Blog 32 - 15th November

Autumn is truly beautiful with clear blue skies and crisp cold days. Here are some photos of the campus. In the background are forested mountains: SNU campus is in a valley, surrounded by mountains, which just now are in gloriously varied autumn colours. Ginko trees abound on Seoul National University (SNU) campus, so these days it's a carpet of golden leaves. The Ginko is sometimes called the maidenhair tree, for its leaves are shaped like those of the maidenhair fern. Damien is the guest editor this time so get ready for a botanical tour.

The small shrine (above) is just opposite Damien's department terrace garden, on the 9th floor. Just shout out a few Buddhist prayers: Without a mountain, there is no river. But no shoutingBuddhists always speak quietly.

Because the campus has some 30,000 students, the main circulation loop road (which totals 7 km in length) can be rather too busy, but somehow the trees make is seem altogether a most beautiful place.

At our apartment, the forested hill we see from the living room is similarly ablaze in autumn colours. Being on the third level, we look straight into the tree tops.

This one (above) is taken from our balcony window.

Damien had a nostalgic trip out to the old Suwon campus, where he lived for the first two years in Korea. It's mostly abandoned now, awaiting a new purpose, and most of the mature planting has gone wild, but there are still some magnificent trees including this Ginko.

This is a main circulation stair on campus (the site is very hilly) which runs from the main amenities building (cafeteria, bookshop, 7/11, etc) up to the main library, so it's a busy link.

Another revered spot on campus is a small pond (Jahayeon) which reflects the tree colours throughout autumn.

We recently returned to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is located in Seoul Grand Park to the south of Seoul, and took these photos in the gardens. Here is Damien coming to grips with a carefully composed assemblage of rusty iron, not to be confused with a pile of building rubble.

Here am I in what reminds me of Ned Kelly's helmet - complete with tree. And below, under the autumn avenue.