Much more to come...!!!

Last Thursday afternoon, I was on my way to Namdaemun market via the subway when I noticed the cityscape giving way to lush vegetation, hills, and few highways. Feeling adventurous, I got off at Dongjak-dong station with an indispensable umbrella in one hand, and a equally indispensable camera in the other.  The first sign that caught my eye was a posting for the Seoul National Cemetery. It's not listed as a tourist attraction in my Korea guide book, but it should be! When I arrived at the main gate, I was debarred entry by two young soldiers because I had flip-flops on. "How about bare feet?" I said. Moved by the visible desperation in my face or at least sensing it in my tone of voice, they convened in hush tones while I waited anxiously for their response. They returned smiling and motioned with their hands that I was permitted entrance. Once inside, I could hear Korean chanting and drums which I quickly discovered was a large, colourful, private Korean performance for some rather serious looking military officials. The performance was in a large vacant parking lot and the officers were sitting under an impressive portico of a large Korean building. I wasn't sure if this was a spectacle open to the public, as I couldn't see any other tourists, but I couldn't resist the temptation to snatch a few photos. I positioned myself across from the entertainment and nervously began taking pictures in my sacrilegious footwear.  The performance was amazing - the best I've seen yet, and I escaped to tell about it haha... Actually, at the end of the performance, I saw a couple of other tourists privileged to see this awesome show, but they were tucked away in the very back of the parking lot. "An inferior view," I thought to myself as I smugly passed them on my way to the cemetery, being sure of course to pass guards in such ways that they couldn't see my indecent shoes.  The cemetery was massive. A Korean version of Flanders Field. I was practically all alone in this massive cemetery of nearly 160 000 dead martyrs and war veterans so I did a lot of thinking and reflecting. I didn't know at the time what wars these veterans had died in but it didn't matter. Men don't go to war for leisure and recreation. I knew these men died to liberate Korea and to protect the wellbeing of this ancient nation. After lots of thinking about patriotism and dying and conscription and wondering how I could get out of going to war if Canada was to drawn into battle, I made my way to back to the main gate where I was greeted by an infantry of Korean solidiers. I asked them for a group photo and this is what I got!

Lots more to come... I'm just writing entries in the order I come across the pictures. Things are going really well.. I'll try to tell you all about it tomorrow... 

Be blessed... everyone!!!