가을을 부르는 코스모스

'Autumn' peeking out of the fence

Cosmos heralds the arrival of autumn. Graduation ceremony in late August is affectionately called the cosmos graduation ceremony (코스모스 졸업식). How nice it would be if you could take your graduation photos in a field of swaying cosmos under the blue sky of autumn.

Not forgetting the breathtaking blue sky of early autumn

은행 나무 아래

은행 나무 아래에 서서 가을의 아름다움을 충분히 느낀다. 은행 나무 아래에 하고 싶은 일은 우리 일상의 희노애락을 나누는 것이다. 재미있는 일이라든지 재미없는 일이라든지 상관없다. 기분이 좋기만 세상 죄다 좋다고 생각하기 때문이다.

희망이란

희망이란 길이 끝나는 곳에서 늘 새로운 길이 시작되고 있는 것이다

맥문동 (麥門冬)

During late July and early August, lilac-purple flowers cover the landscape of Seoul. It has the colour of Lavender but not its sweet scent. A native of East Asia, it's called Liriope or 맥문동 (麥門冬) in Korean. In Chinese, it's known as "山麦冬". Not only it's a good landscaping plant, its roots have medicinal value. When I see Liriope blooming, it reminds me that the end of summer is only a month away.

어서 오세요

When you run a mom-and-pop store with passion, this is what you will get:

장마 지나간 후

The monsoon has left and it's time to hit the beach. If there is some saving grace for the summer heat, it turns the beach into heaven.

I like to stay at the beach until sunset

오렌지 선셋

This flower is a Calibrachoa and blooms from spring to fall. It has a beautiful name (which flower don't) - "Dream Kisses Orange Sunset". [Taken at Rose Garden, Seoul Grand Park]

How's this for orange sunset? Does orange sunet look dreamy? [Taken at Minmeoru Beach, Seongmo Island]

장맛비

A non-rainy day during the monsoon season was a gift even if it was gloomy

I don't like summer heat but I miss the monsoon season. The season is here again. When it rains, remember to share your umbrella with the person next to you who have forgotten to bring one.

꿈

"To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation . . . and, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

"Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives but none about his or her own.

Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny.

At certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world greatest lie.

There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth.

To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation.

And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

It's the possibility of having dream come true that makes life interesting."

"The Alchemist", Paulo Coelho

개양귀비

"To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . .", said the fox.

"I am beginning to understand," said the little prince. "There is a flower . . . I think that she has tamed me . . ."

I was always reminded of this conversation between the fox and the little prince whenever I saw a field of flowers. Thousands and millions of them but they all look the same to me. In the end, I only saw a sea of colours and not a single flower.

The month of June is the blooming season of Shirley Poppy (개양귀비), also known as 'Yang Gui Fei' in Korea. You heard it right, "Yang Gui Fei' (楊貴妃) is also the name of one of the four great beauties of the ancient China. With a name related to an ancient beauty, you can imagine how much more beautiful it would be to be standing in a field surrounded by thousands and millions of scarlet Shirley Poppy. 

"There is a flower . . . I think that she has tamed me . . ."

A sea of scarlet Shirley Poppy in England

One place in Korea where you can enjoy the spectacle is "View Botanic Garden" (포천뷰식물, www.viewgarden.co.kr), located in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do. It has a 7,000 'pyeong' (1 'pyeong' = 3.3m2) field filled with waving poppies every year in the month of June. Besides Shirley Poppy, you also get to see other species like Iceland Poppy, Tulip Poppy and Calfornia Poppy. These poppies are 'safe' in the sense they are not the poppy species which are known to produce opiates. The botanic garden held its first "Red Poppy Festival", the largest of its kind, in June 2006. During this annual festival, visitors can expect to taste food made and cooked with poppy petals. I wish I am in Korea in June so that I can tell you how they taste like.