Busan Revealed

September 11, 2010

We had some serious rain this morning – serious! It down-poured for hours and no, Rob, I still have no umbrella. :) I had thought about going to the beach, but obviously nixed that idea. I said farewell to all the other hostellers who have been here pretty much since I arrived. Another hosteller was saying obscenities in his sleep – quite amusing. This was after he crashed on the floor loudly – I had flashbacks to camp when people fell out of the top bunks.

Yesterday I went to the country’s largest fish market, the Jagalchi Fish Market. It was quite an experience and I saw creatures I had no idea existed. I’ve posted some pictures so you can share in the experience. :) Most Koreans, especially older ones, are reluctant to have their picture taken so I couldn’t capture the individual stall scenes well. However, one younger man wanted me to take his picture with one of his fishes. There were tons of dried fish – I never realized they could be so flat! One woman held up a sashimi (sp?) for me (tubular blob that lives in the mud) and squeezed it for me so I could see it spew water. Of everything, that creature is the weirdest one I saw. There are loads of octopi – all different types. I keep hearing stores of the tentacles grabbing onto you as you try to eat it (even when it’s cut up) so for the recent non-vegetarian I think I’ll postpone that dish. I’m also not quite up for picking out my live fish, shellfish or whatever and eating it then and there. It’s definitely all about what you’re used to. I grew up ripping apart lobster and I know for some that takes some getting used to. I’m glad I saw the market it though because you get a real sense of the main seafood here – and Busan being on the water focuses on seafood.

I was surprised, but yesterday I was offered religious experiences by two different people (not the drug induced kinds). One woman was a Jehovah’s Witness and gave me reading material and wanted me to come to Bible study. The other offer happened when I was at a language cafe and a gentleman asked if I wanted to go to his church on Sunday, the largest Christian church in Busan. I felt like I was back in the Midwest. :) About 1/3 of Koreans are Christians/Catholics. When they refer to Protestants they say Christians and Catholics are simply called Catholics.

I also had a cultural lesson on the subway the other day. When I got on there were plenty of seats and I took one with the bow of approval from a man. The seat was within the disabled/pregnant section and as the subway filled up I didn’t see anyone who fit that description. I saw a gentleman maybe in his 50s, but he didn’t fit any of the pictures that indicated when I should get up. No cane, no wheelchair and he definitely wasn’t pregnant! I wondered if I should get up because I know the treatment of elders is different here, but was tired, hungry and my feet were sore so I stayed in my seat. In NYC I would run the risk of insulting the man if I offered my seat. I’ve had men say, “I don’t look that old do I?!” Anyway, so all of a sudden I feel a firm tap on my thigh. It’s the man and he points to the signs. I, of course, gave up my seat happily. Should I let the Busan subway system know that they should add a sign with someone with grey hair to indicate to us foreigners that they should also be given the seat? :) Actually, I think no matter where I was sitting I was supposed to give it up. Today though some older women kept pointing out seats I should take. They were nicely looking out for me. I do think the Confucian tradition of respecting elders is something we could learn from in the US. Oh, one more thing about the subways that I didn’t expect. When there are crowds on the subway platforms waiting for the train people neatly line up. While I might get elbowed on the sidewalk, the trains are more peaceful. They don’t make my blood pressure rise like the NYC ones at rush hour. :)

I went to a language cafe where I tried to learn the basic Korean alphabet and what the sounds are. We tried to write the sounds out phonetically with the Roman alphabet, but one sound is totally behind our repertoire. They also had a party and I talked with several locals and a couple of American ex-pats. We played Jenga and had lots of laughs. One woman is from Seoul and only recently moved here for work. I think we’ll get together soon. I noticed at this cafe and at my hostel that young men own them. They’re impressive entrepreneurs taking advantage of the evolving Korea.

Busan is not overly crowded, no more than a western city. And everyone waits for the crosswalk signal. They are far apart from one another so there are big crowds and waves of people go across when the light turns. There is a variety in restaurant options - I passed a Mexican restaurant yesterday. The nightlife is lively as I’m near two universities. Oh, you can rent DVD rooms. You rent a room to screen a DVD of your choice and some have chairs and others don’t. Apparently, some young people go there for activities other than movies. :) I think it’s around $10. SK has been pretty inexpensive so far. I can live on 33,000W a day (about $28), if I budget. And that includes my hostel which is 20,000W. Not bad for a modernized country. I have seen lots of Dunken Donuts and Baskin Robbins, but not as many McDonald's and the like. I guess they prefer our sweets over our fast food.

Tonight I went to a bbq joint. One of the employees helped me cook the pork because I was at a complete loss. It actually tasted pretty good with the marinade. You can see from the picture that I had lots of sides and condiments to figure out. I tried to look at the tables near me, but they were mostly behind me in the process. I created my own combos and cast aside the hot chilies after one little bite!

I’m getting a bit nervous that I haven’t settled in here as I’d like yet. Maybe in a few days I’ll find a room to rent and find people who want to learn English. Send your good luck my way please! I’m thinking of all my friends and family back home and wishing you all well.