Olympic torch makes it to Seoul

As I took the bus through central Seoul today we battled our way through streets lined with hundreds of Chinese overseas students clad in the red flag waving banners proclaiming peace and love as the Olympic flag made its way to South Korea.

Actually, I didn't know those details at the time. I just assumed it was just a big anti-protest thing - but I guess it was. The Chinese people have emerged to let us know that their country is promoting well-being in this time of world unity. Despite threats of Seoulites staging a protest, police, tight security, and masses of Chinese supporters appear to have won the day.

Revelling in the springtime

This is where it's at. Waking up with the window fully open and still feeling warm enough to jump out of bed raring for a new day. Back at home it would be the noise of lawnmowers and chirping birds to invite me outside. Here it is the faint hum of distant traffic and the occasional train. But it's all the same. Spring is well and truly here.

To make things even better - and for once that phrase isn't being used sarcastically - we negotiated some things with our boss on Monday. OK, so we had to basically threaten to quit if things didn't get better, but at least she conceded that yes, after our classes have finished, providing we've prepared everything we need to for the next day/week/month/year, we can leave. One small victory for the English department.

Furthermore, today is election day. And unlike their northern counterparts, South Korea is so in love with democracy that they give the country a day off to vote. Can't say fairer than that.

T-shirts that just capture the mood perfectly.

Hanging out in Hyehwa

On the bus over there in search of coffee and a movie, I leaned over to Lauren and commented in an audible whisper, "The guy next to me is reading the Bible". The elderly man promptly made a large gesture of placing the yellow ribbon on his marked page before embarking on a lengthy conversation with me. Perhaps this was in order to prove to me that he spoke near-perfect English - at least for someone who has never studied in an English-speaking country - or less cynically, perhaps he was genuinely after a chance to practice his language skills.

Either way, somehow or other he swiftly managed to steer from the usual small talk to deep political discussion regarding the North/South Korean divide (rather apt since we only just visited the DMZ the other day). He replied negative when I asked whether he had any relatives in North Korea, but proceeded to tell me about his sister who had fled there 57 years ago to save her communist husband.

With the new possibilities of reuniting families that were separated during the Korean war under controlled circumstances, his sister was able to ask him whether Korea had electricity - back in the days of the war outside of the capital the luxury was apparently scarce - and he was able to learn that the North Korean government feed up those going to meet their Southern counterparts a few months in advance to give them the appearance of being well-fed.

Being only an hour from the border it is somewhat food for thought the lack of knowledge that passes over that 155 miles of demilitarized zone.

Despite drooping eyes, we headed for the Hyehwa cinema. It seems like it's a pretty cool area with many bars, coffee shops and street sellers, though I am yet to explore in the daytime. Opting for an English film, we went for The Other Boleyn Girl. Whether it was totally historically accurate or not, it certainly made for a gripping film. It was also good to hear some good British accents filling the room for a couple of hours, despite the leads originating from America.

The remains

In a somewhat sadistic fashion, Lauren and I snapped several photographs of the charred Namdaemun gate.

As Lauren informed me from her copy of the Korea Times, restoration will cost around 20 billion won and will take three years to complete. After the burning of Naksan Temple in 2005, precautions were taken to prevent further catastophes of other wooden structures in Korea. Unfortunately Namdaemun was yet to receive this treatment.

According to oriental topographers, Namdaemun served as a block from the negative energies of Mount Gwanak to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the three of which lie in a straight line. It has been suggested that if Namdaemun were not to exist, the fire would have blast straight through to the palace. As a result of the fire, the city may see increased crime as the "hot temper" of the energies from Mount Gwanak are free to flow.

Oh, and arson is also a suspected cause.

Donation for Gate Restoration Proposed
Poor Security Blamed for Gate Burnout
Mysterious Energy Linked to Blaze

NEWSFLASH!

Namdaemun Gate has been burned to a pulp. That's Korea's National Treasure No. 1: gone. Forever.

And I never saw it.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/02/113_18673.html