So, last Thursday evening (Feb 21st) saw the first full-moon festival for the lunar year (or 정월대보름). I returned to Dadae-Po (다대포) that evening at around 7pm, braving the rush-hour traffic and the heaving masses that crammed themselves into the buses. I am honestly glad that I did.
I went by myself since Lolita didn’t feel up to it with her injury which was a shame as I know she would have enjoyed it. These days I rarely ever bother going places to celebrate Korean (or any other national holiday). Indeed, I avoid as many of the Korean holidays as possible since many of them just seem to feel ‘plastic-coated’ and are just overcrowded with people who only desire to go because “everyone else” will be there. “Sheep Fest’s” I am wont to call them…
This was different. I have always liked the moon. While in previous years I have passed this evening by without a care, I saw something a little different in Dadae-Po the other weekend. Perhaps it was the notion that the moon had come out especially early to watch people building a fire in its honour or just the locale and its still ‘untouched’ self. Whatever the reason, my arrival that night was the right choice.
I was late for the actual start of lighting the fire (it probably started during the afternoon, I don’t know) and by the time I had arrived the fire had already consumed the vast ‘fire-tree’ both Lolita and I had marvelled over last Sunday. Even so, the blaze was impressive nonetheless! I made my way through the small 
gathering taking pictures and drinking the Heineken Dark I had brought with me, surprised at how few people were here compared to the same event I had seen in Gwangan during years past. There were no barriers or preventative measures around the fire and people could stand as close as they dared. Kids would rush up and steal burning wood so that could run along the beach with embers aglow. Rockets and fireworks were launched up into the night sky, narrowly missing the illuminated kites that were being darted this way and that. The kites were fascinating, having small L.E.D. lights fitted in them so you could see them in the dark. Great!
For me, however, the most important aspect of the evening was how bright the moon 
shone and how it seemed to be gazing down at the blaze upon the beach. Indeed, the fire danced and leapt up in the direction the moon shone, almost as if it sought desperately to reach out and touch the golden beacon of the night. It was quite amazing that the fire burned in such a manner. Had the fire been constructed thus so or was it just circumstance that gave it that impression? It did not matter, the image (to me at least) was both long lasting and inspiring.
I left after about an hour or so, just before the fireworks began although I caught them on film as I was walking back to the bus stop for the ride home (and the delicious mousse cake that awaited me in “1212″… courtesy of Lolita!). The camera that you can see here in the photo is the new one that Lolita recently bought. It does a very good job and she got it for a
great price too (Slim, sleek, and nice to look at… yes, yes, we know you bought it because it is just like you, Lolita). Of course, I had to take the old camera with me since there was no way Lolita was going to entrust something as sexy as the new camera into my dodgy hands! Still, the old camera did a sterling job on the night and I was pleased with the images that I managed to capture.
I bought a coffee on the way and picked up some extra biscuits (I pretended that Lolita was with me and so the coffee bloke gave me some extra) which I had hoped to give to the little dog Lolita and I had seen last Sunday. Sadly, he wasn’t there… only the rope leash that he had been tethered with. I hoped that perhaps he had escaped and gone in search of his own biscuits or that perhaps the moon had set him free and taken him along on its solitary journey through the night.
Anyway, here’s to the moon…
Cheers!
