the tide reached the flames

The men were burned, songs were sung, fire was spun, and meals were shared. Gijipo Beach is the perfect locale for a festival with its wide open shore for dancing, and its rolling pine forests for camping.
Due to the unending kindness of the fellow burners, my installation quickly became a collaborative community project. The goal was to create a labyrinth using natural materials in hopes of providing a focused connection to the present moment. Many hands helped move shells, gather limbs, and set the path. The center became a collective mandala of sorts as more people walked the path.
I was also invited to participate the fire performance !!! that culminated in an enormous bonfire. The other spinners are the best performers I've ever seen. It was an honor and all out blast to spin with them. 

Miniature soccer anyone?

The bedroom is next to the kitchen.

A wayward sea star in need of hand

Liquid gold

Fire photos provided by B

Chris and Hiromi- Fire eating and fire fingers respectively

Matteh and errmm me

Wild man with a yell wire

The ALL IN performance with the men center stage

The tide reached the flames as the stars grew faint. Some slept, most didn't. Daybreak saw content but weary souls gathering debris from the shore and wrestling tents into impossibly small bags. The intimate and all inclusive community that was created bid farewell to one another and undoubtedly slept like rocks the following night.

korea burn

We survived two typhoons in one week, and now it's time to light some fires. Korea Burn happens this weekend. The festival is a tribute to the annual Burning Man that takes place in Nevada each year and will be held in beautiful Taenan National Park on Gijipo Beach. So looking forward to meeting strange new people, spinning fire, and some long overdue howling at the moon.
Also, I'm one of the featured artists at the festival! Pictures of my installation and the festivities coming soon....

horse ears mountain

Last Sunday, we took a daycation to nearby Maisan mountain in Jinan. The mountain is most often referred as horse ears mountain because of its double peak. Between the peaks lies Tapsa temple and its surrounding towering stone pagodas. The original 108 pagodas were created by Gapryong Lee, a retired scholar, over the course of thirty years. The 80 remaining pagodas are carefully watched by monks and dragonflies.

 Thunderous booms echoed through the valley in rounds of three as devotees rang in their prayers.

 The man behind the magic.

 Coins balanced on the largest pagoda's base for good luck.

 Visitors' contributions to the pagoda family

 Way to be clear, Korea

 Advert for a local herbal medicine university- someone is STOKED about ginseng.

 Summertime treat- Pat Bingsu

No trip through Jeonju would be complete without bibimbap.

bovalen

Contrary to what this blog may lead you to believe, life's not always tulips and concerts in Korea. Sometimes it's frustrating students, or even worse -- parents. Other times it's craving guacamole so bad that perfectly ripe avocados dance through your dreams, and at times it's missing your family, and friends, and all the familiarity surrounding those you love. And on days like today, it's typhoons. aka the Pacific version of a hurricane. This little ditty is named Bovalen. Sounds like an heirloom cow breed to me, but if it means the day off then go ahead and name it what ever you like. With Hurricane Isaac heading toward Florida and lil miss Bovalen hanging out over Korea, we've got a global window-taping party goin' on. Cheers.

once

August 15th was Gwangbokjeol 광복절, translation "Restoration of Light Day".
This day marks Korea's independence from Japanese rule, which as I understand it, lasted nearly 40 years. Though anti-Japanese sentiment is alive and well in Korea, many citizens treat this holiday as a chance for celebration of Korean culture rather than a reminder of past transgressions. Given that Gwangbokjeol is a public holiday, we received the day off. Annnnnd it just so happens that Czech musician Marketa Irglova was performing at the AX theater in Seoul! The weather was mild to torrential rain all day but the concert was absolutely amazing. Marketa completely surpassed all my idolized expectations and Aida Shahghesemi, an Iranian musician who accompanied her, was beyond inspirational. She plays a daf, a Persian precursor to the tambourine, and sings as if her soul depended on it. Most of the songs were sung in English, though both Marketa and Aida each sang a song in their native languages, Czech and Farsi. Naturally there was a little Korean thrown into the mix. Quite the medley.
A delicious Thai lunch and a trip to an English bookstore were also worked into the itinerary.
All in all, it was the best Wednesday of 2012 thus far.

urban + alpine

Warning: These pictures are not in chronological order. Their haphazard display reflects the whirlwind adventure that was our sweet but brief summer reprieve.
The beginning was spent in Seoul: dining, riding subways, people watching, and discovering unusually housed goldfish.
Looming at Seoul's northern fringe stands Dobongsan. My limbs still ache from the climb but the view from the peak was beyond anything I've ever seen. A temple stands halfway up the peak, flanked by an infantry of Buddhas and guarded by a dichromatic* feline.

* such a Scrabble word