End of Summer Roundup

1. My fateful departure from Busan. In the blink of an eye, my year as an English Teacher came to an end. While I was ready to move on, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t having “some feels” about my time in South Korea. Thankfully, I left the country with a belly full of sundubu jigae, a pair of espadrilles full of sand and memories to last a lifetime.

2. Just as my chapter in Korea finished, a new book of adventures unfolded in Toronto! Admittedly, I hold a pretty big torch for Montréal (read: 5 à 7, poutine and smoked meat) but am genuinely excited to become familiar with a new city. So far, I am falling in love with Little Italy, Trinity Bellwoods and all of the brunch spots lining College Street. In this case, you really can take the boy out of Brockville and the Brockville out of the boy.

3. Speaking of, I went home to Brockville for a quick fortnight after returning from Korea. My time in Brockville started off pretty rocky – my mom broke her wrist and I shattered my iPhone – but after a couple of days I settled into my temporary (Onterrible) fate. Shoutouts to my lovely Brockville girls, my parents’ Netflix and fully stocked fridge and Mikhail Bulgakov for writing the longest saga known to man/putting me to sleep in my backyard.

4. I recently moved into my new apartment in Long Branch, away from the hustle-and-bustle of downtown Toronto (it is still to be determined if this was a mistake or not – will inform). That said, my initial expectations of Etobicoke as a crack haven stronghold for members of the “Ford Nation” were replaced with placid cul-de-sacs and consistent streetcar service. Long Branch even has a Burrito Boyz, proving I don’t need the College Street location to increase my mass this winter.

5. Despite last year’s unofficial mantra of “not needing an education to be, all [I] need is a Dream And An MPC“, I started my (last?!) year as a student in the #humberPR program. I’m SO lucky to be enrolled with my best friend and partner-in-crime, Susie (pictured above) and so far, I’m learning a lot of useful information. Like, for example, ALL of the Canadian Press grammar rules, the difference between an objective, a strategy and a tactic, and how awful I am(/someday will be) at investing in the stock market. Sometimes, learning is also about understanding what you’re not good at, right?

6. After three months apart, my beautiful Yusra came to visit Toronto! As you may recall, Yusra and I tore it up Busan in late June and this visit proved we still got it. I’m getting excited about my trip to visit her in British Columbia over my reading week in four short months. Best Coast – yeah!

7. I love all the helpful PR-related things I’m learning but I may just love my PRC-0LA classmates/crew even more. As if we didn’t spend enough time together during class time, group project meetings and study dates, we also organize super cute Thirsty Thursday events at the local watering hole, Brooklyn Haus. I think it’s safe to say I’ve ditched my official Korean mantra of “No New Friends”. It’s bae season and you’re all invited!

8. It’s no surprise that I love live music, but seriously guys, I have taken “Treat Yo Self” to positively 2K14 levels. Over the last four weeks, I have attended seven concerts throughout Toronto, namely Lorde, Sylvan Esso, Metronomy, Nick Waterhouse, Slow Magic, Tennis and Beach House. Life is a balance and I regret nothing: put it on my tombstone.

9. In a shameful turn of events, I have not practiced yoga since this photo was taken at the end of August. That said, this was my first ever flow led by my amazing friend/recently accredited yoga teacher Jess Sternberg! ALSO, I’m very excited to take part in my 2nd Annual #SOvemBER 30 Day Yoga Challenge. November will undoubtedly be spent in downward dog at my local yoga studio, Branch.

10. This is just a photo of the people who make me happy on a Friday night. Welcome home, Maddie and Jess. Welcome to the fray, Matt and Scott.

July Roundup

1. July was a work-intensive month. Between a full-time teaching schedule and preparing a comprehensive exit report for my replacement, I also had three kindergarten open classes. If you’re unfamiliar, an “open class” is when parents sit in on their children’s class and watch you teach. Given the high pressure put on students by their parents, I had to rehearse for open classes with my students for about a week and a half before to ensure they were comfortable with the material. I structured the lesson for my six year olds around “community places”, while the lesson for my seven year olds was based on concepts relating to “our Earth” (i.e. countries, continents, and oceans). Despite the stress I felt leading up to Open Class Week, I was totally and utterly vindicated when Happiness, Pride, and Smile Class totally killed it! My smile on that Friday afternoon was in recognition of their achievement, and also in recognition that I would never be subjected to another open class, ever. Huzzah!

2. Maybe I was listening to a lot of Calvin Harris, but I became painfully aware of summer’s fleeting nature in July. The realization that I would be returning to Canada in a matter of weeks and trading my flip-flops for winter-appropriate boots was not an easy one to accept. However, I pulled myself up by my flip-flops (NOT my boot straps) and made a simple, conscious effort to enjoy my remaining few weekends on Busan’s various beaches. I enjoyed mid-day tall boys of Cass. I fell a lot while trying to perfect my handstand. I laughed a lot and had great heart-to-hearts with friends. Ultimately, summer is always fleeting but those memories will endure long after it’s gone.

3. I took a trip to the beautiful Jeju Island with Steph and Mary at the beginning of the month. Despite the treacherous weather we endured for the majority of the weekend, it would be nearly impossible to have a bad time in Jeju. We sampled some of the local black pork stew, visited a majestic waterfall, hiked up a giant crater called “Sunrise Peak” during a typhoon, and enjoyed a period of brief blue skies on a black sand beach. I only wish I had more time to continue exploring the island!

4. My hagwon took our kindergarten students on a field trip to learn what to do and how to respond in times of crises. My students learned how to use a fire extinguisher, how to escape a burning house safely, and what to do in the case of an earthquake. These situations were often quite stressful and some of my students were rattled by the experience, but I do think they learned some valuable lessons from the field trip. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a sunlit picnic and naturally had an outdoor photo-shoot. Pictured above is me with Big Jaden, Yuli, and my absolute favourite student, Nina.

5. One of my favourite days at school, Cooking Day, returned in July! We taught our kindergarten students how to make my favourite Korean dessert, patbingsu. The recipe itself is pretty basic, requiring only shaved ice with sweet toppings such as chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, and red bean paste. The kiddies loved assisting with the preparation, but not as much as they loved devouring their “cool” creations!

6. I hosted an event titled Goodbye to Your Bae to celebrate my last official weekend in Busan. We ate at Artista, our favourite Mexican spot in Jung-dong, headed to the Kyungsung University area and watched the sun rise on Gwangalli Beach. It was the perfect setting to reminisce on memories from the past year and to salute the future.

7. As always, my school hosted a July birthday party. Given that this was my last birthday party at Brown & LCI, I ended up hosting. I created a PowerPoint quiz titled “Who Is That Teacher?”, where my students were shown a baby picture and had to guess which staff member it was. The best parts were when a picture of a clearly Caucasian baby were shown and the students guessed a Korean teacher, or vice versa. God bless the derpy little angels, amirite?

8. The neighbourhood of Hwamyeong became like a second home to me, after spending nearly every weekend there with Jess, Maddie, and Mary during the winter months. So, prior to leaving for summer vacation, I spent my last day in Hwamyeong with my friends Mary and Nina. Mary cooked a delicious breakfast for us, and the three of us took a walk through the local ecological park. Shortly afterwards, I had to leave to catch my flight to Shanghai. This was an incredibly bittersweet moment, as I had to bid farewell to Nina (I will be seeing Mary again in Toronto this fall). This was my first serious goodbye and I was incredibly touched by Nina’s emotion as I pulled away in the cab. I’m confident this is only “see you later” for Nina and I, and am looking forward to crossing paths again soon!

9. I spent 15 glorious/somewhat stressful hours in Shanghai en route to my final destination, Bangkok, during my summer vacation. While I didn’t get the opportunity to fully explore the city, I did manage to wake up early enough to see The Bund from its observation deck. Despite the fog, the iconic waterfront area was breathtaking, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to have seen it.

10. My love for Southeast Asia could never be quenched, but my summer vacation in Bangkok was like a refreshing 255mL water bottle after a long run. My week in Bangkok was filled with exploring, noshing, making new friends, and relaxing. While I wish I could have toured around all of Thailand, I have confidence that I will be back, someday soon.

Dadaepo Beach & Sunset Fountain of Dreams

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

What kind of person do you become when you’re left alone?

Personally, I become the “neurotic planner”. Such was the case during the June long weekend. I sat, latently anxious for no reason, waiting for Steph and Katie to return from their dinner. During this time, I clipped my toenails way too short, bookmarked all of the “best of Jeju” blog posts, and ate too many yogourt cups. I also decided, on a whim, that I would travel to Busan’s most remote beach – Dadaepo – the following day. I had gotten it into my head that if I didn’t travel to Dadaepo Beach the next day, that I wouldn’t have enough weekends to complete the remaining items on my Korean Bucket List. Steph and Katie eventually came to retrieve me from the #darkness (read: my apartment), shortly before my neuroses led me down the rabbit hole of planning my trip to Thailand – a whole 8 weeks away at that point.

While the majority of our group were either exhausted from our weekend of travelling to Bijindo, or had alternate plans, Steph graciously offered to join me on the hour and a half long excursion to Busan’s southwest coast. This trip was no joke: 40 minutes on the Busan Subway’s Green Line, another 40 minutes on the Red Line, and finally a 30 minute bus ride that dropped us off approximately 10 minutes from Dadaepo Beach and the Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dreams. There were no other passengers on the subway by the time we reached the last stop on the Red Line (Sinpyeong), and while the bus we boarded was nearly full, the surrounding neighbourhood told a far more subdued story than Haeundae and Jangsan.

I fell in love* with Dadaepo before I even set foot on its sandy beach. This is mostly because on our way to down to the water, Steph and I discovered a ramshackle arcade housing a batting cage, a small, carnival-style punching bag, and most importantly, a rickety, old trampoline that lay, unused, feet from Dadaepo’s traffic-laden thoroughfare. As I looked around in blissful confusion, wondering whom to inquire to or to pay for the use of the dilapidated old thing, Steph was already removing her shoes. “Don’t ask permission, ask forgiveness!” she chortled. I shrugged and joined her, bounding up and down on the shaky structure for what felt like hours. Below, foreigners and locals alike passed by, observing our mirth with a mixture of puzzlement and delight. Oddly, no one ever stopped to join us or inquire about using the trampoline. Even on our way back home, the arcade was a ghost town despite the busy crowds from the Sunset Fountain of Dreams. I wanted to shout into the great abyss, “hello, people! It’s a trampoline? Have you never had fun before?” Alas, it just meant more bouncing for me.

Despite Dadaepo’s isolation and distance from Busan’s bustling downtown sector, the beach itself was spectacular, stretching along the coast for as far as the eye could see. Steph jokingly quipped about the beach’s set-up: “On your left, cottage country. On your right, eternity!” The left side of the beach had a tiny inlet of waist-deep water, perfect for small children to wade out into and build sand castles along. The quiet Nakdong River cuts across a quiet park separating the parking lot and the beach, and trickles down into the sea. Steph and I removed our flip-flops to cross a series of stepping stones to reach the eastern side of the beach which was filled with dozens of tiny offices and sheds filled with water sports equipment. Here, fit, young males carried their paddle boards high overhead down to the beach while wiser men stood precariously on jagged rocks, casting out lines in the hopes of an afternoon fish or two.

Steph and I followed the wooden boardwalk around Dadaepo’s winding coast. We gingerly tiptoed across the rock sand beach. We freaked out about the wildlife (particularly the insects) indigenous to Dadaepo, as they scurried out from under the rocks onto the main trail. We admired the jutting rock formations emerging from the sea. We spent a lot of time people-watching: scenes of older brothers challenging their younger brothers to rock-skipping contests, foursomes enjoying a sunset picnic of gimbap and soju by the water, and ajummas stretching their legs after traversing the coastal walk. We talked and talked and talked about the future, almost as if we needed to say it all before the sun disappeared from the sky. The mood was super relaxing, and we both acknowledged how happy we were to have made it to Dadaepo.

We started back to the beach to catch the sun before it disappeared into the foggy horizon. However, the sand was so ridiculously soft that we all but ignored the setting sun in favour of a little handstand practice. After a little derping around, peppered with some more chats about our hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future, we headed towards the Nakdong River, our sights set upon the Sunset Fountain of Dreams.

I would not have surmised how what a popular destination that the Sunset Fountain of Dreams was earlier in the afternoon, based on what a ghost town Dadaepo seemed to be, but soon enough, hordes of locals and tourists alike streamed into the rather unsuspecting fountain square. There were more than a dozen workers setting up rows of chairs for the show, and soon, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. Based on blogs that I had read about the neighbourhood, Dadaepo used to be even more remote than it currently is. However, with the establishment of the fountain, the neighbourhood was quickly launched into gentrification to accommodate its newfound “tourist destination” title.

The show itself, which has been branded as the “world’s best and biggest fountain”, was admittedly, pretty magical. It lasted for 20 minutes, and featured shooting streams of water coloured by flashing lights, perfectly choreographed to a variety of popular Korean songs. Given that Steph and I had been discussing (often feeling uncertain about) our future careers, Steph sarcastically quipped that “this is actually someone’s job. They just coordinate water and lights to music as their livelihood!” We also joked that they hadn’t quite done the job justice, since “Let It Go” from the Frozen OSD, which would have been a perfect choice for the Sunset Fountain of Dreams’ light show, was not utilized.

The light show ended rather quickly (or so it felt at the time), and Steph and I began the long journey home; not before, of course, jumping on the trampoline one last time. Despite how zonked out I felt on the subway back to Jangsan, Steph and I had enjoyed a perfect, spur of the moment day in an area I knew I wouldn’t be returning to, ever. The “neurotic planner” inside me flashed a toothy grin.

* I use the term “love” lightly – it was indeed a charming area, but not one that you could pay me enough to live in for the duration of a full-year teaching contract.

Directions
To get to Dadaepo Beach and the Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dreams, take the Red Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to Sinpyeong Station (stop 101). Go out exit 5, and wait at the bus stop on your right. Buses 2, 11, 338, and 1000 will all take you to Dadaepo. The bus ride takes approximately 20 minutes. Get off the bus at the DaeU apartment complex on the right side of the street. The beach and fountain are a five minute walk straight down the road, across the street. Note: The fountain is closed every Monday. For more information regarding show times and seasons, please click here.

June Roundup

1. One of my favourite school field trips happened this month when my school attended the Haeundae Sand Festival. I will never forget the looks of joy on my kindergarten students’ faces as they built Elsa’s castle from Frozen out of sand and shrieked as the cold ocean water rushed up over their feet. Oh, to be young., it sounds like so much fun.

2. My exercise preferences change like the seasons. For the majority of the year, I’ve been on the yoga bandwagon, save for a brief stint with Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. This month, however, I began running at Daecheon Park with my fellow Jangsaner, Katie. The draws of running at Daecheon Park are simple: it’s a mere 15 minute walk from my apartment and has a 550m track wrapped around a tranquil pond. Katie and I have been running three nights a week, and I’m currently working up to a 5K race when I return to Canada. I’d forgotten how peaceful a quiet evening run can be, especially after a stressful day with 50 little troublemakers!

3. The beautiful return to Bijindo. A single visit to the beautiful island where “time stands still” was not enough, so I once again braved the long journey, this time with Steph, Mary, Nina, and Katie by my side. Since it was Memorial Day in Korea on the Friday, we had a long weekend to relax at Bijindo and I got my first real experience camping out on a beach. The best moment of the weekend was late Friday night, when Katie excitedly ran over to our tent and beckoned us out to the look at the now bioluminescent water. The entire sight was amazing; there we were, splashing around in this glowing, blue water, under the stars, on a remote island in South Korea. It really doesn’t get any more perfect than that.

4. Over the last three months, I have been (somewhat half-heartedly) growing out my hair; partially out laziness, but mostly out of love for the aesthetic. June was an exciting month for the follicles on my head because they can now be pulled together to make a respectable, albeit somewhat dinky, ponytail. The end goal is a Mulan style bun, (which will undoubtedly aid in my common, metaphorical usage of “defeating of the Huns”), and my hairdresser assures me this will be possible by the end of August. Prayers for my hair(s)!

5. Literally the moment I have been waiting for all year long: Ultra Music Festival. The highlights include dancing to Blasterjaxx at dusk, dancing on stage with M.I.A. in the late evening, and dancing the rest of the night away with Steve Angello. So much dancing obviously, and so much recapping after the jump here.

6. I love a good costume. Earlier this month, my kindergarten students frantically practiced simple sentences ad exchanges one might hear if they were sick for our school’s hospital play. They were then were responsible for taking turns as both doctors and patients. It was seriously so adorable watching the kiddies use stethoscopes on their friends and diagnosing them with “you’re dead”. I really do believe our children are the future.

7. With the exception of my friends and fellow teachers here in Busan, there will be no way for me to properly describe my experience in South Korea. Thankfully, after receiving a 5AM WhatsApp about a month ago indicating that there was a $600 round trip ticket to Seoul via Vancouver on DeltaAir, I subsequently received a visit from one of my best friends, Yusra! She ended up staying in Busan for six days, braving a ferry, two airplanes, a cross-country train, and multiple cabs. Without a doubt Yusra made the most of her time in Busan, visiting Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Market, Busan Tower and Yongdusan Park, Haedong Yonggungsa Water Temple, Seokbulsa Temple, Igidae Park, and Vesta Spa – all after completing a UBC Law exam! Seriously, what a trooper. A couple of my friends joked that she had seen more of Busan in six days than they had throughout their whole contract. While it felt incredibly bittersweet walking her to the subway, I am so grateful to have such a generous and adventurous friend like Yusra. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – next time in Vancouver, Yus!

8. This month has been a big old throwback to my post-graduate life in Montreal, where the majority of my time was spent on my old apartment’s rooftop pool and terasse. Recently, my friends and I have been on a hunt to discover (and enjoy!) the rooftops of Busan. My apartment in Jangsan, as well as the commercial building beside it both have adequate rooftops, perfect for sunset beers and wine. Props to Steph for discovering both rooftops and cheers to July potlucks on the penthouse!

9. I’m very happy to announce that I’m officially a student in the Public Relations Postgraduate Certificate program at Humber-Lakeshore in Toronto this Fall! I officially paid my tuition fees earlier this month, which means a mere two and half weeks after I finish as “Dylan Teacher” and arrive home in Canada, I will be off to Toronto to begin another year as a student. I couldn’t feel more confident about this program and I’m excited at the prospect of going back to school after two years in the “real world”. It’s going down – I’m yellin’ Humber!

10. The end of the month can only mean one thing – birthday party at school! This month could have easily been dubbed the “Derpsday Party”, given our roster of birthday kids (check the photo above), but as usual, it was a period filled with lots of singing, embarrassing photos, and of course, English speakin’. Happy birthday to Big Jaden, Pobi, Sophia, and David Y.!

I’ve been having a mild, and mostly latent freakout recently, as the end of June approaches. This was the month I had been waiting for – two holidays off of work, Ultra Music Festival, a visit from Yusra – and now it’s over. I only have one full month left in South Korea and it is already shaping up to be a busy one at school and at home. I fell a little bit out of my weekly routine, but I am looking forward to some home-cooked meals, evening yoga, journalling, and sticking to a strict blogging schedule. It’s time to get my affairs in order and wrap up my time here: bring on the month of “last” everything! See you in July!

Chungnyeolsa Shrine

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Today is Election Day in Busan. It constitutes an important day where the citizens of Busan can exercise their civic duties to safeguard the values they hold most dear. Since I cannot participate in this particular election, I decided to spend my afternoon at Chungnyeolsa Shrine, a site commemorating citizens of Busan who also safeguarded their own values – over 400 years ago.

Chungnyeolsa Shrine is dedicated to those Korean nationalists who lost their lives during the Japanese invasion of Korea between 1592 and 1598. The bravery of the largely unprepared Korean troops and volunteers who fought against annexation are memorialized at the Chungnyeolsa. The complex itself consists of a main hall, fifteen subsidiary structures, and nearly one hundred tablets in memory of the Busan area patriots who lost their lives defending Busan.

I spent around an hour exploring the large grounds of Chungnyeolsa. I started at the small koi pond near the entrance of the shrine. I watched as earnest children deposited coins into a machine dispensing fish food, their faces alight with wonder as they sprinkled it into the water beneath them. I worked my way around to a quiet elevated park on the west side of the complex, where groups of men huddled together to watch games of (what looked like) backgammon. I sat for about fifteen minutes and drank in how peaceful and restrained it felt beneath the perfectly trimmed tree branches of Chungnyeolsa. Even though I could see the urban sprawl of Busan just beyond the shrine’s walls, I felt far removed; in my own private Garden of Eden.

The park itself is meticulous and manicured. Every type of tree, flower, shrub, bush, plant, and weed you could imagine was in bloom, neatly trimmed, fighting against every unruly tendency it might have. The shrine contains dozens of seated areas, ranging from gazebos, wood benches, and circular rock formations, depending on your mood. Chungnyeolsa also gains serious points for being completely wheelchair accessible.

I eventually reached Chungnyeolsa’s Main Hall, which is dedicated to twenty-two officers who lost their lives during battle. Perhaps more interesting to me was the Uiyeolgak complex. This particular shrine is dedicated to two women who resisted Japanese aggressors by throwing roofing tiles upon them. I pulled my hands to heart centre and bowed to these women, but felt quite sure that there were more unsung female heroes that deserve equal representation at Chungnyeolsa.

The day soon turned overcast and rainy. I decided to depart the shrine, but not before ambling over to peer down into the koi pond one last time. I caught my own reflection in the clear waters, flashed a quick smile and turned on my heel to leave. Mushy, but it’s true.

Directions
To get to Chungnyeolsa Shrine, take the Blue Line on the Busan Subway (Line 5) to Chungnyeolsa Station (stop 405). Go out exit 3, and turn left until you are facing the large white stone monument. Take your first right and walk for about a minute. You will see a flight of stairs on your left. Take them and the shrine will be on your right.

Seokbulsa Temple

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Known as the “Stone Buddha Temple”, or Byeongpung-am (the “Folding Screen Hermitage”), Seokbulsa Temple is perched high upon Geumjeongsanseong Mountain. The temple is a bit of an anomaly – the majority of Koreans and foreigners I’ve spoken to have never heard of it, yet it is consistently ranked as a “must see” by Lonely Planet and other travel blogs. I was excited to be let in on the secrets of Seokbulsa.

I visited the temple in mid-April, a month that was all about early morning wake-up calls on the weekends. Following a Saturday night slumber party with the girls, we woke to an overcast Sunday in Busan. Nonetheless, we laced up our runners, downed our requisite Starbucks lattes, and began the great journey to Seokbulsa.

The subway ride itself was a bit of a voyage, as we had to switch from the green to the brown to the red line. Once we reached Oncheonjang, we caught a cab to the base of Geumgang Park, the grounds which house both Seokbulsa and the Geumjeongsanseong Mountain Fortress. The rain was starting to fall at this point, and I remember thinking, “I hate this already”.

Just beyond the entrance of Geumgang Park, we found the ticketing office for the cable car up to Geumjeongsanseong Mountain. My spirits were lifted at the prospect of being physically lifted up the mountain, plus, I had never taken a cable car before. I’m all about experiencing everything, but I feel like I need to ride a cable car at least once more in my life. The foggy views of Busan’s cityscape and the forest unfolding below us were absolutely breathtaking. I wrote the word “bumnaegol” in the condensation forming on the cable car’s window to mark my time there.

Once we reached the top, the hard work began. Apart from simply mustering the energy to hike to the temple, (we were still very groggy at this point), we also had to effectively navigate our way there. This was much more difficult than we had initially anticipated. We had assumed that we could simply follow a group of hikers to the temple, but quickly learned that there were dozens of trails; some leading the Seokbulsa, some leading to the Geumjeongsanseong Fortress, some leading to Beomeosa Temple, and some simply for meandering nature enthusiasts. The signs, obviously all in Korean, also weren’t exactly a big help to us either (0.8km to what, exactly?!)

Thankfully, a kind Korean gentleman offered his adept navigational skills, and put us on the right path to the temple. Originally, he led us to one of the fortress entrances, but recalculated to lead us through a quaint mountain hamlet, covered in cherry blossom leaves. There were rows of tiny, roofed tents occupied by smiling ajummas serving up rice cakes to groups of hikers sipping on thimbles of soju. The entire scene was completely picturesque, and we all agreed to return for lunch after we visited the temple.

After exiting the village, and gaining some assurances from other hikers (“Say-uk-bowl-sah Tem-pull-uh? This way?”), we finally reached the main path. We crossed small bridges, avoided tripping over numerous jutting rocks and tree roots, and descended a rather perilous flight of stairs bordering a quiet bubbling brook. This rather enchanted forest reminded me a little bit of the grounds surrounding Hogwarts, and I was almost breathlessly waiting for a pack of centaurs to hop out from behind a tree and offer us a ride on their backs to the temple.

The last leg of the journey to the temple can only be described as a “long and winding road”. The majority of the blog posts I had read about Seokbulsa indicated that this part of the hike would be treacherous and awful and so bad that you would slap your own mother in the face to avoid going back down. Apologies for the humble brag, but I didn’t find the hike any more strenuous than Mount Geumnyeonsan or Jangsan Mountain. That said, I was admittedly dripping in sweat by the time we reached the temple. Thankfully, it was a happy sweat.

I don’t know about the girls, but I felt vindicated once we reached the grounds of Seokbulsa. The temple complex housed a small, two-story stone pagoda, much less ostentatious than others I’ve seen throughout Asia. Before ascending the stairs into the temple, we stopped to appreciate the mountains rising from the mist in every direction, the attention to detail on the giant bell that hung in front of the temple, and most importantly, the placid beauty of a virtually deserted temple high above Busan.

Between the giant mountains and the six towering stone Buddhas staring down at me, I was reminded of how insignificant my daily worries are. I felt incredibly humbled as we left the sacred temple, pledging to remember not only how beautifully intricate the carvings were, but also how liberated they made me feel.

I had a very pensive hike back down, trying to internalize my pledge while also reminding myself to keep my weight over my knees – I’m no stranger to the old twisted ankle. After about 25 minutes, we reached the tiny village, where we enjoyed a celebratory meal of pajeon (a Korean pancake primarily made of green onions and leeks) and beer. It felt so good to toast to what we had achieved that day – all before 2PM! While I didn’t enjoy any pajeon (leeks, yuck!), I did try some roasted king crabs, a slightly less adequate snack to pair with beer than, let’s say nuts, but manageable.

If you’re going to brave Seokbulsa Temple, don’t half-ass it: bring snacks (I opted for granola bars and bananas), at least 2L of water (you’re going to sweat a lot), proper footwear (as I said, twisted ankles are no fun, and neither are blisters), as well as a positive attitude.

Seokbulsa is worth it if you’re concerned with gaining street cred for journeying to obscure locales, experiencing new things like riding a cable car or sampling roasted king crabs, and being astounded by the beauty of nature. Otherwise, maybe you ought to stick to Shinsegae.

Directions
To get to Seokbulsa Temple, take the Orange Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to Oncheonjang Station (stop 127). I would recommend taking a cab to Geumgang Park (approximately ₩3,500). Enter the park, and follow the signs to the cable car ticketing office. A round trip costs ₩7,000.

This Busan Haps review of Seokbulsa Temple contains very clear directions from the cable car, however, if you do get lost, show the following Hangul (석불사) to a fellow hiker and pray that you receive adequate directions.

Bujeon Market

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

What originally started as a simple trip to H&M in Seomyeon quickly turned into a detour into the heart of Busan’s largest indoor market.

Located in one of Busan’s commercial centres, Seomyeon, Bujeon Market occupies over a half dozen streets and alleys. There are literally no vacant stands – every stall is filled, with vendors selling everything from fresh produce to ajummas visors to sides of pork to cow heads to fresh seafood. There are smiling ajusshis spraying down buckets of fish and and crustaceans with a hose. There are the unsmiling ajummas separating the good onions from the bad. There are cats and dogs with seemingly no owner wandering around on top of giant stacks of ginger and garlic cloves.

The market itself is obscenely cheap, especially on the produce side. I almost felt pangs of jealousy for those who live closer to Seomyeon than I. While I do enjoy my own neighbourhood market (Jungdong Market), Bujeon is one stop shopping for anything and everything that is lacking from your new (or old) Korean apartment/kitchen.

The atmosphere of Bujeon Market is relatively relaxed, despite the larger crowds. It’s perfect for people-watching, so grab a seat in the middle of the market on one of the circular stumps in the waiting area for a brief repose. Life feels much easier when you’re simply cocking your head towards the direction of a persistent vendors trying to attract you to their booth, or perusing barrels of grains and nuts for a new yogourt topping.

Directions
To get to Bujeon Market, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Seomyeon Station (stop 219). Take exit 15 and walk straight out for about five minutes. Bujeon Market will be down multiple side streets on your left.

May Roundup

1. My wonderful (former) head teacher, Esther on her last day. She made the very brave decision – after four years at my hagwon – to set out on her own and blaze a new trail. I am wishing Esther all the best in her new adventures – school will not be the same without her!

2. Celebrating Children’s Day and Teacher’s Day at school was so perfect. Pictured above is the whole of my school’s kindergarten program after a riveting game of Corn Hole. I was absolutely soaked with sweat after running around to set up this game, subsequently garnering the new nickname “Wet Teacher”. You’ve got to love these children’s imaginations.

3. I began a new weekend routine in May: spending the entire weekend with my lovely ladies, enjoying the Busan nightlife on Saturday evenings, waking up, heading to the beach, eating Quiznos, getting a killer tan, doing headstands, going to Vesta Spa, and then finishing the weekend with some kimchi fried rice at my favourite local diner. It is a scientifically proven way to brighten life, and I feel so grateful that my last few months spent in Busan will be during the summer.

4. It’s back! Beach yoga began at Gwangalli during the first weekend in May. The last time I did beach yoga was in mid-October with Jess, Maddie, and our former teacher Amanda. Much like the seasons, my beach yoga crew has changed, but I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by the bendy and the zen. Even if I weren’t though, the view would more than make up for it.

5. You’ve got to love school field trip day. My school recycled the Daeyeon Arboretum (we already visited in September) as the location for this month’s field trip, but I still managed to have a lovely time in the great outdoors with my munchkins! I taught the kids to play classic childhood games including “What Time Is It Mr. Wolf?”, “Red Rover”, and “Duck, Duck, Goose”, and somehow, only one child managed to fall and scrape their knee. If you’ve ever worked in a school, you know that’s a small victory.

6. I spent a Sunday afternoon with a trio of my former middle school students in Jangsan, and it was a lot of fun. They recently left my school in favour of private tutoring and were very eager to meet up for lunch. They were initially so jarred to see me outside of a classroom setting! We enjoyed a nice meal at the Korean diner and played some arcade games before calling it an afternoon. God love these derps – middle school is a hard time, but they all have such good heads on their shoulders!

7. Life is nothing if you don’t fill it with the special ones. Pictured here is my “Bu Crew”: Mary, Katie, Steph, and Brandi, just missing our lovely Nina. There is certainly not a lot of time where I’m without at least one of them: Steph and I are basically attached to the hip every night after school; Mary and Nina make the long trek from Hwamyeong to Jangsan every weekend; I meet with Katie through the week to jog at Daecheon Park and have a nightcap at Thursday Party, and I’m so lucky to have sweet old Brandi as a co-worker. I’m truly #blessed.

8. It feels like I’m always saying goodbye! After ten months of shaping Korea’s next generation together, I bid farewell to my co-worker and friend, Brittany Teacher. My boss took all of the foreign teachers at my school to a dessert bar early last week as a thank you to Brittany for all of her hard work. She’s currently travelling around Southeast Asia for the next two months before plotting her next move. Best of luck, Britt!

9. Since I’m nearing the end of my contract and want to spend my last few weekends soaking up the sun, I was quite aggressive with my Bucket List (very typical). Amongst those that I was able to check off were Samgwangsa Temple, a Lotte Giants Baseball Game, the Oryukdo Island Cruise, and Bujeon Market. I’m so excited that I’ve nearly checked everything off of my Korean Bucket List!

10. I always love a good birthday party. Each month at my school, a birthday party is held for all the students celebrating that month. May has a solid line-up – five of my favourite students were turning a year older, and choosing which one to stand with in this photo caused me some serious anxiety. As per usual, Nina was the winner.

May was just as busy as its predecessor, April. It had long catch-ups on Skype with my friends back in Canada, lots of beach yoga and beers, meeting lots of new people – basically everything I could want as I usher in the summer season. I booked my flight to Thailand for summer vacation, my school booked me a flight back to Canada in early August, and one of my best friends, Yusra, booked a flight to South Korea for a visit in June! May had many hits and only a few misses and I’m happy that my sun kissed face broke into laughing fits easily and often. Au revoir, May!

Busan Museum of Art

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Photos by Jess Sternberg (go check her Instagram out here) and the Korean Tourism Organization.

Blogging about the Busan Museum of Art is a stark reminder about how put together I was not upon arrival in Korea. I visited the museum during the second weekend of September – a whole eight and a half months ago! Oy vey. Blame the late blog post on a totally “blissed out, lazy, end of summer 2013” Dylan.

I’m usually pretty ambivalent about museums on the whole. During my summer 2010 trip to Europe, I spent four hours at the Jüdisches Museum in Berlin. It was a thoroughly curated museum, with an excellent exhibit on Jews in comic books. However, I was so overloaded with information that upon departure from Berlin, everything had left my brain. I was not a sponge that summer for anything except World Cup soccer and beer.

This time around, during my year in Busan, I was excited to take in some Eastern-inspired works of art. Given that the Busan Museum of Art is the penultimate subway stop on my journey to work everyday, I figured this would be a good place to start. In addition, Jess and Maddie had their lovely friends Maritza and Steph visiting, and it seemed like a positively cultured way to introduce the girls to the city.

The Busan Museum of Art had some pretty excellent elements. First of all, it was free entrance (great news for the frugal). The complex itself is large, modern, and well-maintained (as it should be – it was only opened in 1998). The museum has five exhibition halls with hardwood floors throughout, along with archives and interactive learning rooms. The exhibits didn’t feel too overwhelming – the average person (read: me) could enter any given section and feel comfortable identifying general themes and representations.

When the girls and I visited, the main exhibit was titled The Art of Prayers, featuring pieces of art donated by the Korean-Japanese artist Ha Jung-Woong. The exhibit consisted of  three different sections: Prayers, Evidence, and Happiness. Each section hoped to represent regret and despair, record “art as historic evidence”, and show “art which provides happiness”, respectively. The section I remember the best was Prayers, which featured a series of woodcuts titled “The Story of Hanaoka”. These vivid reenactments of the uprisings and massacres at the Hanaoka mine in 1945 were particularly realistic and brutal, as well as an exercise in gratitude on my part.

In addition, there were two exhibits by Kim Bong Tae (titled “Accumulation”) and Shin Sang Ho (tilted “Final Frontier”). The Kim Bong Tae exhibit was almost Warholian, but in a totally nondescript way (read: stacked, differently coloured boxes). The Shin Sang Ho exhibit was slightly more interesting, with bright, ceramic sculptures and airplanes inspired by “the unknown world depicted by Star Trek screenwriter Eugene Roddenberry”.

The exhibit we enjoyed the most was the one designed for children (obviously). We entered a dark room, and were immediately delighted when a series of colourful projections began parading about the walls. An older Korean man approached us afterwards to inform us that his young daughter had drawn the pictures and he had turned them into projections. This room of projections was easily the best part of the museum. We joked about the room just needing some EDM to make it a real party.

My trip to the Busan Museum of Art was perhaps more of an exercise in taking derpy photos with my friends than a truly cultural experience. That said, I feel like I did gain some real exposure to different forms of Korean art during my two hour visit to the museum, which was my original goal anyway. You don’t have to remember it all, you just have to appreciate it all.

Directions
To get to the Busan Museum of Art, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 1) to the Busan Museum of Art Station (stop 205). Go out exit 5 and walk straight for about two minutes. The museum will be right in front of you.

Oryukdo Island Cruise

This is a Busan Ex-Pat City Guide post. Check out the rest of my list here.

Multiple trips this year (to Bijindo, to Boracay, to Samgwangsa Temple) have really transformed my simple appreciation for sunsets into a genuine love for sunsets. Beyond the “nice Camera Reel, br0” aspect, sunsets give me exactly what I need, no matter what mood I’m in. If I’m having a bad day, the setting sun is a reminder that tomorrow is new day. If I’m feeling insecure, it reminds me that night will cover things like a blanket and provide some anonymity. If I’m in a good mood, sunsets push me over the precipice into a free fall of total bliss.

This was the case last weekend when the girls and I packed up our things after an afternoon on Haeundae Beach to ride a ferry around the Oryukdo Islands at sunset. While we had a nice day crisping in the sun, we were all individually in weird places due to external circumstances. We really needed to close the weekend out on a high note, y’all.

We reached the Mipo Ferry Terminal at the end of the beach, and purchased a ticket aboard the 6:30PM ferry. We had about 40 minutes to kill, so we ate, drank, derped, and were merry in the ferry terminal, (a true testament to the “Bumnaegol 3”). Afterwards, we boarded the vessel with about a dozen others, ready and raring to see Busan’s coasts, islands, and of course, the sunset.

The Oryukdo Islands are (depending on the time of day) five or six rock islands, proudly protruding from Busan’s choppy waters. They are pretty famous throughout the city because these are typically the first masses that people see when sailing into Busan. They are pretty clearly uninhabited given that they are literally mossy rocks offering little to no shelter, with the exception of “Lighthouse Island”. If you haven’t already guessed, this rock houses a large white lighthouse with a series of winding stairs and observatories (we unfortunately didn’t make a pit stop here). The islands are a pretty random thing to be so widely admired, admittedly, but with the sun peeking out from behind them, I began to see why people enjoy them.

I’ve seen my fair share of sunsets on Busan’s coasts and beaches, but it was such an experience watching it from the water. At one point, the sun was hovering over Busan’s famed Marine City, casting shadows of the iPark, Zenith, and Exordium buildings over the water. We had incredible views of Diamond Bridge, Gwangalli Beach, and Igidae Park – it was basically a (boat) trip down memory lane of all the things I’ve seen and experienced in Busan.

After the boat made it around the Oryukdo Islands, the winds began to pick up. The other passengers opted to descend to the lower decks, but Mary, Steph, and I wrapped ourselves in our beach towels and blankets to continue watching the (now hazy) skies and sights. I huddled for warmth with my arms wrapped around my girls and felt so blessed with life in Busan.

The entire trip back to the ferry terminal was a practice in the very real phenomenon known as “sunset gratitude”. This is where my friends and I repeatedly tell each other how happy we are to have met one another and how lucky we are to be living in such a peninsular paradise. It’s basically like a drunken heart-to-heart, without the alcohol.

The 70 minute Oryukdo Island Cruise is certainly worth the price for the views of Haeundae and Gwangan. I recommend you take an evening ferry on the weekend, since they run more often than during the week. Get out there and practice some “sunset gratitude” of your own!

Directions
To get to the Mipo Ferry Terminal, take the Green Line on the Busan Subway (Line 2) to Haeundae Station (stop 203). Take exit 3 or 5 and walk straight out until you reach the beach. Turn left and walk along the beach ends. Continue down the road and the ferry terminal will be on your right. The Oryukdo Island Cruise costs ₩22,000. More information can be found here.