Edmund Yeo

I'm at Kansai Airport while I'm writing this, waiting to fly away. Yesterday, I visited the famed Ginkakuji Temple and took a stroll through the Philosopher's Path . I wasn't sure what to expect from this solitary journey, except to be alone with my thoughts as I absorb the sights, the sounds, the scent of this historic place. There were some temples and shrines along the way, I decided to pick one randomly to visit.

By the time this is posted on the blog, I am a few hours away from flying back to Malaysia. On Saturday, I got sidetracked by cheerleaders and cosplayers at Heian Temple , and then by a great art exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto , when I was on my way to Ginkaku-ji 銀閣寺, the Temple of Silver Pavilion. By the time I reached Ginkaku-ji in the evening, I was already closed. Therefore, Sunday, my final day in Kyoto, I decided to rectify this regret of mine by heading straight to Ginkaku-ji right after lunch. To experience the place for myself. So I entered Ginkakuji (which is officially known as Jisho-ji 慈照寺).

The original plan yesterday was to visit Ginkakuji and walk the Philosopher's Path, but my plans were foiled by a sudden afternoon rain. So I took shelter at the National Museum of Modern Arts, Kyoto, and also bought a ticket to check out their " Reading Cinema, Finding Words: Art after Marcel Broodthaers " exhibition. This is how the exhibition was described on the Museum website:

I've been in Kyoto the past few days because I was invited to screen my short films and give a talk at Kyoto University on the 6th of September. The following day, I decided to explore Kyoto. (my last visit in Kyoto was December 31, 2008, and chronicled on this epic video , that's a lifetime ago) My first thought was to go to the Philosopher's Path and the legendary Ginkaku-ji for a leisurely stroll. My last visit there was in 1999-2000, my memories of that place were entirely hazy. After lunch, I hopped onto a bus, heading towards my intended destination. However, when I passed by Heian Shrine 平安神宮, a few things caught my eye:

Phew. Been spending the past two days editing the video of my trip at the Kansai region during the new year period. Due to rustiness (the last time I actually edited something was for my short film, LOVE SUICIDES, and that was back in last October), I was slower than usual, and needed a bit more time to get into a groove again. Anyway, I've decided to separate the videos into two parts because it's quite long, and I'm also doing this for, ah, narrative and dramatic purposes.