It
seems that despite these new circumstances, locations, and routines,
I can't escape some familiarities of the life I once knew.
Case-in-point, Busan experiencing Typhoon Bolaven (which is the
Pacific Ocean's rendition of a hurricane), the first in oh so many
years and Tropical Storm Tembin. So I relied on my wealth of
exposure gathered from Andrew to Opal, from Georges to Isadore, from
Katrina to Rita to Gustav.
Naturally,
I had to venture to the beach…me and maybe 30 Koreans who stayed a
half a mile away from the ocean in an attempt to video the largest
waves they've ever seen. Keep in mind this is the same beach that
only 4 weeks ago reportedly had 750,000 people on it, and it is not
even peak season anymore. This is surely the most popular beach on
the entire Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, I'm running through the sand
barefoot, camera in hand.
After
taking a few photographs and getting blindsided by a wave while
looking through the camera’s viewfinder, two lifeguards asked that
I back away from the water and retreat to a safer distance. Later,
in keeping with the tradition of emptying your freezer and eating
buffet-style with your neighbors (for fear of losing power and having
all of your food go to waste), there was a vast Korean meal savored
with friends.
While
I currently go through the storms of the Far East, Hurricane Isaac is
flooding New Orleans with its own torrential rainfall and winds.
Funny how symmetry works, even 7,293 miles apart.
A long exposure taken during Hurricane Gustav without electricity
No comments:
Post a Comment