set with the tragically plastic pieces. We played to 12, and were all at 11. ELEVEN! It stayed 11 for two rolls apiece; were all rolling for a Victory Point, and one of the boys got it. But I didn't mind, ELEVEN!! Unbelievable. I was yellow.

359

The first glorious week without a job at the end of June, I spent nearly every afternoon catching up on, you know, not working, at Owl Story, a perfect, homey cafe in 강남 (Gangnam), "the Manhattan of Seoul." It's run by a mother-daughter duo, decorated with books, LPs, a gazillion tiny plants in tiny clear vases, mis-matched furniture, chandeliers, and other kitsch. This array of delectable delights (5,000 won) was a meal I enjoyed regularly. Not pictured is the jasmine tea served after lunch, or the Americano (3,000 won, includes a free refill!) served with ginger biscuits.

Ahh, the joys of temporary unemployment in Korea.

360

Exploring the mysteries of ladyman-hood first hand, Jack's initiation is to endure the wrath of Lindsay's torturous mascara wand.

361

Preparing a brush for the trip home from Insadong, this proprietor seems to have a decent selection of calligraphy materials.

362

An abnormally quiet Saturday or Sunday afternoon in Gangnam, sometime in April or May.

363

50,000 mostly Korean World Cup football fans wearing plastic ponchos, sitting in the rain on Styrofoam sunlight deflectors, watching the live broadcast of S. Korea v. Uruguay (the first elimination round) on 50' monitors outside of Coex Mall.

364

Dang. I wonder if the flavor of these beans is as colorful as the aesthetics.

365, just a baseline.

Today, I embark on an ambitious blog journey, jumping on the 365 bandwagon, aiming for daily updates, in the form of a digital photograph.

Now, let we go.

First day in Thailand, a tuk-tuk driver in Bangkok zipped me around to various photographic places of interest, but not before the obligatory stops at the jewelry store with the shiny, faceted, precious stones, and then the tailor to browse the catalogs for custom-made evening gowns. (He earned 5 free liters of gas from one or both of these places, just for bringing them potential customers.)

This tree is outside the "ancient" temple Wat Samphanthawongsaram Worawiharn.

I'm not sure about the meaning of the offerings. According to various Buddhist Symbols sites on the interwebs, the silk is one of the Five Qualities of Enjoyment. "When they come into contact with our senses, they give rise to the negative consequences of attachment and craving." Silk relates to touch. The tree might be a sacred Bodhi Tree, representing the actual Bodhi Tree in India under which Siddartha Gautama achieved enlightenment. But really, I don't know jack about Buddhism, so these statements are only inferred from what little I've read. If someone knows what these colorful scarves and ribbons actually represent, all comments and refutations are welcomed & appreciated.

Until tomorrow ...