My Drug of Choice

Steep Valley at Bukhan National Park
Buying a Wacom tablet and Corel's Painter 9 software has got me firmly hooked on old artistic habits that I haven't awakened for years - a bit rusty at this stage, but the number of artistic choices and the authentic quality of the media tools are unbelievable. I doubt whether I'll be using Photoshop nearly as much in the future with the creative tools now at my fingertips. Now, I just have to remember that full-time job I've got to hold down during the day...better not burn anymore of the post midnight oil for now.

New Year drive to the countryside

Great display but those prices - ouch! Buying fruit in the countryside in Australia means that it is cheaper and fresher than in the supermarkets, but here in Kyongido you pay through the nose for the privilege.
New Year's day in Korea is a complex affair because there are literally two New Year celebrations, one according to the Western solar calender, and the other not actually occuring until mid-February, which is the traditional Lunar calender. I guess that's why the whole New Year celebration was a bit lacklustre with Koreans just making subdued toasts during the countdown on New Year's Eve. Friends tell me that Koreans are confused about which date they should celebrate on. January 1 seems more logical, but then Korea is probably already Westernized enough as it is.

Venerable fruit of the Gods - I adore dried persimmons in winter, very much a North East Asian fruit that was grown for hundreds of years in noble's courtyards. I like the fact that Koreans still leave a few of the ripe fruit on the trees to help feed the birds through a long, cold winter.

So much for freak acts - once we got to the other side of the structure we noticed that a hotel owner had purposely created the icicles using a simple sprinkler to attract visitors to his lodgings!

Couldn't believe the icicle castle we stumbled across on a river bank - bizarre act of nature! Unfortunately, it reminded me of Tsunami victims caught up against insurmountable walls of crashing surf.

This is a modernized version of traditional New Year motifs, which have been handmade using different colored papers in a 3D display and mounted behind glass on a wall. Very cheerful and worked in well with the traditional decor of the house we visited.

Rustic walls made of cut tree trunks also function as a ready wood supply for fires if needed.