Culture Week

On Sunday, John and Erin and I went to Seoul to check out an ancient palace called Jongmyo, which is smack dab in the middle of Seoul. Not only was it super cool to feel like we were in a forest in the middle of Seoul, but it made me realize that I am very lucky to have a good job making pretty good money, and a chance to see some things that are totally different from the way things are back home.

This Jongmyo though, WOW! It was right in the heart of Seoul and it was like being in an ancient forest. Although they had to give the buildings a lot of repairs due to natural causes and the wars fought with Japan, the palace and its grounds still have a very natural feel to them. It is just really cool to feel like you are standing in a place where the face of the country was shaped and moulded.

My favorite area of the tour was a spot that I scoped where you could see Seoul tower and other tall buildings over the expanse of the palace grounds. It was an amazing fusion of the beutiful serenity of Ancient Korea and the impressive landscape of a technologically-advanced Korea. I can only relate it to certain spots in the river valley in Edmonton where you can just catch the downtown skyline over some trees.

Anyways, Thursday and Friday are national holidays here (Choo Seok, which is very comparable to Thanksgiving) and John and my buddy Matt from Deagu are going way South to Busan to check out some more Korean culture. Busan is the "Beach City" as it is right on the Southern tip of the peninsula. So, if I don't blog for a few days it is because I am riding the waves or just chillin' out on the beach. Later dudes,

Ronnie Five-O