5.29.2006
SEOUL

I'm in seoul now.... slept super early last nite so i'm up now and i cant sleep anymore.

I headed out to the gyeongbokgung palace yesterday and spent the entire day just hanging out at the palace grounds and the area around there. Apparently this gyeongbokgung palace was built and lived by the king.. in the 13th century.

It was all burnt down and destroyed during the japanese invasion and occupation. it was rebuilt then burnt down again a couple of times. Eventually it was rebuilt and restored in 1990 and to date it's almost all done up. the schduled date of complete restoration will be in 2009. ONce that's done, it's said that it'll be the max of 40% of the original structures. It was so badly destroyed that most of the structures were lost. Some parts of the place were patches of grass that they sealed off - they contained the foundations of the palace that they'll restore in due time.

I was just wondering how the koreans actually has such deep history and pride about their own culture. And how serious and important they see restoration projects such as these. Compare this to how our country deals with historical buildings. Sure we do not have any 500-century structures, or a long deep history. We are a pretty 'new' nation comparitively and do not have a long traditions (dun we already know that?)

But look at the way our 'older' buildings are being treated. Take the national library for example..... it's still such a shame. and how all the older black and white houses are restored with ugly glass panels with tastless interiors. It totally destroys what they use to look like and teached our younger generation absolutly nothing.

Call me sentimental, but i'm a sucker for such things. Maybe that explains why my room is like a junkyard. with things dating back to my really young age. I even have a case of stuff that belonged to my dad. -- oh oh and an ancient enlarger lens from my grandfather. (he was into photography too). And maybe that explains why i'm getting the exact same apartment that i lived in during my childhood days.. haha....

okie.. on to vancouver now!

| louis at 08:38