My First Week - A Retrospective Part I

      First of all, I'd like to wish a happy Independence Day to all of South Korea.  Everyone has the day off from school and work although I'll have to go in.  It's only for a little while though and I get to arrive late, leave early, and I think my director is treating everyone to a late lunch afterwards.
      So after logging in 7 days in Busan, it only seemed natural to reflect on the week that has past. I’m beginning to learn a great deal about the customs and traditions and how those factor into my initial impressions of this Far East city. So without further adieu, I bring you the good, the bad, and the ugly in a 3 part series.

The Good

      Busan is a large city with an incredible landscape. It sprawls across the foots of smaller mountains (huge by Louisiana standards) and is separated into the East and West by a dividing river flushing into the East Sea. The beach is comprised of fine grain amber-colored sand and small islands lie off its coast. A salty breeze is constantly blowing preventing the temperature and humidity from reaching unbearable levels (like back home). The Oriental architecture is a gorgeous addition to this landscape. Traditional roofs and tiles are used along with columns and railings to construct pagoda-like structures paying homage to the past. It’s not only evident in the neighborhoods but everywhere from the restaurants to the university’s campus to the parks.

      The people here are beautiful, inside and out. Not only do handsome men and attractive women walk the streets all day, they’re also out at all hours of the night. That’s the beauty of being beautiful; every moment is safe and there seems to be no off-hour for general respect. While eating at a restaurant last week, I left and went to a convenient store on the way to a friend’s apartment. While in the store I was found by the waiter from the restaurant who had my sunglasses, which I forgot on the table. I was already down the street and in another store mind you. That’s impressive to me – a true sense of humanity.

      Public Transportation is a phenomenal invention. Let me preface this by saying I know that public transportation exists in the States, even in New Orleans, but this is more than a streetcar and the longest that I’ve been exposed to it as a permanent fixture in my life. There are buses that constantly run on the streets, trains that tunnel underground in the subway, and the high speed KTX which can travel from Busan to Seoul in 2 hours and 45 minutes at nearly 300 mph.

      Then there’s the food which I’ve already publicly proclaimed my love for. The taste, the variety, the spice, and the price. This leads us into our last thing.

      The smell* of the city. When walking by street vendors or bar-be-ques your nostrils are oh so pleasantly greeted with the charred aroma of meat on an open grill or the tingle of freshly ground spices. Deep fryers with tempura battered shrimp or chicken are also worked hard enough to have their smell permeate through restaurants and into the night air.

      As of now, these are the notable things that give me pleasure on a daily basis out here in Busan. Stay tuned for Part II – The Bad.

*This thought will be continued in Part II