Observations: Korean Beach

Hello,

In the final few weeks of my first year of living in Korea, I visited two beaches. The first was Haeundae Beach in Busan.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh

We were in Busan for two and a half days and me and my companion Jennifer spent almost the entirety of the time on the beach. During this trip, we saw a lot of what I will refer to as 'beach chicken people'. Beach chicken people are noisy individuals that walk up and down with probably cold chicken shouting 'beer! chicken! beer and chicken! chicken and beer!'. As you can imagine, beach chicken people are quite annoying. 

At one point, while in the sea, I quickly dipped my head underwater to wet my hair. In the 0.00648 seconds I spent underwater, a young lady in a rubber ring managed to position herself directly above where my head was set to emerge. Cue creepy foreigner doing a jaws-esque attack on an unsuspecting victim.

Also, Korean sun in HOT KOREA is hot ('no way' I hear you say). We were both bright pink after our full first day on the beach. Jenny even got a 'woah' during a trip to the little girls room. 

It was also on this trip that I observed the kind of things Koreans are willing to take into the sea with them. I have drawn up a comparison table to show the differences between what Koreans take into the sea versus what I am accustomed to taking into the sea with me. Please find this helpful table below.

Acceptable items in the Korean sea	Things I am used to seeing in the sea
People	People
Flotation devices	Flotation devices
Swimming costumes	Swimming costumes - sometimes ;)
Sunglasses
Hats and caps
Flip Flops
T-shirts
Dresses
Mobile phones around your neck in a plastic protecty thingy	REALLY!?

The second trip was to Daecheon beach, with lovely chap Oliver in tow.

Couldn't get a picture

The weather was not so favourable. We had planned to go for one night at least, maybe two. We spent about 4/5 hours there.

Told ya.

Arriving on the beach, we realised we were perhaps the most pitiful people on the beach, as everyone else had tents, umbrellas, food and other beach things. We had what you can see below.

They're not even beach towels.

We had a quick dip in the sea, and this time I didn't headbutt somebody in the.... butt (headbutt... get it?). Upon our fabulous return to our palace on the beach, I decided to bury my companion.

A pillow, for added comfort.

After his burial, it was my turn. When I was almost fully sanded, the rain started. Following the rain, came the thunder. But I will be damned if I get buried in the sand and don't even get a photo out of it!

Rain was going in my eyes, so I look great...

Following the rain on the beach, I had a lovely freezing cold shower followed by a bit of pudding and then a bus ride home. What a wonderful beach holiday. 

Gamsahapnida for reading,

King of the beach

P.S. K-Pop by Cho Yong Pil with 'Bounce'. Skip to 0:25 for the music unless you like people screaming (I do, that's why I attacked beach girl).

Stuff I felt obligated to do.

Hello,

During my first month in Koreazy, I created a list of things I wanted to complete. Well, I didn't complete them all but I'm staying for another year so poo you.

#3: Try octopus with Anna

I have now eaten octopus many times. The first, however, was to be with good friend Anna, pictured below. I didn't like octopus on my first try, and I still don't like it now. It did open me up to trying lots more strange foods, some tasty, some questionable, and some downright horrible.

Photo by wonderful Karen Dang

#6: Go to a soju tent

A soju tent is a big orange tent where they sell soju and simple foods to be consumed alongside soju. After a trip to the zoo, me and my coteacher decided to visit a soju tent. The tents we were visiting are situated in a sort of car park (underground style) and we were joined by my good friend Keith. It was warm, tasty and odd at the same time.

#7: Go to a trick-art museum

#11: Go to a theme park

I visited LotteWorld theme park in central Seoul. We managed to go on a fair few rides, and I convinced my companion Oliver to go on a vile one for the second time with the promise of a waffle. A waffle that I ate.

Muahaha.

#12: Ascend Namsan Tower

#14: Go horse-riding

Part of our itinerary for the Jeju Island school trip was horse riding. In the photo is the vice principal and a first grader, as well as my horse's head (still attached to the horse and definitely not in my enemy's bed)

#17: Go to a cat and/or a dog cafe

I've been to the 'Coffee and Cat' cat cafe four times now. The cats are often uninterested unless you have chicken, in which case they are extremely interested. Some are nice, some are cruel (the skinny ones) and some are just BLOOMIN' RUDE! Rude cat example: I go to the cat cafe and being the productive soul that I am I decide to take my laptop, in it's case. But being the lazy soul that I am I don't use my laptop and it stays in it's case on the counter. Rude cat wakes up, comes over to my laptop case, sniffs it, and then goes to town on it with it's lovely sharp claws. Then rude cat wanders off and goes back to sleep. I didn't even get a stroke out of it.

The dog cafe was more entertaining, with dogs chasing each other round, eyeing me up for my strawberry bubble tea and dipping their noses into crotches (mine and Jenny's), bags (Jenny's) and cups (everyone's). A little bit smelly but a lot of fun!

If you would like to see a funny dog playing on a chair, watch this video.

#20: Eat hanjeongsik, a side dish only feast!

This is me and Woo Young enjoying (or about to enjoy!) a tasty side dish only feast. You might be able to see a fish on the table, and I'm calling out a reader here (SASHA) who asked if they were decorative fish. Just in case any of you were wondering, they weren't decorative fish.


Failed attempt: Catch a dragonfly out of the air.

I did try and catch a dragonfly, but it wasn't out of the air and I think I killed it. Not exactly what I was going for.



Gamsahapnida for reading,

Decorative fish merchant


P.S. K-Pop by Shinhwa with 'This Love'