Bienvenido Ma. Gonzales on Stamps

Bienvenido Maria Gonzales was a two-term president of the University of the Philippines.

Gonzales was born on November 22, 1893 in Apalit, Pampanga. His father was the illustrious Joaquin Gonzales, the rector of Universidad Literaria de Filipinas, the first institution of higher learning that was created by President Emilio Aguinaldo during the Philippine Revolution.

He took up agriculture at the same state university and pursued further studies as one of the first Filipino pensionados at the University of Wisconsin, where he obtained a master in science. He took up doctoral studies at John Hopkins University.

Upon his return to the Philippines, he was named an assistant professor of animal husbandry at the university and reached tenure in just six years. He was promoted to become the department head, followed by successive stints as dean of the College of Agriculture in 1928.

He was appointed the sixth president of the University of the Philippines in 1939, amidst opposition because of his animal breeding provenance. At 46 years old, he was the youngest ever to be named UP president and he was the very first alumnus to be so honored. His term was characterized by his open attitude to students and faculty and the encouragement of the use of Tagalog as a national language.

He encouraged the establishment of a UP College of Nursing. Along with Juan Nakpil, future National Artist, and UP Music Conservatory director Ramon Tapales, he conceived the UP Carillon in 1940.

Upon the outbreak of World War II, he resigned from his position rather than serve under the Japanese. President Jose Laurel of the 2nd republic designated Antonio Sison as his successor. When the Philippine Commonwealth was re-established in 1945, Dr. Gonzales was reappointed as the eighth president. He holds the distinction of being the only 2-term head of the state university.

Dr. Gonzales' second term was characterized by extreme difficulty and poverty. The Diliman campus which had been just recently inaugurated before the war lay in shambles. The Padre Faura campus was destroyed. Libraries and laboratories were lost. He made the momentous decision to transfer the bulk of the university's operations to the then distant and barren area of Diliman, insisting that the bulk of new construction be located on the 493 hectare area donated by the Tuason Family. Amidst attacks from media and opposition figures, he persisted with his vision and succeeded in having the United States War Damage Commission pay P13 million for rehabilitation and construction.

Dr. Gonzales had strong opinions, even against the the incumbent Philippine President Elpidio Quirino. He lobbied for the disapproval of an honorary degree conferment on Indonesia President Sukarno. He invited the president's chief critic Senator Claro M. Recto to speak at the commencement exercises. He refused to accept the Philippine president's offer to join the cabinet. He resigned from his position in 1951.

He died two years after on December 30, 1953.

Date of Issue: June 1, 1990

Elpidio R. Quirino on Stamps

Elpidio Rivera Quirino (November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was the sixth President of the Philippines. The abrupt death of President Manuel Roxas brought Elpidio Quirino to presidency. Upon his ascent, Quirino brought with him tremendous experience as public servant, having been a cabinet member, a representative, and a senator during previous regimes. Quirino served as president from April 17, 1948 to December 30, 1953.

Born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur to Mariano Quirino and Gregoria Rivera, a Spanish-mestiza, Quirino spent his early years in Aringay, La Union. He received secondary education at Vigan High School, then went to Manila where he worked as junior computer in the Bureau of Lands and as property clerk in the Manila police department. He graduated from Manila High School in 1911 and also passed the civil service examination, first-grade.

Quirino attended the University of the Philippines in 1915, earning his law degree and practicing law until he was elected as member of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1919 to 1925, then as senator from 1925 to 1931. He then served as secretary of finance and secretary of the interior in the Commonwealth government.

In 1934, Quirino was a member of the Philippine Independence mission to Washington D.C., headed by Manuel Quezon that secured the passage in the United States Congress of the Tydings-McDuffie Act. This legislation set the date for Philippine independence by 1945. Official declaration came on July 4, 1946.

During the Japanese invasion during World War II, he became a leader of the underground rebellion and was captured and imprisoned. He suffered the execution of his wife, Alicia Syquía, and three of his five children by the Japanese conquerors.

After the war, Quirino continued public service, becoming president pro tempore of the senate. In 1946, he was elected first vice president of the independent Republic of the Philippines, serving under Manuel Roxas. He also served as secretary of state.

Quirino retired to private life in Quezon City, Manila. He died of a heart attack on February 29, 1956. His death anniversary is observed on February 28.

Date of Issue: June1, 1990

Guillermo E. Tolentino on Stamps

Guillermo Estrella Tolentino (1890-1976) is the "Father of Philippine Arts", a product of the Revival period in Philippine art. He also is the fourth director of the UP School of Fine Arts.

Tolentino was named National Artist in Sculpture in 1973. He first attained National recognition for his masterpiece, the multi-figural Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City- the symbol of the Filipinos' cry for freedom. His other famous work include the Oblation in the University of the Philippines-symbol of freedom at the campus, and the statue of Ramon Magsaysay in the lobby of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building.

His design for the Ramon Magsaysay Award the gold and bronze medals and the seal of the Republic of the Philippines made him the "National Artist for Sculpture" in 1973.

Date of Issue: June 1, 1990

Isabelo de los Reyes on Stamps

Isabelo de los Reyes, popularly known as " Don Belong", was a law graduate of the University of Santo Tomas majoring also in philosophy, history and anthropology. He was a Notary Public at age twenty-two. He was the founder and the first president of the first Labor Union in Manila. A founding member of the Philippines Independent Church, he also served as councilor of Manila for two years and finally as senator for six years.

Born to Elias de los Reyes and the poetess Leona Florentino in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, he attended schools in Vigan and Manila. He followed his mother's footsteps by initially turning to writing as a career and became a journalist, editor, and publisher in Manila.

At 6 years old, due to troubled marriage of his parents, Isabelo was entrusted to a rich relative, Meno Crisologo, who later enrolled him into a grammar school attached to their local seminary run by Augustinians.

In 1880, at age 16 he escaped to Manila where he finished Bachiller en Artes at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. After that, he studied law, history and palaeography at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas.

In 1887, at the age of 23, he won a silver medal at the Exposición Filipina in Madrid for a huge Spanish-language manuscript he called El folk-lore filipino. It was the same year Jose Rizal published his first novel, Noli Me Tangere in Berlin. As a teenager, he was inspired to write about the foundation of this "new science" concerned about el saber popular or folklore, as he read an appeal in Manila's Spanish newspaper La Oceania Española (founded 1877) asking readers to contribute articles to develop the science of el folk-lore, followed by a simple sketch of how this was to be done. Two months later Isabelo set to work not merely on folklore of Ilocos, but also on his future wife's township of Malabon on the outskirts of Manila, on the Central Luzon province of Zambales, and in general terms, what he called el folk-lore filipino. It became one of the greatest passions of his life. By 1886, just as the French was starting to pursue a national effort of applying the study of folklore on their own native tradition, Isabelo is already producing a manuscript for publishing.

After his father died he was obliged to support himself and did so while pursuing his passion in writing, he contributed to most of Manila's newspapers. And in 1889 he founded the first vernacular newspaper in the country, El Ilocano, , said to be the first such newspaper written solely in a Philippine vernacular. He continued to write and research extensively on Philippine history and culture.

As a journalist, he almost faced the firing squad for attracting the ire of Spanish authorities in highlighting Spanish church and governmental abuses. He turned his writings against the Americans when they took over in 1898, and took advantage of rapidly changing sentiments of the Spanish intelligentsia as they saw America taking over the remnants of the Spanish overseas empire. In Madrid, he published fortnightly Filipinas ante Europa with the editorial Logo: "Contra Norte-America, no; contra el imperialismo, sí, hasta la muerte!" ("Against the Americans, NO; against Imperialism, YES, till death!") It ran for 36 issues between 25 October 1899 and 10 June 1901. After closing (probably due to trouble with the authorities), it briefly reappeared as "El Defensor de Filipinas" which ran monthly from 1 July to 1 October 1901. But Don Belong isn't only a journalist; according to the chronicles of the Philippine Bible Society, he also helped in translating the Bible in Ilocano. He did this when he was detained, thus making him one of the few convicts to translate the Scriptures.

He was later jailed when he returned to the Philippines for inciting labor strikes against American business firms. Influenced by European socialism (specially during his imprisonment in Barcelona), as well as Marxism, Isabelo de los Reyes founded the first labor union in the country in 1902, the Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina, against what he perceived as the impending exploitation of Filipino labor by American capitalist institutions. In the same year, he, along with UNO members launched the Philippine Independent Church in response against the Catholic Church, and chose his fellow Ilocano compatriot, Gregorio Aglipay, as its first bishop.

In 1923, he won a Senate seat in an election against Elpidio Quirino, representing the Ilocos region. After his term, he went back to private life and dedicated the remainder of his life to religious writings for the Aglipayan church as an honorary bishop. Writing sermons and other Christian literature, he translated the bible and its various components into his native Ilocano. However, nearing death, he retracted and returned to Catholicism in 1938. De los Reyes was married and widowed three times and had 27 children.

The stamp was issued in May 4, 1982.

Felipe Calderon on Stamps

Calderon is known as the Father of the Malolos Constitution declaring the first Philippine Republic in 1898. His other career highlights include the founding of the Asociacion Historica de Filipinas. He was appointed by General Emilio Aguinaldo as representative of the district of Paragua in the Revolutionary Congress.

Felipe Gonzales Calderón y Roca (April 4, 1868 – July 6, 1908) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, and intellectual, known as the "Father of the Malolos Constitution".

Calderón y Roca was born in Santa Cruz de Malabon (now Tanza), Cavite, to Don José Gonzales Calderón and Doña Manuela Roca. He studied at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila for his primary and secondary courses and was granted a scholarship. He received with high honors in Bachelor of Arts degree. He worked in newspaper industry and wrote for several newspapers. He later enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas and completed his studies in 1893. After graduation, he participated in the law office of Don Cayetano Arellano.

During the Philippine Revolution, he ardently supported the revolutionary movement, an organization that aimed to gained independence from Spain. Thus, his activities caused him imprisonment from the Spanish colonial authorities.

In September 1898, after the return of Emilio Aguinaldo to Cavite from Hong Kong, he accepted Aguinaldo’s appointment as a representative of the first district of Paragua in the Revolutionary Congress in Malolos, Bulacan. After the Spanish-American War, the República Filipina (Philippine Republic) were formed during the Malolos Constitution on January 25, 1899.

When the Philippine-American War began, he traveled to Manila where he appeared before the Schurmann Commission on April 27, offering suggestions for the restoration of peace. He was requested to draft rules for the Philippine government of the first municipalities during the war with the United States.

In 1899, Calderón y Roca founded two law universities. These are the Colegio de Abogados de Manila (School of Lawyers of Manila) and the Escuela de Derecho (School of Duties). He taught in both institutions. In 1904, he was appointed member of a commission to draft a proposed Penal Code. He also organized the La Protección de la Infancia, (The Protection of Infants), an institution that established humanitarian institution to protect and care for disadvantage children.

Calderón y Roca died on July 6, 1908.

The stamp was issued on April 14, 1968.

Jose Burgos on Stamps

One of the three priest (GOMBURZA) executed by Garrote at the Bagumbayan Field, Burgos was a stern opponent of the foreign Jesuit's takeover of the parishes. The last to be executed, he was compelled to watch his compatriots die by garrote- a cruel fate for one, In Rizal's words, "still young with ideas in ones head".

José Apolonio Burgos y García was a Filipino mestizo secular priest, accused of mutiny by the Spanish colonial authorities in the Philippines in the 19th century. He was placed in a mock trial and summarily executed in Manila along with two other clergymen.

Burgos was born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur on February 9, 1837 to a Spanish officer, Don José Tiburcio Burgos, and a mestiza mother named Florencia García. He obtained three undergraduate degrees with honors, two masters degrees and two doctorate degrees from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and from the University of Santo Tomas. He conducted his first mass in the Intramuros.

Burgos' liberal views, codified in editorial essays, championing political and ecclesiastic reforms in favor of empowering more native clergymen, made him a target of opposition by Roman Catholic authorities.

In 1864, an anonymous pamphlet was published in Manila, criticizing the prejudice in the Church, and providing rebuttals against several canards against the native clergy. Although the document was unsigned, historians believe the author to be Burgos, based on its style and content. Burgos also penned several signed articles later in his life, in response to a series of anonymous written attacks on the Filipino clergy. Though Burgos offered few new ideas, his name caught the attention of Spanish authorities, who would report that the native clergy was becoming liberal and separatist.

In 1869, Felipe Buencamino, a young student and an acquaintance of Burgos, was charged with spreading nationalist propaganda in the form of leaflets scattered throughout his school's campus, demanding academic freedom. This accusation was given credence by a protest he staged several months prior, against being required to speak Latin in the classroom. Consequently, Buencamino and some of his associates were sent to jail. With the aid of Burgos, Buencamino was freed four months later, only to be told that having missed school for four months, he would have to find a tutor who would help him make up for the classes he missed. Buencamino chose Burgos.

By this time, Burgos had established a reputation as a defender of the native clergy. His debates over the rights of native priests had extended to include questions of race and nationalism. This reputation would eventually cause him to be implicated in a mutiny in Cavite.

After the Cavite Mutiny on January 20, 1872, the trial of mutineer sergeant Bonifacio Octavo revealed that a man named Zaldua had been recruiting people for an uprising. Octavo testified that this man claimed to be under the orders of Burgos, but inconsistent details during Octavo's cross-examinations called into question the validity of his testimony. Nevertheless, governor-general Rafael Izquierdo reported to Madrid that the testimony had confirmed his suspicions, and pinned the blame on Burgos and two other priests, Jacinto Zamora and Mariano Gómez, for sedition.

The three were dragged through a tribunal amid a list of drummed up charges and false witnesses, and where their own lawyers betrayed them to the court. On February 17, 1872, they were garroted in the middle of Bagumbayan field (now Luneta Park).

The stamp was issued on March 24, 1963.

Lt. Cesar Fernando Basa on Stamps

The Basa Airbase in Floridablanca, Pampanga was named after this brave pilot, the first to sacrifice himself against the Japanese. Lt. Basa had downed many Zero pilots in the fierce defense of the Batangas airfield before he was himself gunned down by the enemy.

Cesar Fernando Basa was a Filipino pilot and hero of World War II. Born in 1915, he was one of the pioneer fighter pilots in the Philippine Air Force and the first Filipino casualty during World War II.

Basa's fight took place at Batangas Field on the morning of December 12, 1941 when fifty-four Japanese bombers and fighter escorts raided the base. Five Filipino fighter pilots, led by Captain Jesus Villamor, engaged the numerically superior enemy in aerial combat at 12,000 feet. Lieutenant Basa arrived on the scene from an air patrol mission with only 15 minutes of fuel left in his tanks but attempted to join his comrades in the fight. While still half the distance away, he was intercepted by seven Japanese fighters and shot down. Although he bailed out, he was strafed with machine-gun fire by the A6M Zero fighters. Captain Villamor and his fighters won the battle with the only casualty being Lieutenant Basa, leading to Captain Villamor being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross a second time, earning him an Oak Leaf Cluster. In recognition of his heroism, Lieutenant Basa was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

The stamp was issued on December 12, 1955.

Cayetano Arellano on Stamps

Cayetano Arellano was appointed as the first Filipino Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1899. In 1904, he was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to represent the Philippines at the International Congress of Jurists in St. Louis, Missouri.

Cayetano L. Arellano (March 2, 1847 – December 23, 1920) was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines under the American Civil Government. He was Chief Justice from 1901 until his retirement on April 12, 1920, making him the longest serving Chief Justice.

Born in Orion, Bataan, He started as a working student in San Juan de Letran. After finishing his High School he transferred to University of Santo Tomas, where he finished his Bachelor of Philosophy in 1862 and Bachelor of Theology in 1867, he then continued studying and finished law in 1876. During the Spanish regime, he was appointed Magistrado Suplente of the Audiencia Tribunal de Manila. He later become the Chief Justice of the Provisional Supreme Court created by the military in 1899.

Arellano, together with Pedro Paterno, Benito Legarda, Florentino Torres and Felipe Buencamino, testified before the Schurman Commission that the Philippines was not yet ready for self-rule. They together form the Federalista Party to "promote the annexation of the Philippines as a state". In lieu of this objective, they petitioned the U.S. Congress to create representation, as well as a Philippine Congress and a federal Court.

Upon the onset of the American civil government in 1901, William Howard Taft appointed Arellano as the first Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Many historians doubt the legacy of Arellano, for being one of the persons who literally 'placed' the Philippines under American Rule, he was considered a lackey of the American rule in the Philippines. It was shown that he was pro-American from the start.

However, his judicial expertise and know-how was one of the reasons why he was chosen to be the first leader of the Philippine Judiciary. All misgivings about his motives have been erased by the fact that he gave honor to the office of the Supreme Court to a high degree that remains unsurpassed.

Arellano High School in Sta. Cruz, Manila is named after him. Arellano gave his name to Arellano University, opened in 1938 as the Arellano Law College. The School had multiple campuses, including a law school.

The stamp was issued on May 1, 1963.

Ninoy Aquino on Stamps

As a leading opposition figure during the Marcos administration, "Ninoy" spent many years in jail. He was allowed to go to the United States of America for health reasons. His assassination upon his return at the Manila International Airport roused the Filipinos from their apathy anad led the way to the People Power Revolution of 1986 which ousted Marcos. His murder remains unsolved to this day.

Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. (November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Philippine Senator, Governor of Tarlac, and an opposition leader against President Ferdinand Marcos. He was assassinated at the Manila International Airport (later renamed in his honor) upon returning home from exile in the United States. His death catapulted his widow, Corazon Aquino, to the limelight and subsequently to the presidency, replacing the 20-year Marcos regime. In 2004, the anniversary of his death was proclaimed as a national holiday now known as Ninoy Aquino Day.

Although Aquino was recognized as the most prominent and most dynamic opposition leader of his generation, in the years prior to martial law he was regarded by many as being a representative of the entrenched familial elite which to this day dominates Philippine politics. While atypically telegenic and uncommonly articulate, he had his share of detractors and was not known to be immune to ambitions and excesses of the ruling political class. However, during his seven years and seven months imprisoned as a political prisoner of Marcos, Aquino read the book Born Again by convicted Watergate conspirator Charles Colson and it inspired him to a religious awakening.

As a result, the remainder of his personal and political life had a distinct spiritual sheen. He emerged as a contemporary counterpart of the great Jose Rizal, who was among the world's earliest proponents of the use of non-violence to combat a repressive regime. Some remained skeptical of Aquino's redirected spiritual focus, but it ultimately had an effect on his wife's political career. While some may question the prominence given Aquino in Philippine history, it was his assassination that was pivotal to the downfall of a despotic ruler and the eventual restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

The stamp was issued on February 14, 1988

Corazon "Cory" Aquino on Stamps

Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office. Aquino was also the first popularly and democratically-elected female president and head of state in Asia. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, which toppled the authoritarian regime of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines. "Tita (Auntie) Cory", as she was affectionately known, is revered by many Filipinos as an icon of Democracy, and was hailed by TIME Magazine as the "Saint of Democracy," due to her well-known spiritual life and strong adherence to non-violence and democracy.

A self-proclaimed "plain housewife", Aquino was married to Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., the popular opposition leader and staunchest critic of then President Ferdinand Marcos. Senator Aquino was assassinated on August 21, 1983 upon returning to the Philippines after his

exile in the United States.

After her husband's assassination, the widowed Aquino became the reluctant leader of the opposition against the authoritarian rule of the Marcos regime. She united the fragmented opposition and strengthened its moral crusade against the abuses and excesses of President Marcos' martial rule. In late 1985, when President Marcos called for a snap election, Cory Aquino challenged his regime. Aquino thrust herself into the political arena only after one million signatures urging her to run for president were presented to her.

Despite having no prior political experience, except being her husband Ninoy's wife, Aquino proved to be a cult leader, inspiring orator and skilled campaigner. She ran for president with former senator Salvador Laurel as her vice-presidential running mate. When Marcos-allied Batasang Pambansa proclaimed Ferdinand Marcos the winner in the 1986 snap elections, Aquino called for massive civil disobedience protests against him, declaring herself as having been cheated and as the real winner in the elections. Filipinos enthusiastically heeded her call and rallied behind her. These series of events eventually led to the ouster of Marcos from power and the installation of Aquino as president of the Philippines in February 1986, an event which is now known as the historic 1986 EDSA .

Now in power, Aquino oversaw the restoration of democracy in the Philippines and the promulgation of a new constitution, which limited the powers of the presidency and established a bicameral legislature. Her administration gave strong emphasis and concern for civil liberties and human rights, peace talks and dialogues with communist insurgents and Muslim secessionists. Aquino's economic policies, meanwhile, centered on bringing back economic health and confidence and focused on creating a market-oriented and socially-responsible economy. Despite these achievements, Aquino's presidency was not smooth-sailing as she had to face series of nine coup attempts against her administration and destructive natural calamities and disasters until the end of her term in 1992.

After her term expired in 1992, Aquino returned to private life although she remained active in the public eye, constantly voicing her views and opinions on the pressing political issues in the country. In 2008, Aquino was diagnosed with colorectal cancer (the same ailment that killed her mother Doña Demetria "Metring" Sumulong Cojuangco) and after a one-year battle with the disease, she died on August 1, 2009.

The Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) sold over 70,000 Cory Aquino’s limited-edition stamps, priced at P7 each, shortly after they were released last September 8, 2009. And now Philpost is launching another set of stamps since the first edition were sold out.

According to Postmaster General Hector Villanueva in a press statement:

“We have not had a stamp that sells like hotcakes. The people are lining at our post offices to get their hands on [the stamps]. We hardly had enough to supply the request of the Aquino family. It is phenomenal.”

Philpost will release the 2nd Cory Aquino limited-edition stamps for about 300,000 nationwide on September 18, 2009. And the new stamps will sport the same designs as the first edition, but with minor changes on the position of the postmark and some texts.

It is also considered as a collector’s item because it is exclusively issued by Philpost branches, the two differently-designed stamps joined side by side bear a photo of Aquino flashing the “Laban” sign on the left, and a photo of her smiling on the right.

The National Anthem of Libya

When Libya became independent in December 1951, it was a kingdom until the overthrow of the monarchy by Moammar Qadaffi in 1969. During the time of the monarchy, the anthem "Libya, Libya, Libya" was used. The composer of the music, Mohamad Abdel Wahab, also wrote the music for the anthems of Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. The words were written by Al Baschir Al Arebi.

In 1969, a new anthem "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest) was adopted. It is not only the title of the anthem of this Islamic north African state, but also the Muslim call to prayer. Originally, the text and the melody were written by Mahmoud El-Sherif as a battle song of the Egyptian Army during the Suez War in 1956.

When Muammar Qadafi transformed Libya into a republic in 1969, he adopted this Egyptian marching song composed by Abdalla Shams El-Din as the Libyan national anthem, as part of his ultimate goal of unity of all Arab nations. When Qadafi broke off the relations with Egypt after Egypt's peace treaty with Israel in 1979, the anthem was retained, but the Egyptian origin of the song is no longer mentioned by the Libyan authorities.

The stamp above issued by Egypt features Mahmoud El-Sherif, the national anthem lyricist.

South Korea Revisited

During my first visit to South Korea five years ago, I was not able to see much of the place because the trip was a convention and 90% of the time we were inside halls listening to lectures. This time, I was able to see and appreciate the beauty of the country and understand its people and culture. It really helped that our tour guide, Mickey, was a loquacious and accommodating host. Through her, I was able to learn more about Korea in 4 days than reading book for a month. We visited several interesting sights and scenes. We had the opportunity to go and see the Blue House- where the Presidents reside, The Korean Folk Museum- where I was able to buy the sought after Korean Music Series Stamps, and the Kyungbok Palace. The Daejangguem Theme Park was an eye opener. It is the Hollywood version in Korea, where the sets for the Koreanovelas- one of Koreas greatest exports- can bee seen and interacted on. A few decades ago, entertainers and actors were frowned upon in Korea, but after several artist became millionaires, the old folks in Korea now encourage there young to sing and dance. Other places we visited include, the Dongnaenum market, Ginseng center, Amethyst and Kimchi making factory. The Kings Palace in Seoul is devoid of a living royalty because the last heir lived in the USA and married a non-Korean, breaking the royal genealogy.

The JUMP show- a comedy martial arts show was highly entertaining. I really enjoined their kind of comedy- I developed side stitches due to overlaughing. The visit to Seoul tower offered a magnificent 36o degress view of the city. Looking at the breath taking view, you will really admire the Korean people especially its leaders for transforming the country from a third world to first world in just two generations. Hope we can do the same for our leaders.....