KE695.

Cheltenham Badlands.

Some geologists and ecologists now believe that we have entered the new geological era called 'Anthroposcene'- due to the human activities causing significant impact on the Earth's ecosystem. It is no doubt that human are the major cause to alter the environment; Canals can be built in few years where as rivers takes hundreds to be formed and the new land can be easily created by relocating debris into an ocean.

This location is not really an exotic scenery of nature, but rather the evidence of detrimental anthropogenic influence on nature. In the pre-1930s era, this land used to be part of a farm that grows crops. However, too much usage of synthetic fertilizer has caused the positive feedback of soil erosion and underlying Queenston shale has been exposed. The formation is red in colour due to exessive iron oxide deposits.

일부 지질학자들과 생태학자들은 인간이 지구 생태계에 미치는 영향이 증가함에 따라 새로운 지질연대기에 들어섰다고 생각한다. 몇백년이 걸리던 강의 생성과정은 인간의 힘으로 의해 몇달안으로 사라질 수 있고, 기계의 힘을 빌려 물이없는 육지에 수로를 낼 수 도 있다. 인간은, 경제적 필요성이 존재하면 바다를 간척해서 새로운 땅도 만들어낼 수 있는, 신적인 능력을 가졌다.

사진에 보이는 모습은 자연의 이국적이고 경의로운 모습과는 다소 거리가 먼, 인간의 무분별한 생태계 개발의 결과물이다. 이 곳은 원래 농작물을 기르던 농장이였으나 지나친 화학농약의 사용으로 인해 토양침식을 가속하였고 퀸스턴 셰일층이 노출되었다. 이 지층이 유난히 빨간색인 이유는 산화철(iron oxide)이 공기와 닿아 화학반응을 이르키기 때문이다. 

Bruce Peninsula National Park.

Coast of Georgian Bay- Tobermory, Ontario.

One of the core sites of the UNESCO's Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve.

Look at these straight-cut joints of dolostones and the clear- emerald colour of the lake.

I've never thought there could be such a place in Ontario.

MS Chi-Cheemaun.

Aboard MS Chi-Cheemaun (meaning 'big canoe' in Ojibwe language)

 Heading South Baymouth from Tobermory through the edge of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

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This particular scenery reminded me of the paint called 'To Prince Edward Island' by a Canadian wartime painter Alex Colville. I remember just standing infront of this work hanging in the National Gallery of Canada and stayed in awe for its unique colour contrast and composition. 

Parry Sound, Ontario.

 
The first night of the field trip was spent at the Comfort Inn just outside of the Parry Sound, Ontario- a small, beautiful township with population of 6,000. When the dusk of the night started to set, A group friends and I walked into a 5 Pin Bowling place called Georgian Lane.

Being in, perhaps, one of the few stores in the town that were opened in that evening was definitely a new thing for me. There were several groups of locals- variety of age groups- enjoying bowling on a saturday night. On the next lane to ours, there was a family with a teenaged daughter. On the couples of lane next to ours, there was a young boy playing bowl with the store clerk. On the farthest lane from ours, there was a group of three girls in their early 20s. With old pop music on the background, everything I see came so different and fresh in this place; maybe it was because I lived in cities through all of my life.

The best part was when I went to get two bottles of beers for myself and a friend. It was my first time to make a choice of drink in a bar and show my ID to proudly prove my age of majority. When the store clerk of the bowling alley checked my ID and realized that I've become 19 not so long ago, she just gave me free- 'on the house' drinks (:

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art.

Features collection of traditional Korean art, 36 pieces of which have been designated national treasures, and modern and contemporary art from both Korean and foreign artists. Some of the notable names are Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst (yikes!), Jeff Koons, and so on. 

One of the most interesting aspects about this museum is building itself. Three of them were designed by three prestigious architects, Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel, and Rem Koolhaas.

A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Alpensia Ski Jumping Stadium.

In less than 6 years, this empty stadium would be full of crowd, media, athletes, and snow.

I'll be 24 going on 25 on that year and god knows what I would've gone through by then.

2018 sounds like a year that's never going to come, but I already know that I'll be referring to this post when I write a new blog post when the winter olympic starts on that year. Let's see.

Daegwallyeong/대관령

Green pasture on a plateau, just off the coast of the East Sea. 

Samyang Ranch/삼양목장

Corporate Pavilions/기업관

Transparent touch screen- discover how the steelmaker is involved in 

sustainable development of ocean resources.

54 47-inch display panels to form media chandelier. 

Animated Pixel Wall.

Personally, corporate pavilions were the finest amongst others. It's always interesting to find out about

other cultures and get to know more about ocean related environmental issue (as it was the main theme of the expo), but they couldn't beat the amount of capital and effort these corporates are putting in their pavilion.

International Pavilions/국제관

Deep sea water samples around the world, gathered by a Spanish ROVs

"Ride the wave of creativity towards new horizons.

Use your imagination to make a positive impact on the future."

Sweden, the birthplace of LEGO, let children to play with the blocks freely. 

Ayyalah Dance - representation of battle that 

signifying the defeat of enemy and celebration of victory.

Yeosu Expo 2012/여수세계박람회

"The Living Ocean and Coast"

Gwangmyeong Station/광명역

Trip Summary.

July 2nd to 7th, 2012 (5 nights 6 days)

5 cities

Express Bus 3 times

Public Bus 11 times

Train 5 times

Taxi 4 times

Ship 2 times

KTX4062 bound to Seoul.

From Yeosu, heading back to Seoul on a high-speed train.

I don't mind about getting on a regular bus or a train, but this time was little bit different.

It has already been 6 days away from home and my friends were about to head to Jeju island.

I wanted to be in home and see my family as fast as I could.

Just as my heart beat faster, the train was racing to Seoul at the speed of 300km/h

Jinju National Museum.

On the way from Tongyeong to Yeosu, I decided to transfer from expres bus to a train at Jinju.

Few hours of free time allowed me to visit the Jinju Castle and its national museum.

I didn't really expect much and didn't get much either. 

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I did meet two interesting people in Jinju though. I met a guy named Luke from San Francisco who's been in Jinju for a week and about to start his work as an English teacher. He was looking to get some information brochures about traveling to Seoul and Busan at the train station. I know staying in a small city would be quiet a challenge for a foreigner but I hope he gets through it well. 

Another person was a railroad officer who took care of my complicated ticket exchange situation. He was new at the job and needed to call others to find out how to deal with my special case (changing the departure date of KTX that had special rate for the specific date). I was quiet grateful for his effort and the sympathy. When I visited him again in half an hour with two drinks, he was gone but I told another officer to give the drink to him. I didn't get to see him again but I'm sure he happy about it.

House of Broken Dreams.

Abandoned and yet visited.

SeomSarang No.3/섬사랑3호

1.5 hours on a stormy sea is not an easy thing.

When I woke up, apparently a lot of other passengers threw up.

Going across the sea to see what I seeked *smile*

Somaemuldo Island/소매물도섬

A boat left Tongyeong Port at 7am and arrived at the Somaemuldo Island around 8:30am

Just like its size, there are only 15 houses, one store, and a single road in this island.

When the time is right, you could also walk across the sea and to where the lighthouse is located.

It is hard to describe what I felt while looking at that island for hours.

No signs of people. Mist on and off. Sound of wind, an ocean, and seagulls