Today's Iridescence

Some More Random Shots

taken on my photo-crawls through the streets and alleyways of Seoul.

 

My Thumb

Took the bandage off after two days washing and showering with it on.

Ready For The Buddha's Birthday

Yes, it's the Buddha, not just Buddha, as it is a title, not a name, and in this context it refers to a specific person -- born Siddhartha Gautama, son of a minor king in a kingdom which is now part of Nepal -- whose life is commemorated in this, the 2,570th year, of the Buddhist calendar.  His birthday is the 8th day of the fourth lunar month, and this year it falls on the 24th of May by the Gregorian calendar.

To mark the holiday a stupa of colorful paper laterns has been set up in the plaza.  It's surrounded by a fence of miniature lanterns, each of which carries a prayer or wish written by a devotee on a mock gold-leaf leaf (ha!).

Bardo: Between Hell

and some place that's kind of Heaven-ish but (wow, I just meant to type 'and' but it came out 'but' -- wonder if it's my fingers doing a Freudian slip) really is not, but maybe is, in some ways.

This is one of the scariest posts I've put up so far.

Like I keep telling you, Sam, don't drink and internet.

Another UFO?

Unknown object photographed over a busy intersection in Seoul.  

Prickle Rainbow Moon (Mod Photo VIII)

 

Today's Acquisition

While on the way home from a luncheon with my extended family I explored a nearby underground shopping mall.  While there I checked out a small shop that sold various ornamental knick-knacks, and when I saw this heart carved out of a chunk of rose quartz, I fell in love with it instantly.  The proprietress urged it on me, telling me it would bring love and romance, but I didn't need the extra convincing.

The lighting isn't the greatest in the above shots and the stone came out looking kind of somber and thick, but look at this shot, how pretty is that!

You might say I gained a heart of stone, but hey, at least it's better than having a heart of glass, no...?

Related posts:  Heart

A Pebble, And What It Reminded Me Of

There is a recently built boardwalk that goes partway around a neighboring apartment complex.  It's really not all that long but it's woodsy and shady, and along much of its length it's hard to believe it actually borders a busy road on one side, separated only by its height, and by huge highrise blocks on the other.  I like to stroll down it when I feel like taking a mini-nature walk, taking in the leafy sights and smells and just enjoying the vibe.

Then the other day my eyes alighted on something that hadn't been there before.  Someone had placed a pebble on top of the brick parapet.

Its placement there was certainly not random, not the result of an accident -- it had to have been deliberately placed there by someone, someone who I think understands the preciousness inherent in the action of taking an ordinary something, even a less-than-ordinary something, that would have been overlooked or noticed but immediately ignored, and imbuing it with emotional importance by the very act of treating it as important.  I would be quite annoyed if I were to witness someone carelessly flick it away as ordinary litter, not understanding that it represents someone's act of devotion.

I stood there looking at it for some time, and it put me in a state of... a kind of poetic melancholy or reverie I guess you could call it, if you had to give it a name.  And now that I'm looking at these images again, I am reminded of other times I have felt something relatable to it -- especially of this one particular occasion years ago, not long after I started this blog.

Some other related posts:  The Beautiful Secret Language...                                             Beauty II                                                                                   One Unusual Night

What The Cat Left Behind

At least, I assume a cat was responsible.  I have seen stray cats -- or perhaps just indoor/outdoor cats on patrol -- roaming the neighborhood on numerous occasions, but never a stray dog (or weasels or racoons or any other kind of feral creatures, for that matter).

The sight reminded me of another incident from a couple of weeks ago -- a roadkill pigeon.  But how does a bird get run over by a car?  Was it lying helpless on the road because it was sick or dying, or perhaps already dead?  I'm reproducing those images here also, albeit shrunk down, due to their gruesome nature (feel free to expand them, though).

Related posts:  I Guess "Lucky" Really Isn't The Word...                                 Errant Wing                                                                               Dead Bird                                                                                 Dead Hummingbird

Living Room Reflection

The living room of my apartment is separated from the balcony by a glass door.  Normally I don't pay it much attention, but one night recently, I happened to catch a glimpse of the living room reflected in the glass, and found it captivating.  The reflected living room seemed more cozy, more intimate, more lonely, and more mysterious all at the same time.  Certainly, the feel was all just a reflection of my own state of mind, but as I told someone recently, inside of my head is where I happen to live.

Mandala (Mod Photo VII)

 

Afternoon Sun: Fire And Smoke

 

*Only after posting this image did I realize I'd just been listening to a cover of "Heaven's On Fire" by Cassidy Paris (originally recorded by Kiss).  Yes, I listen to the song often, it's a favorite of mine^^

Wandering The Depths In The Bardo

 

They Just Keep Coming

A church, a dove, and iridescent clouds.  Today's post was yet another one that recalled to mind the Covenent after the Flood.

"Devant moi, le déluge."

 

Related posts:  How Appropriate;  Another "How Appropriate"

Untitled VI

I guess I could've titled it "Yes, It's This Guy"...

Reflection On An Empty Shop Window

looks like a rabbit hole I could jump into.

Long ago, when I was still a child in Seoul before moving to the U.S., I watched this animated cartoon on TV that had to do with characters jumping into a shallow puddle on the street.  If they got it timed just right, instead of landing on wet pavement they would fall through an interdimensional tunnel and end up in a whole other world in a parallel universe.  How I longed for a chance to partake in that adventure!

 

Just Coined Yet Another Neologism

Decomposition of organic matter produces heat.  On rare occasions compost heaps have been known to spontaneously start smoldering.  So I've come up with this:  "ROT is HOT".  

Moon Over Pine Tree

 

Just Some Random Shots

from my walk around the neighborhood this afternoon.