Last weekend, my taekwando master, Mr. Kim, was married in one of the local wedding halls. The ceremony, typical, I’m told, of Korean weddings, might resemble {{link http://www.wedinvegas.com/ Las Vegas}}–glitz and surrealism. The happy couple was transported down the side wall of the room in an open-sided booth that emitted dry-ice smoke. The couple departed the booth at the back of the room and then proceeded up to the main “altar” at the front of the room. It’s not really an altar, since this is not a religious ceremony. In marching to the front, to the strains of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, they passed under a couple of fake swords wielded by two lady aides, dressed in mock military uniforms, which reminded me of {{link http://www.campusprogram.com/reference/en/wikipedia/b/bu/busby_berkeley.html Busby Berkeley}} musicals of the ’30s. The room itself is very ornate. Outside the building (no photos yet) are several neon palm trees, green-, yellow-, and red-colored, I believe, that are quite a spectacle at night. I’ll try to get some photos of these to post. After the ceremony, those giving money to the couple (no merchandise given, just money) are allowed to gorge themselves on a pretty decent Korean buffet a couple of floors above the wedding ceremony area. Overall, quite interesting, if kitschy.
I was bicycling around town last night, shooting some night photos using my new tripod, when I spotted what looked like a full-blown forest fire on one of the hills surrounding Andong. I watched as the fire swept through the tops of some trees, causing {{link http://www.nps.gov/yell/slidefile/fire/1988/crownfire/page.htm crown fires}}. I was probably several kilometers away, so I didn’t get a great view, but it definitely reminded me of some of the fires I’ve seen in western Montana. I couldn’t get any great photos (wish I’d had the big camera with its telephoto lens with me), but there is one here and a few more on the photo page.
I paid for my ticket to Thailand (about $300 roundtrip), but I’m still waiting to receive it in the mail. I’m told that the travel agent doesn’t send it until just before I’m supposed to leave. We’ll see what happens, but I hope I get it soon. I’m leaving on June 28th and returning on July 21st. At least, I think I’m returning–maybe I’ll love Thailand so much that I’ll just stay and become a beach bum 
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