It's 12:01 am Monday night/Tuesday morning as I write this, which means it's 10:01 am Monday morning in Yankeeville. I'm writing to tell all of you in the West that you're in store for a fantastic full moon tonight. It may not be there yet, but I've seen it, and it rocks.
This was no ordinary full moon in Korea. Apparently the first full moon of the lunar new year is a big deal here, so naturally they had to light shit on fire. In this case, the inferno came in the form of a large "tree" (which actually was a hollow, wooden pyramid covered in pine branches and adhesive). A large portion of my borough, or "gu", gathered on the beach to watch it razed and generally enjoy themselves. In true Korean fashion almost 95% of the men were piss drunk. Someone mentioned to me that this was important because drinking during this celebration allows one to accept compliments throughout the duration of the new year. Listen, I've lived in Africa, and still, if that's not the most archaic thing I've ever heard then I don't know what is. But hey, it sounds right to me.
And what do I know. America has no traditions of its own outside of eating birds, blowing things up in the summer, buying crap, and various other occasions that most likely only exist because they might have provided jobs during the new deal. What's wrong with a little fantasy to compliment your fire? It's unique and fun and... whatever. So here are some shots of the event. I suppose it was probably the coolest thing I've ever done on a non-holiday Monday night. Though, let's be honest, that's not really saying much.
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