Since Daejeon is the central transportation hub of Korea, I can get nearly anywhere in 2 hours or less. On the KTX (bullet train), it takes 55 minutes to get to Seoul and only 100 minutes to get to Busan, which is located on the southeastern tip, 300 kilometers away. Busan is Korea's second largest metropolitan city, its largest commercial port, and the fifth busiest seaport in the world. While Seoul is undoubtedly Korea's answer to New York City, Busan is often compared to Los Angeles due to its laid-back, coastal culture. I arrived in Busan around dinnertime and took the subway to meet up with Fulbright friends in Seomyeon, Busan's restaurant and nightlife district. There, we ate a scrumptious meal consisting of 3 different meats, which we cooked on a charcoal grill in the center of our table.
Over the weekend, I think I saw over 30 of my Fulbright friends, many of whom I hadn't seen since Orientation. I was so nice to see everyone and hear about their new experiences. Now this wasn't just a coincidental reunion of Fulbrights. We all came to celebrate the birthday of our beloved friend Alex Park: a Busan native, a Korean student at Jungwon University, and one of our RAs from Orientation. He's a good friend to all of us and his English slang vernacular is so extensive that we often forget he's not American! We spent the evening chatting, laughing, and engaging in nightly festivities. It was a great time. We even ended up at Gwangalli Beach, which is popular among locals and famous for its fine sand. There, we lit fireworks on the beach and admired the illuminated Gwangan Bridge, which is the largest bridge in Korea. Talk about an amazing view and even better company!
On Saturday morning, we all woke up and split into smaller groups for the day. I decided to venture around Busan's notable tourist attractions with two of my favorite bros. We grabbed a scrumptious breakfast of ramen and kimbap and headed straight for Busan Tower. For a mere $3, we bought elevator tickets to go up to the Observation Deck. From there, we got an impressive three hundred and sixty degree view of downtown Busan, its surrounding districts and hills, and its huge commercial seaport. Busan Tower is only about half the size of N Seoul Tower, but it was still a magnificent sight. I hear that on very clear days, you can even see Japan (Tsushima Island) and other nearby islands. In other news, I need to tone down the "Asian peace sign" gesture; I am literally doing it in every picture! (>.<)
After that, we took the metro to the other side of town to meet up with other friends at Haeundae Beach. It's one of the most popular beaches in all of Korea. During the hot summer months, Haeundae Beach turns into a virtual human puzzle, with thousands of tourists and parasols jam-packed into a mere mile of sand. This beach has even been recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of parasols set up at one time: a whopping 7,937 beach umbrellas! Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as crowed when we arrived; that is, we could see the sand - an feat that cannot be achieved between the months of June and August. It was beautiful and I spent the afternoon laying out and catching a few rays.
In the evening, we took part in the 16th Annual Busan International Film Festival, Asia's largest cinema event and one of the most prominent film festivals in the world. This year, 307 films from many different countries were shown at huge movie complexes throughout the city. A few weeks earlier, I got tickets online to attend a screening of "Inseparable," a full-funded Chinese film which is the first of its kind to feature an American actor - Kevin Spacey. Kinda random, but whatever. In the beginning, it was an engaging dark comedy with charming elements of satire and fantasy. But then the film got really strange and lost its sense of continuity and purpose. For a full review, consider reading: Inseparable - Movie Review. But I'm really glad I got attend an actual screening and experience the excitement of this festival firsthand.
On Sunday morning, I woke up early and went to pick up my Momma and Gramma from the Busan KTX station. From there, we took a cab to meet up with some of my Gramma's friends who live in Busan. While my Gramma has lived in America for many decades, they still keep in touch with through letters and phone calls. Pretty damn impressive. I hope to do the same with all the friends I make this year.
Then we went to Shinsegae Department Store in Centum
Afterwards, we went to Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach. As usual, Haeundae was packed with lots of people; while Gwangalli was a quiet, peaceful oasis. I definitely prefer the latter. It was nice to just wind down and admire the architectural structure of Gwangan Bridge in the daytime. Here's a few more photos of the beaches and a landscape video of Gwangalli Beach for your enjoyment.
Then we dropped by Jagalchi Fish Market, which is Korea's largest seafood market. Perhaps the most interesting aspect about the market is that most of the vendors are women, who are affectionately referred to as "Jagalchi Ajummas (middle-aged women)." These women are a very tough breed. They are the primary breadwinners of their household, doing the dirty work of cleaning and preparing the daily catch, while remaining strongly devoted to their families. Yay for female empowerment!
The market is split into two sections, one for dried seafood and the other for live seafood. Seafood enthusiasts hail this place as seafood heaven, where one can eat the freshest live seafood on the spot. I, on the other hand, held my breath and tried to walk quickly past the pungent-smelling stands. After that, we ate a non-seafood dinner of 설렁탕(seolleongtang), which is a hearty, heartwarming beef stew with noodles and rice.
In addition to having world records, Busan also has a lot of cute animals. When we went to Gwangalli Beach in the daytime, we saw two adorable dogs who worked together to carry a basket between them. It was absolutely precious. Then their owner showed up, called them over, and the dogs promptly hopped onto their owner's moped. It was such a funny sight! So glad I caught a picture of it. Later that day, on final walk back to the KTX station, we walked past several pet stores. Of course, I had to stop and take some photos.
Busan is a really lively and fun city. I hope I'll get a chance to visit again soon. Although Sunday was a long and non-stop day, I am so happy that I was able to share it with my Momma and Gramma. That evening, we took the 9pm KTX from Busan straight to Seoul. I slept for the entire 2h50m ride. Upon arrival, we took a cab to our family friend's home in the Gangnam-gu district, where we would stay for the next 2 days. My next blog post will have a lot of family photos and provide details of our adventures in Seoul! To be continued...
Puppies in boxes! So cute!!!
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