By: Atty. Marlo T. Cristobal
In the late 50s, l heard Elvis, the legendary singer of the century (imagine even up to this time of blinding IT growth and evolution and the fast changing life custom and style, current aspiring singers still opt to dwell on an old past and persist without let up to impersonate this old and long deceased singer and mimick his equally fabled voice), sang a song (Lonesome Cowboy) with this line, “Just beyond the mountain lies a city,” where Elvis yearned to travel to since he dreamt of “the lights shine bright and pretty” therein and marked it consequently , “Here is where you’ll find your destiny.” If only for this, he likewise deserved to be credited with a talent for presaging poetry.
As l wrote in my last write-up, my wife and l proceeded (last May 8, her very birthday) to where we were fated to travel: South Korea. While digging Seoul through, something drew my attention quick. We were in the middle of the flourishing city of Seoul but just yonder we saw majestic tall and green mountains. It was utterly a spectacular scene to behold: a bustling city planted side by side the lush mountains. A sheer spectacle to view — a sharp contrast of modernity and antiquity in juxtapose.
As l was relishing Seoul blending with the verdant mountains just beside it, l quickly recall Elvis’ fancied city lying “Just beyond the mountain” with all “the lights shine bright and pretty” that impelled him to justify pinning his hopes for a destiny there. So is Seoul, a vibrant, thriving city so verily reflected in its own “lights shine bright and pretty,” destiny is definitely waiting for anyone who takes this city’s rich challenges.
If there is anything at all that triggers my interest and super admiration of South Korea in my limited visit, it is the landscapes of its two major cities: lncheon and Seoul. These cities are traversed by a wide and long river and their key infrastructures and pleasant concrete jungle are conjoined with or linked up to running or bodies of water whose banks teem with thick, verdant plants and trees. To put it more graphically and simply, Incheon and, more specially, Seoul, were founded “just beyond” and below mountains right in lush, green forestlands and majestic rivers and lakes from which these cities were intelligently curved out and designed to maintain and assert the vibrant life of the universe nature.
How thoughtful and responsible indeed these South Koreans building the modernity of bustling cities but giving due honor to the sanctity of nature and preserve a physical environment that swallows up the country’s pollution in a large measure? And how enterprising and imaginative they are to mate modernity and ancientness in one, single place?
I saw and experience this spectacle of beauty and comfort more pointedly. We went to Seoul Outlet of branded products.(This outlet seemed much bigger than Japan’s we visited sometime ago; it is housed in a 3-floor building built on a massive ground). At one end of this rectangularly constructed long building is a coffee shop and just beside it is a refreshing flowing river spewing cool breeze (Please take note we were onto the most known ideal weather of South Korea: spring) sending the leaves of the trees on its banks flopping and their trunks gently swaying.
Pronto, l was overwhelmingly enamored with this place as my mind started cavorting with the idea of a hot cup of coffee on my hand inside a modern coffee bar while viewing a creation of antiquity, the enticing river and its refreshing trees, an obviously one microcosm of the general theme of the geographical development of South Korea — the marrying of the trappings of modernity and antiquity.
As if l froze in that coffee bar by the river, absolutely not wanting anymore to roam about in that giant Outlet to appreciate the countless branded products it offered (the very purpose in the first place of our trip there), and perhaps buy one or two items my limited budget would allow. My wife intensely goaded me to move around the massive place and get a kick out of its plush products. But l inexplicably stood my ground and instead sat at a small coffee table, to the chagrin of my wife who decided thereupon to roam around with a lady friend, Danielle Los Anes. My spirit calmed me down with the ambiance of a coffee bar side by side the pristine works of nature and suddenly mysteriously stung by the wisdom that luxuries of this world are of no moment really.
The Nami Island and most specially the so-called Garden of Morning Calm of South Korea is a perfect articulation of the Koreans commitment to mix their blinding progress with the full development and preservation of nature by freely liberating its full and pristine expression.
Garden of Morning Calm is one terrific garden no one visiting South Korea should ever miss, specially if he is a nature lover. Here you see different vibrant trees trimmed and exuding many unusual colors and multi-varied flowers bursting in all the colors of the world, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and some shades out of these colors mixture, and water in a brook that complete the elements of nature. With the many birds flying above or clinging on trees chirping varied notes, you get a taste or feel of a paradise. This garden stands on a relatively small area, compared to vast Japan’s Shinjuko Gyoen National Garden (Please refer to my previous write up and click, Japan — The Upcoming Mecca Of World Tourists, Episode II Last Episode, January 7, 2026). Clearly, the perfect beauty of all nature is sought to be represented here in this garden in a very compact form.
All this time, l have been wondering why God has willed our travel to South Korea. It dawned on me that it must have been to inculcate in me His wisdom that His creation from eternity — nature — is good (Please click Genesis 1:31) in so many aspects and in so many senses of life. And God emphasizes this dictum with even a warning that anyone who messes or tampers with it that helps destroy the earth is doomed to face His wrath (Please click Revelation 11:18). All these, must have been God’s reasons, for how could my rapt attention been directed singly, and with some attending flashing of wisdom, to the South Koreans enviable, big love for nature — despite the many other things of that country that gave me excitement and comfort? And how could l have suddenly lost the desire to enjoy the lavish and luxurious trappings of the Outlet if not for God’s desire to tell me that they are mere misguiding vanities and of no consequence to the essence of man (Please click 1 John 2:15-17, Romans12:2; NLT, Psalm 39:5, KJV; Psalms 119:37), what with the irresistible choice God had already locked me in on a real and simple comfort and peace of the coffee bar and nature — away from the deluding vanities!
