Don't forget to Look UP!

Details abounding in the Madison State Capitol building, it's important to look up. I loved this circular 28' ceiling skylight made from toned leaded glass, found in the Senate Chamber. Clear blue skies from above helped intensify the colors from the glass, dancing at times in patterns.

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Touches of Wisconsin

Symbols reflecting the unique aspects of Wisconsin abound in the capitol. Fitting of the "Badger State," a statue of this feisty animal appears on guard above the entrance to the state's Supreme Court. 

Even the door handles include our furry friend and state seal. I love such attention to detail.

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Stairways and Doorways

The stairways and doorways found in the beautifully restored Capitol interior compliment the majestic finishings of the walls and floors. Metalwork designs on the railings echo the stenciled designs restored on the murals above. The warm wood on top of the stairways was beautifully finished and felt smooth to the touch. Although electrified, the light fixtures retain their timeless beauty. Stately granite columns frame each side of the main governmental doorways, with each covered with elaborate grillwork doors. Although the elevators have been upgraded to enable accessibility, they also retain much of their original charm.

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Mosaics in the State Capitol

Illuminated by the soft natural lighting from the rotunda, the four glass mosaics on each of the pendentives are worthy of attention. Representing the three branches of the state's branches of government as well as Liberty, each mosaic contains around 100,000 glass pieces. Recent restoration of the mosaics reveal the brilliant colors used by artist Kenyon Cox (1856-1919).

Read more about the mosaics and other details of the State Capitol.

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Madison Capitol Rotunda and Gallery

The interior of the world's largest granite dome is equally beautiful. Arched windows from the dome and four glassed arches let in plenty of natural light, illuminating the mosaics, granite, marble flooring, and stairways. The South Gallery contains a replica of the Liberty Bell.

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White Granite Beauty

Blue skies made a great backdrop for my morning visit to the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison. Completed in 1917, the current building, now a National Historic Landmark, is a central dominating feature of downtown Madison. Between its height (city legislation prohibits any other building from being taller) and roads leading to the to it like spokes, it truly stands out amongst the bustling area. Its exterior is covered with 

Bethel White Granite from Vermont. Just three feet shorter than the nation's capitol, the building has the distinction of having the largest exterior granite dome in the world. With the well-kept landscaping, it makes a beautiful scene for the weekly summer Concerts on the Square.

Happy 4th!

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Concert on the Square

One of the traditions I look forward to during the summer is going to a Concert on the Square with my sister and family. Held on the Capitol grounds in Madison, the free Wednesday concerts are an enjoyable cultural event. People of all ages attend, making it a whole evening. Blankets can be set out starting at mid-afternoon to reserve one's spot. An hour or two before the concert starts, people begin arriving, toting picnic lunches that range from home-packed sandwiches to fancier takeout with wine. Even though the temperature was a bit cool, the patriotic-themed concert was a hit. What a great way to spend a summer evening!

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Fire Stormy Sky

This evening, right before nightfall, I happened to glance out of my condo window and spotted this beautiful sky. Courtesy of a thunderstorm, the warm fire sky was a sight to behold.

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Wisconsin Backyard

What better way than spending my first week back in Wisconsin, enjoying my family in such a beautiful setting. As you can see, my parents love being outside. They spend many hours making their woodsy backyard, gardens, and flower patches making everything so lush. There's never too many flowers for my mom! 

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There's a Tiger out the Window!

Lattice windows on Bongwonsa Temple in Seoul

I love visiting the Buddhist temples in Korea. Even the newer ones have beautifully painted beams and wooden lattice windows with carved nature scenes. The tiger is a popular motif in Korean culture and is seen as a symbol of courage and power. Cranes, seen in the panel next to the right tiger one, are a symbol of longevity. Roosters are a symbol of intelligence and trust, and carp are associated with reproduction. The lotus flower is a revered symbol of creation and prosperity, while chrysanthemums signify elegance. Bamboo signifies fidelity and the pine tree is associated with longevity.

Even more symbols can be found on the walls of the Buddhist temples. I'd love to have someone explain about their many stories and meanings.

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South India and South Korea Beaches

Although both of these beach photos contain similar colors, the contrasts couldn't be larger. Pricey, touristic well-developed beaches in South Korea, vs. the polluted fishing beaches of South India where its residents don't even have access to toilets.

Busan, South Korea

Chennai, south India

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Painted Trees and Beams

My last night in Seoul prior to heading back to Wisconsin for the summer. While it is the beauty of such painted (man-made and God-made) scenes I will hold on to visually, it is the lasting friendships I will cherish. Unlike the highly temporal beauty of the painted blossoms of spring, I pray that those human connections will last much longer. Until we meet again. 

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Little Buddhas

Some delightful little Buddha figurines at Yonggungsa Temple in Busan, South Korea. Their locations are quite playful as well. I'd love to hear the story about these child-like pieces I've seen at most temples in Korea.

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Flowers and Fruits

The offerings left at altars fascinate me. Amongst the many things here at Samgwangsa Temple in Busan for Buddha's birthday included items such as exotic and domestic flowers, exotic fruits, bags of rice, rice treats, and candles. I loved how glass bottles of Fanta and other soft drinks (with straws in them) adorned the small Buddhist altars in Thailand. What would you leave as  sign of your devotion?

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Point the Way, Fishie

When visiting the Gamcheon village in Busan (South Korea), these colorful folksy fish-themed signs cheerfully point the way for the many visitors eager to efficiently navigate through the narrow alleys of this hilly neighborhood. Personally, I love to wander, knowing that some of the most delightful scenes are off the beaten path. 

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A Maybe Wedding

While in Busan, I spotted this wedding hall. While wedding halls are common place to hold one's wedding in Korea, the name of this one bore a second look- Maybe? I wonder what the couple in the hanbok (traditional clothing) were thinking.

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Roses of Bukchon

Strolling through the older neighborhood of Seoul known as Bukchon is pleasant at any time. The rose bushes outside these homes added an extra touch of color and ornamentation to these already decorative buildings.

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Sewol: A Nation Still in Mourning

On April 16, 2014, a tragedy off the southern coast of South Korea sent the entire nation in mourning. In the Sewol ferry accident, 288 of the 476 passengers lost their lives. Particularly devastating was the fact that most of those who perished were from a high school. Nearly two months later, emotions still run deep. The images here are from a memorial still up outside City Hall in Seoul. Yellow dominated the scene in the form of ribbons, paper boats, post-it notes, and more. Original artwork, carefully framed, filled a large section. Under a tent, official-looking people stood near a beautiful display of flowers. The entire area had a very somber mood. Perhaps the tone was further darkened by the grim news that yet another diver in search of the 16 victims still unaccounted for had died. 

Since the tragedy, many events throughout the country (including our school) have been canceled. Others have been quite subdued and more somber. 

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Delicate carvings of Wontongjeon Panel

Just finished my latest artwork - a color pencil drawing of a Seonamsa Buddhist temple door of in Suncheon, South Korea.

See more of my South Korea Artwork on Flickr, Melissa Enderle Artwork Facebook page, and Melissa Enderle website,

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Taejongdae Park

Following lunch at the Gamcheon Taeukdo village, our bus crawled in thick traffic to Taejongdae Park. Arriving much later than expected, we only had a short time to enjoy the beautiful park. My Vietnamese friend and I stayed longer, enabling us to take in more of the natural sights. Shaded by the canopy of trees, we walked along the paved walkway. A wheeled vehicle looking like a train transported paying customers to specified destinations. Most people chose to walk though, taking with them children crabby with no naps, pets, and older relatives. Once again, most dogs were small and wore outfits, and some even had their ears or tail dyed in fluorescent pink or orange colors. Other small dogs were carried in special backpacks worn on the chests of their doting owners.   Rest stops, cafés, and shops were conveniently located throughout the park. 

Well-maintained stairways with railings led people down to experience great views and down cliffs to the famous rock beach. Here, people enjoyed climbing on the rocks and resting, observing the light house, large ships, and other scenery. On this breezy, slightly hazy day, we were not able to see the Tsushima Island of Japan. Back at the entrance, we joined many others who waited in lines to board public buses transporting people back to central areas of Busan. 

Following a few firecrackers along the beach near where we were staying in a rather lackluster motel, our time in Busan was swiftly drawing to a close. Until next time.

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Taegeukdo Gamcheon Village

The following morning, we started our tour at Taegeukdo Village. Located in the Gamcheon neighborhood of Busan, this community developed when around 4,000 followers of the Taegeukdo religion became refugees during the Korean war and settled here. Over 800 cube-like shacks were erected upon the steep hillside, virtually stacked one on top of each other. Photos in one building showed how shanty-like this poor village appeared during the Korean War. Encouraged by the leader of the Taegeukdo religion, the religious refugees began building the concrete homes seen today. Most of the homes are painted in rather bright colors; blue is the dominant roof color. On top of the flat roofs, water holding tanks were a common sight. Occasionally, one spotted a few older residents (only about 10,000 remain here, down from double that amount in the 1980s) working in tiny gardens. Kimchi pots with rocks on top of the lids were a rather common sight; flower pots and lines of laundry added a bit of color.

Book-themed stairway

Visitors (there were quite a few of them on this day) were free to wander through the narrow alleys and steep steps. Many were on a quest to get the “passport” on their map of the village all completed with the requisite stamps from various locations within the village. Some of the homes and surroundings were theme-based, such as the spotted cow, optical illusion, and books homes. Brightly painted wooden plaques in crude fish shapes pointed visitors to some of the more popular locations. A large mural of these fish plaques were assembled in a large mural near the entrance of the village where small shops selling snacks were located. Visitors were taking “selfies” or photos of acquaintances everywhere, sometimes stopping every few feet. Walking further, the harbor of Busan appeared beyond the hill, along with a view of a few high-rise apartments nestled amongst more matchbook-like homes. The city of Busan continues its work to transform the village into a popular tourist site, making it into an artsy area with galleries, book cafés and other cultural facilities. Murals and other public artwork can be seen throughout the village. Visitors are reminded though that it still is a place where people live, and thus they should be respectful of noise levels, where they are trampling around, and keeping things clean.  Although bathed in sunlight throughout much of the day, I think its nickname of “Korea’s Santorini” is a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, it can be an enjoyable visit.

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Heroes of the Manuscripts

Back in January of 2013, I blogged about some terrible news I had read regarding Timbuktu. In that post, I wrote about how the Ahmed Baba center, location that housed hundreds of thousands of precious manuscripts (some dating over 800 years ago) had been burned by Islamic fundamentalists. At the time of that writing, it was hoped that at least some of the manuscripts had been saved, but their fate was unknown. This morning, I read with relief a great article entitled The Book Rustlers of Timbuktu. Largely through the proactive and often risky efforts of a librarian, nearly 90% of the over 400,000 documents were saved. Through land and boat, over the Sahara, thousands of small metal lockers - 2 or 3 at a time- containing the books eventually made their way down to the capital. Imagine carrying this out, initially right under the noses of the fundamentalists during afternoon siesta times, facing searches, using public transport including tiny dugout canoes, not having the financial resources, etc.

Amazingly, not one of the documents smuggled down was lost. Efforts are being made to repair the nearly 40% suffering from damage, as well as to digitize the works whose contents range from diaries to medical texts. Just as some successfully hid artwork from the Nazis, dedicated people in Timbuktu saved historical treasures from the wrath of destroyers. They are the heroes of the manuscripts.

one of Timbuktu's beautiful doors

Read about my boat trip up to Timbuktu via traditional pinasse.

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Samgwangsa Temple, Buddha's Birthday

True to virtually every place we visited, we arrived late at Samgwangsa Temple due to the traffic. Thankfully it was not as crowded as the temple we had visited in the morning. Although it was still daylight, nightfall was soon upon us. Intent to view and photograph the main temple buildings all decorated for Buddha’s birthday while it was still light, we walked a bit more quickly past the tall clothed zodiac sculptures near the entrance. 

Established in 1983, Samgwangsa (otherwise spelled as Samkwangsa) is an expanding collection of ornate temple buildings dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Compassion. During Buddha’s birthday, the large courtyard, stairways, walkways and levels of the multi-storyed buildings are transformed into colorful displays of lanterns and other light displays. Rather calm music and chanting (likely recorded) emanated from the speakers scattered throughout the complex. Massive colorful dragons flanked both sides of the stairway leading up to main hall. Their heads moved back and forth, sometimes even shooting bursts of flames from their mouths. On the back of each dragon stood a calm Buddhist statue, whose clothing and skin reflected the glow of the ever-changing colors of the lights on the dragon’s scales. To the side of the main hall was a tall pagoda, whose base was surrounded by several rows of colorful lanterns. A dazzling display of neon Hangeul characters and colorful (changing) background would have fit right in with the displays in Los Vegas. 

Visitors willing to take off their shoes were allowed inside the main hall. The elaborately  carved wooden altar was piled with gifts and offerings of food and flowers. A large golden statue of the Historical Buddha commanded the center, while the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the Bodhisattva of wisdom and Power occupied the right and left murals of the triptych. More relief-style figures surrounded the sculptures enclosed in ornate frames. Above, blue-scaled dragon heads spit out their tongues. In typical Korean style, the ceiling and column tops were elaborately painted. Heads of even larger dragons emerged from the painted beams. Devotees kneeling on square cushions bowed, gazing towards the beautiful altar.

The sky now a deep, dark sapphire blue, the entire scene outside was illuminated. Eager to get a better view, we entered into the building containing a large auditorium and ascended the steps to some open windows. The scene before us was magical. Lanterns everywhere glowed. Selective lanterns in the middle of the canopy of lanterns glowed in the shape of the swastika. The dragons were even more impressive, casting their glow. Higher strands of lanterns looked like beads, twinkling against the dark hillside. 

We followed an ascending canopied pathway to another massive building. From above, the canopy of colored lanterns along the curved path looked like an expressway of color. White and cream lanterns glowed on the building’s balconies. Following a winding path up a hill also illuminated by lanterns, we reached a tall pagoda created from handmade hanji paper. The stark white of the illuminated paper pagoda contrasted against the inky black sky and meandering strands of taller colorful lanterns. 

I’d love to read statistics on this temple’s preparation for the festival. How many lanterns were used? How many meters of hanji paper, silk, etc. were needed to create the lanterns? How long did it take to erect the scaffolding and string all the lanterns? How many visitors come to the temple? I read that this year’s celebrations at Samgwangsa was downscaled a bit out of reverence to the lives lost in the Sewol ferry disaster. Considering the display before me, how magnificent it must be in typical years? Truly a must-see.

See more photos of Samgwangsa Temple at my Flickr album.

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Jagalchi Fish Market

Markets are one of my favorite types of places to visit. Everything seems to be a bit more intense in local markets, from the sellers and their wares, to the shoppers. Markets can be an assault on the senses. Being a port city, Busan is known for its seafood. As such, we visited the Jagalchi Fish market, Korea’s seafood market. Much of the market is indoor, but we chose to spend more time walking through the stalls outside. In both, the variety of fish and seafood was quite amazing. Tanks contained live fish and colorful plastic bowls were piled high with mounds of various colored fish and shells. Dried fish in interesting shapes were arranged with care. Fresh seaweed was neatly cut and stacked. Older women, known as “Jagalchi Ajumma” were clearly masters of this domain, donning short curly black hair, long rubber gloves, and brightly colored waterproof aprons and high rubber boots. 

Gaebul spoon worm

Prepared Gaebul, eaten raw

Visitors had their choice of small booth-like restaurants. Nothing fancy, but definitely places to eat fresh catch. Choose your desired seafood by pointing to the tank or bowl, and soon it will be on your plate. We actually ate at the market twice, once having fish & eel cooked on a hotplate right on our table, and the other time eating a most strange spoon worm gaebul, known as the penis fish. Those tubular non-descript creatures that looked more like bratwurst to me were quickly deflated, their insides scraped out. The outer portions were cut up, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and placed on our table, along with some various sauces. Not quite sure how to prepare or eat them, we patiently waited for the lady to return. Meanwhile, she worked on an order for another table, decisively stabbing one end of a still wiggling eel and deftly filleting it. Guts and other unwanted parts of the seafood were scraped together, then the next items prepared. Perhaps a bit puzzled why we were not eating our food, another lady came to our table and gestured that we were to dip the raw fish into the sauce - no cooking! Can’t say that I enjoyed the taste or rubbery texture, but my Vietnamese friend and I did eat it, albeit giggling while we did. Not satiated, we left and ate a bit more familiar food shortly thereafter. 

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