shogyo mujo

"Shogyo Mujo" is a japanese word describing the buddhist term which has a similer meaning to "All things must Pass," which is exactly how I felt when I stepped inside the hotel that had been abandoned for over 20 years.

Last week I was invited to join a haikyo (japanese for "ruin") trek with 2 other photographers who make this a hobby. I've always had an interest in ghost towns, underground shafts, abandoned factories... the kind of places that make a good backdrop for living of the dead type movies. No, I don't like spook at all, but it's fascinating to see traces of human life that once took place that no longer exists. So, for a better word I like archeology.

The day trip was certainly fascinating with two highlights. The first one came when I opened a door to an abandoned room and saw light flickering on the walls. The tv is on... First thing that crossed my mind was Poltergeist. "They're here!" Actually, we thought someone was living there so we were down those corroded stairs like lightning. But my friend couldn't resist the temptation so we went back up, and there was no one in the devastated room but a live tv. The tv looked like a model from the mid or late 70's and there was a running picture on the screen. I think it would've been scary if it was just the post broadcast sand storm. Couldn't figure out where the electricity was coming from, since it was a building that has been abandoned for a long time.

The granddaddy event of the day was the abandoned hotel by the sea that you see here. It was scary going through the pitch black kitchen with a flashlight. It's just one of those `Resident Evil' or `Biohazzard' type of places where you expect to be attacked by the living dead. I can just imagine how scary it would be to go through an abandoned hospital. Yet these places offer so much in photo opportunities with all the textures, details, and tones.

Looking at the ruins, I kept on thinking about how glory, fame or splendor is just temporary in a long span of time. For that matter, despair, hopelessness, depression, or anything bad in life could only be a temporary phase as well. All things must pass. Shogyo Mujo!