gwangan and beyond

after a first not-so-long week of work (it was liberation day on friday), i got a chance to go out and explore my neighborhood.

supposedly it was to rain all weekend, but of course the weatherman lied and it turned out to be beautifully hot and humid. my kind of weather.

so i decided to head down to the beach.

after a very short walk, i was there. it’s a little crazy how you can be amidst large buildings and shops, a completely urban picture, and then suddenly be by the ocean.

gwangalli beach is amazing. nestled against dozens of hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, and little shops, it curves into a half-moon and faces gwangan bridge, which has nightly light shows.

i kept going along a boardwalk that starts at the beach and hugs the water, with a lane for pedestrians and another for bikers. so many people bike in busan! although it doesn’t come close to the numbers in bike-dazed montreal, it’s still amazing to see how many koreans choose to forego the ubiquitous hyundais in favour of two wheels. of course, in terms of gear there are only polar opposites - you have either riders who are completely decked out (long sleeves, bike pants, shiny helmets, face scarves, goggles, everything stamped in logos) or the ‘t-shirt and my wheels’ types. no in-between.

the walk was amazing, so peaceful and quiet. for a country you’d imagine to be bustling, loud, and crowded (and, from what i’ve seen so far, parts of it certainly are), ocean-side busan is a complete respite from the world.

there were some fishermen by the rocks, and at one point i spotted a small cat napping on a rock like one of these below. completely undisturbed.

this is the district i live in, which is further divided into smaller areas. the one my home and gwangalli beach share is called gwangan-dong.

it seems that anywhere you go in korea, there will always, always be at least partial view of a mountain. again, it’s that juxtaposition of urban landscapes and nature that is present everywhere. yet it doesn’t feel like all these beautiful things were here for years and years, and suddenly someone decided to erect buildings and shops and impose modernity on the area. if anything, it feels very natural that one should be able to enjoy both realms at once. or, at least, it does to someone like myself, since i am always craving one or the other.

this bridge is one of my favorite things about busan:

because when you finally reach it, you get to see that it’s shamu-themed!

it’s details (albeit more often than not they are extravagant and not subtle, such as in this case) like this that have surprised me and brought me joy since i’ve been here. why not have a bridge adorned with killer whales?

at the other end i was met by shinsegae, the ‘largest shopping complex in the world.’

it was really nothing to write home about, especially if you have been to new york, or really, any upscale department store. it was a bit surreal to be walking around, surrounded by isabel marant, chloé, and marni, as i walked around in my $5 eva b dress.

shinsegae’s redeeming qualities are its ice skating rink (which i’d love to go to, but it seemed to be entirely populated by kids) and its bookstore, kyobo.

english books, hallelujah!

before i got to busan, everyone had been very concerned about how i’d feed myself, while my main concern was really all about finding things i could read, a different kind of alimentation altogether (although, in my mind, vastly more important). i think i’ll be okay here after all.

there were a couple of these sculptures outside the main doors. i still don’t know what to make of them. giant tears? speakers (i hoped)? or maybe they’re just there to fulfill some aesthetic need i have yet to grasp, being too new here.

the way home felt a lot longer. i was so worn out from sensory overload, which has been a recurring ailment since i’ve arrived here.

but really, isn’t that the best of problems to have?