마지막 하루

Jeongdongjin (정동진, 正東津) on the last day of 2012

Wind was strong, wave was high, temperature was low low.

Sculpture at Jeongdongjin Station

Breathtaking panoramic view of the East Sea 

Sun Cruise (썬크루즈) Resort & Yacht - world’s first on-land cruise themed resort

2012's last moon rise - does it remind you of anyone? 

크리스마스 선물

My Christmas's present this year - Pentax K-5 II DSLR. It is not a full frame DSLR but still an awesome camera with awesome picture quality. Its low light sensitivity is mind-blowing. I like that it can operate at extremely low temperature, down to -10°C. Will have that check out soon, meanwhile, some pictures from my night out with my new camera. (Click image to enlarge.)

Double Helix bridge

Avalon - floating South Crystal Pavilion of the Marina Bay Sands

The Fullerton Bay Hotel

살고 있는 곳

A famous quote from the Korean movie "Architecture 101" - "자기가 살고 있는 곳에 대해 애정을 가지고 이해를 시작하는 것, 이게 바로 건축학개론의 시작입니다."(When you begin to understand and have feeling for the place you live in, that's the start of architecture 101.)

I don't think this quote applies only to architecture students, it is applicable to everyone. We should all understand and develop feeling for the place where we live, work, play, interact and love. What eventually comes out of it is beauty - the beauty of our living space.

There was a time when building was built to last.

Building with curved corner is rare these days.

Bird cage is now an ornamental piece. The birds are free at last.

What was once a wooden staircase inside a house is reused as part of a decor.

A pot of green plant is all that is required to liven up a run-down back alley.

Behind the spalled concrete wall is a new owner.

The shop has seen better days. Tri-circle lock and the teal green paint are so 70s.

The once ubiquitous hand-made mailbox is moving into history. 

The glory days of books and prints are over or are they?

Be a vintage but don't fade into history.

여유

어떻게 인형은 인간보다 더 잘 살아?

평화의 전당

Grand Peace Palace (평화의 전당, 和平殿堂)

Standing at a vantage point inside Kyunghee University's Seoul campus is a Gothic-inspired ornate building, which to the the uninitiated, could easily be mistaken as a cathedral. The Peace Palace (평화의 전당), as it is named, has a "stormy past", quite opposite of what its name may suggest.

Construction of the Peace Palace started on June 1976 but it was not until October 1999 that the building was officially open. From the start to completion, two decades was a long time to wait and the reason was not that of magnitude or difficulty in construction. According to my teacher, construction was halted due to security concern. Some classified building was said to be in the vicinity and the height of the Peace Palace was assessed a security threat. It was not until the classified building was moved that the construction was allowed to resume. The Peace Palace stood half-complete and unchange for many years and for that, it earned itself the nickname, "봉비누". "봉비누" is a kind of soap bar commonly seen in toilets in Korea. It is normally blue in colour and has a hole in the centre meant for insertion onto a metal holder. The interesting thing about this soap is, its egg-shape (except its size) does not change, no matter how much it is being used.

The Peace Palace occupying the vantage point in the campus

The Peace Palace is a prime venue for graduation ceremony, arts and cultural performance. With a seating capacity of 4,500, it is billed as the largest performance venue in Asia. The irony about this building is the public uses it more than the students of KHU. The only time I got to see the interior of the building was when I bought a ticket to a musical staged there. As I entered the building, I was instantly overwhelmed. Everything about it, was nothing short of grandeur and splendour. Above the main entrance, which led into the grand hall, were these wordings - 《인간에겐 사랑을 인류에겐 평화를》 (Love to Human, Peace to Humanity).

Interior of the Peace Palace

For a good view of the building's interior, you can watch the following music video, by a new duet group, 15&, which was filmed there.

"I dream" by 15&

(Some thought after watching the video: How do you nurture talents? Give them a stage.)

전환

Season repeats itself but life doesn't

Season changes, so do things in life. Though a long time supporter of LG, I have since moved on. LCD TV has been changed to Panasonic and notebook to Hewlett Packard. Now, who dare say I am Korean brand bias? Ok, I confess, I just change my handphone from Iphone to Samsung Note.

무슨 실수?

그래도 되요? 그러면 안돼요~ (Like that, OK? If like that, not OK~)

When I first saw the above screen capture in a news article, I was wondering, "Is there an error?" I knew there was because of the title says so, but I did not know what mistake it was, really.

Now that I know, it becomes laughable that I did not spot the grammatical error at the first instance. "그래도 되요?" should be written as "그래도 돼요?". I guess, I am equally capable of making such boo boo. My Korean language teacher would have shown her disapproval by saying, "그러면 안돼요~". Well, my excuse will be, "외국인이니까요." (I am a foreigner, you know.)

 

The context of the article can be found in one of the scenes in episode 18 of the SBS's Mon-Tue drama, The Great Doctor (신의), shown on Oct 9. In an attempt to cheer Choi Yung (Lee Min-ho) up after the death of his brothers, Yoo Eun-soo (Kim Hee-sun) did a sudden proposal, placard-flipping style. In order of sequence:

괜찮아요. (It's OK)
옆에 있을게요. (I'll be by your side)
그날까지 (Until the end)
그래도 되요?" (Is that OK?)

To rub it in, Oct 9 was Hangeul Day. Anyway, don't be too hard on a silly mistake. As the Korean proverb says, "원숭이도 나무에서 떨어질 때 있다" (There will be a time when monkey also falls from tree). At the end, it's always the heart that counts.

첫사랑 보관소

Archive First Love (첫사랑 보관소, 初戀保管所) is a 20-min 3-D Korean short film which explores the universal theme of first love. It makes its premier at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) 2012.

Synopsis: One day, out of the blue, writer Hyun-woo, started receiving parcels at his doorstep. The parcels contained items and memories of someone else's first love. Initially, he was at a loss of what to do with the stuff. Since he could neither throw away nor return them to their respective owners, he decided to set up an archive and be their keeper. He labelled and arranged each item neatly in his little archive so that their owners, if they want to, are able to retrieve them one day. However, little did he know that his first love's memories would soon occupy a place in his own Archive of First Love. 

 

Short film "Archive First Love (2012)" - 2D version 

First love always comes with inexperience and clumsiness. There will be many minor misunderstandings because everyone is only starting to love. As much as each first love is unique, they have a common point, that is, they give you pain. When first love has to end for the sake of a new-found love, the latter will never be as pure, as passionate and as painful as the former. 

There are a few scenes in the film I like:

Scene 1: Hyun-woo 'listening' to other's memories with a stethoscope

The 'voices' which Hyun-woo seems to hear:

M: Do you mean, all the things I did for you are meaningless?
F: You didn't do anything for me. You're only doing them for yourself.

F: I don't want to see you anymore.
M: Can't you think it over again?

M: You're right, it seems like you were not happy when you were with me.
F: I'm sorry, I was rash. I want to restart over again. I miss you.

These are conversations which we would also likely to hear prior to a break-off. 


Scene 2: Hyun-woo talking to his grandma about her first love

Hyun-woo: Grandma, that's nice music you're listening to.

Grandma: It's the music I listen to whenever I think of my first love.

Hyun-woo: I didn't know grandma also has first love. It seems like grandpa is not the one.

Grandma: Where do you find someone who doesn't have first love? Even now, when I think of that person, my heart aches... and... I miss him.

Hyun-woo: You still think of that person... even after all these years?

Grandma: I have never for once forgotten about him, although it's natural that with time, things fade away and people grow old. Do you know what is the hardest thing to endure with the passage of time? Your body ages but your heart doesn't. There is no way you can erase away those memories that are in your heart. Especially, those that were already there at the beginning.


Scene 3: Hyun-woo talking to his girlfriend prior to their break-off

Hyun-woo:  A man would just focus on the things he does for his woman. A woman could decide to leave her man without even knowing his feeling for her. Why is it that woman can't sense a man's feeling without him saying it out?

So-ri: Oppa, a woman cannot sense everything by just "I love you" alone. If you don't say it, there are many things that will not be known.

If you can't get enough of first love's story in this short film, you can enjoy more of it in "Introduction to Architecture" (건축학 개론, 建築學 槪論). But do take note, the pain in the movie may resonate in you even though you are just an audience. It seems, people are more alike than different when it concerns matter of the heart.

궁금하면 500원

Flower beggar: Are you curious? If you are curious, 500 won (Credit: Nocut News)

A gentleman has his dignity so does a beggar. A new corner in "Gag Concert", called "A Beggar's Dignity" (parody of the Korean drama "A Gentleman's Dignity) is cracking me up every Sunday. Gagman Heo Gyeong-huan plays the role of "flower begger" (꽃거지). 

Not all beggars are the same. There is a different between a beggar and a flower beggar; a beggar begs but a flower beggar does not. "How then does a flower beggar earns his keep?", you may ask. 궁금해요? 궁금하면 500원 (Are you curious? If you are curious, 500won). Yes, that is how a flower beggar earns his money - by answering one's curiosity. By the way, if you are not curious, he will still "charge" 200won. This new corner is really hilarious. 강추 (strongly recommend).

Interview with the "flower beggar"

Theme song of flower beggar (1:19) - "Dear" by Mad Soul Child

추석 앞둠

My friend, a Vietnamese, has landed a job, as an event marketing executive, with the Lotte Department Store (Myeongdong). This is her first job after completing her Masters in Hotel Tourism Management at Kyunghee University last fall.

She was recently seen promoting her company's limited-edition shopping vouchers for the coming Chuseok in Yonhap News.

With the biggest Korean festival, Chuseok just around the corner, Lotte Department Store, a dominant player in the market of shopping vouchers, introduced its "Beat-the-Recession-Small-Value Shopping Voucher Package" (KRW 3 million) on the 3rd of September.

Lotte Department Store is also running an event to give away 1,000 limited edition shopping vouchers, which has three 10,000-won vouchers printed on one sheet, on a first-come-first serve basis, to customers who purchase the package.

한 여름 밤의 꿈

봄이 사랑을 시작하기에 좋은 계절이라면, 가을은 지나간 옛사랑이 생각나는 계절

떠나는 파도를 보며 한 여름 밤의 꿈도 함께 보낸다

한 여름 밤의 꿈은 바람처럼 다시 돌아오지 않을 그곳으로 떠나가버렸다

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Acoustic Collabo

스트레스 삼단계

Korea has the "빨리 빨리 문화" (hurry hurry culture). "빨리 와" (come quickly), "빨리 해" (do quickly), "빨리 먹어" (eat quickly) and you wonder why things cannot be done at a more leisure pace. I do not know if someone who walks hurriedly will catch his train or submits his work fast will be promoted, but one thing for sure, he is stressed. If you observe closely, stress has three stages.

1st Stage: Irritable (일단계: 귀차니즘)

When you are easily annoyed or irritated by someone or mundane matters, you are said to display "귀차니즘". "귀차니즘" is combination of the Korean word "귀찮다" (annoying) and the English ending "nism". People who display "귀차nism" are known as "귀차nist" (귀차니스트). How do you know you are a "귀차nist"? You know it when you say things like:

"Not again! Why does he keep asking me to do stupid thing."
"Some people just don't use their brain."
"My life sucks, period."

2nd Stage: Suffocating (이단계: 기가 막힘)

As stress intensifies, you will feel like you are on the verge of suffocation. Breathing is difficult and temper flares easily. "기가 막혀", which means "breath is blocked", combines the Chinese word "氣" (기, qi) and the Korean verb "막히다" (to block). In an attempt to prevent breathlessness, most of us will react by "exploding" and letting out, in one go, all the trapped energy. Words become more vicious now:

"It feels like banging my head against the wall!"
"Talking to him makes me vomits blood!"
"I wish I can give him two tight slaps, if that makes me better!"


3rd Stage: Mental Breakdown (삼단계: 멘털 붕괴)

The final stage of stress is "멘털 붕괴" or "멘붕"in short. "멘털 붕괴" comprises the English word "mental" (멘털) and the Chinese word "崩壞"" (붕괴, cave-in). Nobody literally suffers mental breakdown at this stage. It is more like a stage of "enlightenment" where you see clearly that nothing more you do will help to salvage the situation. Sometimes, telling everyone you have "멘붕" can actually be quite cathartic. Getting some pitiness and attention is comforting, but taking a break or holiday is much better.

The conclusion: don't wait too long to reach "멘붕".

가을여행 가보실래요? 스트레스 풀기 좋다.

아쉬움

Sorak is not his real name, it is how I remember him. Sorak like thousands of Chinese students in Korea, was vying for a place in the local universities. We met at Advanced 1 Korean language class. Being a non-native speaker of Korean, he has the best command of the language among the Chinese students I knew. The secret behind his language proficiency, he mixes frequently with native Koreans and kyobos for drinks and pool at night. He drinks soju like water and consecutive day-and-night drinkings do not seem to knock him out. I am hopeless when it comes to drinking but I match him in pool. Not too bad for someone who only practises on the pool table in the dormitory while doing laundry.

If heavy drinking is not bad enough, Sorak smokes like a chimney. He may sound like a problem student whom any teacher will not like to see in their class. On the contrary, Sorak is one of the most enthusiastic Chinese students I have seen. The one-child policy in China has not created the "little emperor mentality" in him. He is hardworking and was the only Chinese students in my class who passed his university's entry interview based purely on merits. The interview was conducted entirely in Korean which made it not an easy feat. Sorak has a long-held wish - to be the valedictorian during the graduation ceremony, an honour reserved only for the most senior graduate class. He never fulfilled his wish. He left for Sungkyungwan University after completing Advanced 1 Korean language class.

At the end of our graduation ceremony, I saw Sorak standing in front of an almost emptied auditorium with an indescribable expression. Something in me told me, it was actually an expression of "아쉬움" (regret). I recalled asking my dowoomi, does 안타까움 express a greater sense of regret compared to "아쉬움". "No, I use them interchangeably", she said. It seems then, there might just be only one degree of regret, you cannot have more or less of it.

I did not realise there was a face to "아쉬움". 동생, 고마워

선택

I have two teachers, one is in her early thirties and the other late forties. Both are happily married. We asked them, at different time, the same question: Why do you choose your husband?

The younger of the two has a story to tell,

"I didn't like him initially. He was not "my style" but he was very persistent. One night, I was alone at home. Normally, my boyfriend would call me every night, but for some reason he has not been calling me recently. I think it was one of those tricks guys normally use to make girls fall for them. They would start off calling you every day and night and after they have made it a habit for you to wait for their call, they suddenly disappear into oblivion, making you miss them. So that night, his call didn't come. As I was about to fall asleep, I heard some noises. I opened my eyes and right in front of me was a stranger. I was so scared to the extent I forgot to scream. Fortunately, the stranger left hurriedly when he saw me. I thought I have locked the door but perhaps I didn't. Anyway, while I was still recovering from shock, my phone rang. I don't know if it was a coincidence, it was my boyfriend who called. After I told him about the incident, he rushed over to keep me company. That was the time when I knew he is the one for me."

On the other hand, her senior didn't have much to say. Wearing a cryptic smile, she gave us a one-sentence answer,

"안 미워서..." (because I don't hate him)

바다물

I want to go the beach in July, before the throng starts coming in, despite it being the rainy season, and wade my tired feet through the icy cold sea water.

놀러 갈래?

시원하지

간단한 즐거움

人生简单的享受是午后斜照射进来的温暖阳光...

...和一院子盛开的花朵 (Photo: 毛地黄, foxgloves)

最近好友传来的邮件里有这么一句安徒生的名言： 仅仅活着是不够的，还需要有阳光、自由，和一点花的芬芳。很有同感。要自由就不要苛求，在这初夏里，简简单单地享受一下自然界所赐予的阳光和花朵吧。

꺾기도

We heard of Judo, Akido and Taekwondo. Now, a new form of martial art, Kokido, has emerged and is taking Korea by storm. What is actually Kokido? The 'founder' and gag man, Kim Junho, explains,

"꺾기도는 모든 것을 뜬금없이 꺾어서 상대방을 공황상태로 만드는 무술이다."

Translated: Kokido is a martial art that throws your opponent off by twisting and turning everything and anything in an unexpected and absurd way.

There are three basic strokes of 말꺾기 (word twisting) which fans of Kokido should be conversant with.

First stroke - 까불이 (merry andrew, 调皮鬼）
Add 까불이 to a sentence ending with "까"
Example: 안녕하십니... 까불이 까불이

Second stroke - 다람쥐 (squirrel)
Add 다람쥐 to a sentence ending with "다"
Example: 감사합니... 다람쥐 다람쥐

Third stroke - 마 보이 (ma boy)
Add 마 보이 to a sentence ending with "마"
Example: 다시 하지.. 마 보이 마 보이

Below is a 'training video' to help you master the finer points of Kokido.

Kokido was initially created as a 'corner' in the KBS2's Gag Concert with children in mind. It aims to deliver laughter without the need for the audience to think. But as it turns out, adults rather than children, like it more.

The setting of 'Kokido' is a martial art school. In this school, there are one Kokido master and three disciples. Every week, the master will teach his disciples one new 'skill'. Their enemy is Mr. Two-Headed who would always start by dancing shuffle dance to the catchy tune of "I got my eye on you". Without a doubt, the master and his disciples are no match for their enemy because Kokido is meant to draw laughter only, not win a fight.

(정말 유치해서 못 봐주겠다 ㅎㅎ)

안녕히 계세... 요를레이 ㅋㅋ

도망자

... so I took a quick shot of his lonesome figure against a large empty space.

There was no morning crowd at the Busan Coastal Ferry Terminal. Waiting seats inside the passenger hall were mostly empty. The ticket counter staff were having it easy with only few random customers to serve. But when ferry boarding was announced, people suddenly streamed out from nowhere and a queue was formed almost immediately at the boarding gate. The noise level increased for a short while before peace was restored again. The crowd vanished as fast as it was formed.

I was moving around the terminal, taking pictures of it. As I brought my camera to focus on the passenger hall below from level two of the terminal, I noticed a silhouette near the right edge of the viewfinder. A man was leaning over the guardrail, staring out aimlessly. I did not suspect he noticed me, so I took a quick shot of his lonesome figure against a large empty space.

I was an hour too early for my ferry, so I decided to leave the terminal to find a place for breakfast. As I was crossing the overhead bridge to get across the road outside the terminal, a hand from behind pressed down on my shoulder. I turned my head and saw a burly middle-age man.

 "웬일이세요? (What is the matter?), I asked whilst still calming a slight shock.

"Did you take pictures inside the terminal?", he asked in Korean.

"You mean photo-taking is not allowed inside the terminal? I am not aware of that.", speaking in broken Korean, I started to panic, fearing I might get in trouble with the local security.

"I saw you took a picture of me. Show me your camera.", he demanded with a hostile tone.

I surrendered my camera after switching on the photo viewer for him to browse.

"한 장만 찍었는데요." (I took only one shot.), I interrupted as he was viewing my photos.

"Are you a police? Who are you?"

I was taken aback and made more confused by his questions. I thought he was a security guard at the terminal. I could not figure out what he was up to.

"아니요, 저는 외국인이예요." (No, I am a foreigner.)

"You're a foreigner?... Let's go to a photo shop and check all your photos."

So I followed him into a nearby photo shop. He requested the shop owner to use his shop's computer to display all the photos stored inside my SD card. After he was convinced there was only one photo of him, he requested the shop owner to delete it immediately. At that point, he was no longer as tense as before.

We left the photo shop together and walked back in the direction of the ferry terminal.

"If you're not Korean, how could you speak Korean?", he asked in a friendly tone.

"한국어를 조금 배웠어요." (I learned a bit of Korean.)

"You speak Korean well."

"Thank you."

Not satisfied that I did not know what was happening, I asked again,

 "웬일이세요? (What is the matter?)

"나, 도망자." (I am a fugitive.)

"도망자요? 어디에서 왔어요? (Where did you come from?)

I mistook "도망자" as illegal immigrant initially. So I was interested to know which country he escaped from. He could have been a North Korean defector for all I know.

"What?", he returned a confused look.

His look hinted I could have misinterpreted what he said. Then, with a skip of heartbeat, I realised "도망자" is actually "逃亡者", which is fugitive from justice.

He was friendly though, a complete contrast to his earlier self. Perhaps, he no longer saw me as a threat. It could also be I was the first person in a long while whom he could safely talk to without fearing I might turn him in.

We had casual conversation on the way back to the terminal. Once we re-entered the terminal, we parted way because I had a ferry to catch. He showed his appreciation for my company with a gentle pat on my shoulder before he left. By then, boarding had started for my ferry.

On the ferry to Geoje island, I thought about my unusual encounter. Why did our path cross? My heart told me I was a fugitive just like him. He was running away from justice and I from reality. It was like Huckleberry Finn and Jim; their path crossed when both of them were running away from their enslavement, despite one being white and the other black.

"I am no coward. I will go home and face the reality one day. Meanwhile, I just want to enjoy a moment of freedom.", I assured myself. Soon, I fell asleep. I dreamed of seagulls flying freely at the Busan port.

Soon, I fell asleep. I dreamed of seagulls flying freely at the Busan port.

비슷해도 달라

Below are three common verbs which are similar in form:

1. 흘리다 → 흘려요

2. 흐르다 → 흘러요

3. 흐리다 → 흐려요

Without checking the dictionary, fill in the blank below with the correct verb:

A. 날씨가 _____

B. 눈물을 _____

C. 시간이 _____

If you're not confused, I am. Even with helping words, I am still not certain which goes where sometimes. 

For a long time, I was unable to resolve these three verbs because I never gave much thought to them. Sometimes I thought they were the same. Sometimes, I mistook one for the other. Not only do they look alike, the meaning of  '흘려요' and '흘러요' is also quite similar in a way. They both have something to do with the flow of liquid.

With the help of dictionary, it is quite clear the three verbs are different in meaning:

1. 흘리다 → 흘려요

Definition: 밖으로 내다
('come out' as in to shed or to spill)

2. 흐르다 → 흘러요
Definition: 높은 곳에서 낮은 곳으로 움직이거나 넘쳐서 떨어지다
(move, overflow or drop from a high place to a low place)
 

3. 흐리다 → 흐려요
Definition: 분명하지 않다
(not clear, blur)

Hence, the answers are: A(3), B(1), C(2)

These three verbs are one example of "I thought I know but I actually don't".

분홍빛

사진으로 보는 것보다 실물이 훨씬 더 멋진 분홍빛 벚꽃. 파아란 하늘과 잘 어우러진 벚꽃을 그저 보면서 감탄만 할뿐. 왠지 이 화면은 유학 시절의 낭만도 떠오르게 한다.

사랑과 비

Love has two faces and they are “happiness” and “sadness”. Only love can perform the miracle of merging what are seemingly opposite and make them one. - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

As much as love can be dazzlingly beautiful, it can be heartbreakingly sad. Sometimes, tears may flow because you are very happy. Sometimes, in the midst of sadness, you may fall into a moment of happiness.

Rain and love are quite alike. It rains regardless if you are happy or sad. On a rainy day, you may feel happy due to the warmth of our companionship. On a rainy day, you may weep due to the sense of loneliness of past memories. If it is a rainy day, memories filled with happiness and sadness rains into our hearts.

(Translation of excerpt from KBS's "Love Rain" official site)

With so many covered walkways erected in Singapore, it is kinda difficult to have opportunity to share umbrella with someone else on a rainy day. Even without covered walkways, I am not too sure if people will share umbrella. As city becomes more crowded, people tend to keep a further distance from one another.

가수 못지않음

Not all singers can sing and not all non-singers can't sing. There are many people around us whom we think should have become singer but who never will. It is always a joy to hear them sing because they don't release albums nor stage performance frequently.

Shin Bora is a Korean comedienne or gag woman. She is a regular in the KBS2's programme "Gag Concert" which is aired every Sunday night. Every week, viewers are entertained by how she or her partner insists on a break up for some of the silliest reason out there in the segment "The Discovery of Life". It is quite well-known that she has a good vocal but it is not until I heard her sang seriously in Yu Huiyeol's Sketchbook that I am smitten by her voice.

Shin Bora singing Kim Yeon Woo's "I love you is a common word" 

Lee Hana is a Korean actress. She made her debut in one of my favourite Korean drama "Alone in Love" as the quirky sister of Son Ye-jin. She is one of those people whom you will want to say, "You should have been a singer." She has a melodious voice which is rare in the K-pop scene. I kinda suspect people will remember her more for her singing than her acting. Life is full of ironies.

Lee Hana singing Janis Ian's Grammy award winning song "At Seventeen"

봄 소식 전하는 팬지

From late February to early March, pansy begins to move out of nursery onto the streets and parks of Korea to deliver the first message of spring. No spring starts without the colourful petals of pansy. The bleak and gloom of winter is erased completely with a sudden explosion of colour.

Footsteps of spring

Pansy-decorated spring

꽁꽁 얼어있음

체감 온도가 급히 떨어지는 상태 물레방아에 길게 얼어붙은 고드름이 꽃처럼 활짝 피었던 겨울. 신기하죠. 예쁘죠.

열차 탐

喜欢搭火车，一种感性多过理性的过程。或许火车的旅程有点像是人生的缩写。有起点，有终点，有起伏，有驿站，还有车窗外那些过了就捕捉不回的一景一幕。

听说太白山的雪景很美，所以冒着清晨零下温度搭上了从清凉里出发的无穷花号火车。火车面向东海刚升起的太阳，徐徐朝向位于朝鲜半岛岭东的太白山前进。岭东路线最特别之处是火车会翻越横跨朝鲜半岛的白头大干山脉。山峦起伏，一望无尽的白头大干，其壮观真是令人叹为观止。

就这样，一山过一山，一镇过一镇，一隧道过一隧道，四个小时的车程在不知不觉中告了尾声。回想时，旅程最大的乐趣，应该不止是窗外令人陶醉的华丽山川和锦绣田野，还有凝望窗外发呆时所做的白日梦。

如果没有汉字站名，我还以为我来到了“童话驿”

宁越应该是战国时代的人物吧。听说他文武双全。

冬天里，轨道两旁干枯的野草，迎着风，垂头丧气地晃动着。

一路上那些毫不起眼的小车站，如果拍成电影，应该会成旅游热点吧。

冬天里，一切都好像停止了。

高原上的城市，少了些活力却多了些恬静。

到站了，绑好鞋带再出发。太白山的雪景等着我吧。