In Cavite, the Philippines, on June 12, 1898, the Acta de la Proclamacion de Independencia del Pueblo Filipino, or the Act of the Proclamation of Independence, was read by its author Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista in an event led by Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Republic of the Philippines.
(Stumbled upon this happy bunch of Filipinos) Today, June 12, 2016, Philippine Ambassador to South Korea, Raul Hernandez led the Filipino Community in Seoul to celebrate the 118th anniversary of the historic declaration of independence from Spain.
(Ambassador Raul Hernandez having his photo taken during the celebration)
(The Ambassador and Mrs. Hernandez) The celebration, held at Banpo Park just next to the man-made floating islands, kicked off with a Holy Mass early in the morning and continued on until late afternoon with speeches, a short parade, entertainment and performances, and raffling off of fun prizes.
The parade featured several Filipino organizations, including participants wearing Igorot costumes, Santa Cruzan gowns, as well as colorful Masskara, Ati-Atihan and Kadayawan costumes. I would have wanted my photo taken with the Masskara costumed-participants, but forgot about it with all the fun around.
And as in any huge Filipino gathering, there were food stalls selling Filipino food and desserts; there was even a lechon stall!
(The popular lechon) The Seoul Global Center and some businesses that cater to the needs of migrant workers also had their own booths.
Thanks to the cloudy weather, the hot summer temperatures cooled down today and sitting on the park enjoying the entertainment and Filipino food was comfortable.
But in 1898, at Cavite, the weather during that time must have been warm and humid as the declaration of independence was read and the Philippine flag was first unfurled. That day, only a handful of Filipinos witnessed the Republic's historic claim of freedom and independence. Today, in 2016, we Filipinos in South Korea join the millions of Filipinos all over the world in remembering those who fought for our freedom and keeping in mind that it should not be taken for granted.
And although we have always waved and displayed our national colors every June 12, we should not forget that the freedom that came with it was not handed to us for free; it was paid with blood and lives of those who came before us. That we should always remember not just on this day, but every moment we identify ourselves as Filipinos.
Years ago, when it was finally completed, the Banpo Fountain Bridge attracted thousands every night. The nozzles on the bridge's sides would spray water out into the river and when the darkness falls, the colored lights next to the nozzles bathed the water with different colors that fascinated the crowds standing on the Han River bank. On one of my visits to the Banpo Park, I took a photograph and submitted it to a local magazine and earned me a prize. I still have the magazine copy; I already ate the prize. Ha-ha-ha! It was a restaurant coupon.
(From afar, it's only yellow and white lights)
(I no longer see the reds, blues and purples)
But last week, when I went on my night walks along the Han River from my Hannam-dong neighborhood with the goal of reaching the Banpo Bridge, I noticed that, from afar, the colored lights didn't look colorful anymore. Years ago, when my friend Alfa and I traversed the distance from the Hannam Bridge to the Banpo Bridge, we could see from hundreds of meters away the fountain changing its colors from yellow to red, to blue and purple, and other hues in between.
(Up close and electrical)
(A tourist ferry about to go under the Jamsu Bridge)
But now, the fountains seemed to have lost its other colors, or I have turned colorblind? Or, perhaps the fountain lights need repairing. Did they change the other colored bulbs into yellow and white?
As I wanted to make sure whether the other colors were indeed missing from the bridge's spectrum, I crossed the lower Jamsu Bridge and observed the water spouts up close.
(Crossing Jamsu Bridge with my frappucino)
So with my frappucino, I stood on the bridge and took photos of the waters streaming from the fountain, which from the lower deck, looked like they were coming from a platoon of ajussis above urinating in unison and with the motion of the pee following the cadenza of the K-pop music playing on the background. Ha-ha-ha! Although there were faint blue and red lights, these were not the strong colors I used to see years ago. Something definitely happened; Banpo's fountain bridge is no longer a rainbow fountain bridge.
I later joined the crowd on the Banpo side of the bridge, and just like me, they also seemed to have been disappointed with the lackluster spectacle. Years ago, you would hear people exclaiming "waah" when the fountain changed colors from yellow to red, to blue and purple in sync with its flow trajectory. Tonight, people were just busy chatting and the sight of the fountain was just ordinary.
If you're at the Banpo Park next time, do observe and compare the colors of the fountain bridge with the ones you remember years ago. And let me know if I am just colorblind, or the bulbs really need changing.
Everyone in Seoul knows about the Banpo Bridge, which is famous for its very colorful and fascinating dancing fountains. But what's not well known is that, while the fountains are actually installed on the higher Banpo Bridge, one can have fun selfies with the colored fountains as your background while standing on the Jamsu Bridge, the lower one. Yes, the Banpo Bridge has a less known twin, the Jamsu Bridge.
Pedestrians on one lane, cars on the other, bikers in the middle)
Jamsu Bridge is actually the best way for everyone to cross the Han River because it has, one, a vehicle lane; two, a pedestrian lane; and three, a bike lane! And these three lanes are full of traffic all the time, especially on weekends!
(A green bus on Banpo Bridge) Crossing the Han River through the Jamsu Bridge is actually an interesting and enjoyable experience. While the river is just a few meters beneath you, the idea that hundreds of other people jogging, strolling with their pets, biking in groups, families and couples are also on the bridge, not only trying to cross it, but actually having fun while doing so, makes the experience unique. It's like crossing the bridge itself is an experience of its own. No wonder a few Korean movies and TV dramas have been shot on this bridge. The funnel-like view of looking at the other end of the bridge, while under another bridge is a different perspective that is not found in any other part of the city. But on rainy season, when the Han River overflows, this bridge is closed to traffic. Can you imagine seeing the water level rise and the bridge disappears entirely from view? Scary!
(Floating Island)
(A selfie, actually) On a cool, sunny day, after I cross the bridge, I complete my stroll at the other side, where there are three interesting structures called the Floating Island, which, as the name connotes, floats on the Han River but is attached to the river bank by footbridges. This multi-million dollar structure actually consists of three 'islets', namely, Vista, Viva and Terra. The big one, Vista, is open to the public, and I have been up there a couple of times already. Looking out from the topmost level gives you a different 360-degree view of this side of Seoul from the Banpo Park.
Going there on foot from my home in Hannam-dong is not a problem as you'd always feel energized to walk or run with everyone else on a cool spring day. But going back home with tired legs usually tempts me to take the bus. Unfortunately, there's only one bus heading back, the Blue Bus 740, which is usually full of passengers crossing from Seocho to Yongsan. And taxis are scarce.
So, sometimes, on my way back, I sacrifice to walk a couple of kilometers or more with a few stops to rest just to solve the problem. And to take my mind off the distance I still have to cover, I just try to continuously enjoy the view of the river, the pigeons at the bank and the ducks on the water, the formations of the apartments on the other side, the unique get-ups of everyone I meet along the way, and be glad for the feel of the cool breezes, the bright blue color of the clear skies, and the sound of an energetic city amidst the noise of my grumbling stomach. Ha-ha-ha! And looking at the faces of some tired joggers and bikers, I sometimes think they must have even come from the farthest districts of the city and may have covered longer distances. And they're not even complaining. Ha-ha-ha!
So, if you have free time these days, do try to enjoy crossing the Jamsu Bridge; the most useful pedestrian bridge over the Han River has a name! But come to think of it, Banpo Bridge, if without its colored fountains running, it just another bridge full of cars and buses.
(A couple biking)
Jamsu Bridge, on the other hand, offers more than just a crossing. It affords everyone a run, a bike ride, and for strollers like me, a totally unique experience of walking just a few meters above the Han River, amidst the cool spring breezes and with a special view of this part of the city. And of course, thanks to the Banpo Bridge above it, we cross the river under the shade.
