Busan Haps Iss 7

busanhaps the magazine for what’s happening in busan

Blogging ‘bout love in the ROK

Issue 7 June/July 2010

Free

Korea’s Only

Expat Sailing Club

Inside

DALMAJI 90210 JAMES TURNBULL KLICKITAT IN BUSAN FOREVER REVIEW: THIRST

The Winner of Busan’s Best Burger?

Blowfish Surf Bar One-Year Anniversary Special Edition

LOST IN SHINSEGAE

www.busanhaps.com

Events 6/17~20 Busan International Food Expo (BEXCO): If you are looking to sample some Korean goodies, this will be the spot. With about 200 companies displaying over 1500 products from food to machinery, there should be something to eat in the cavernous BEXCO. www.bofas.com/eng 6/18 King Khan & BBQ Show (The Basement): Bringing in one solid international act after another, this time The Basement will have the duo from Montreal who mix doowop and punk. The imagination runs wild.

6/23 Peter Jablonski & Julius-Jeongwon Kim Piano Duo Concert (Busan Citizen’s Hall): How about a little Mozart and a little Rachmaninoff to get the evening going? Peter Jablonski apparently has some game: He was named “International Swede of the Year” in 1996.

6/24~27 Busan Mayor’s Cup Int’l Surfing Championship (Haeundae): Last year the waves didn’t attend so it was pretty much an international paddling contest. Make your offerings to the surf God this year and hope for the best.

6/25 Lymbyc Systym (Club Womb): The Tempe, Arizona brothers, Jared and Michael Bell with their electro-instrumental rock come to Gwangan-li. Let’s hope they don’t get arrested for anything.

6/25 & 7/24 Full Moon Party (Blowfish Surf Bar): What you can’t get in Thailand, you can get (well, mostly) on Song Jeong Beach. Blowfish, with the best burgers in town, sits right on the beach. Howl to your liver’s content.

6/26 &7/3 Shakespeare in Busan (Catholic Center, Jagalchi): A Midsummer Nights Dream in early summer. Nice-uh.

6/26 & 7/31 PNU Club Night (PNU): Cheap drinks, good music. What more do you need other than a wheelbarrow?

A long running tradition where people generally crawl.

6/26 Japanese Song Singing Contest (Kyungsung Concert Hall): Put on by the Japanese embassy to increase interest in Japanese music. For some odd reason, the contest is closed to anyone born before June 1, 1975. Go figure.

7/1 Canada Day (Everywhere): The Canadians have their day, at night, in bars all over Busan. Eh! 7/2 American Voter Registration Drive: July 2nd at The Basement in PNU; July 4th at Blowfish 7/2 The HA HA Hole Comedy Open Mic (Soul Trane PNU): A Gag-Gypsy of sorts, migrating from bar to bar with a large group of fans in tow. Chris Tharp, Roy Early and a host of others, including yourself if you wanna give it a go.

7/2~4 Busan Senior Expo 2010 (BEXCO): With over 250 booths from 90 companies, this senior oriented convention focuses on a true growth market for Korea when considering that an estimated 38% will be over the age of 65 in 2050. www.busanseniorexpo.com/eng 7/4 Fourth of July (Everywhere): America gets to celebrate it on a Saturday this year--we here in Korea settle for Sunday. Blowfish and Sunset Lounge are your best bets for sun and fun in celebration of America sans English yoke.

Through 7/11 Contemporary Art of China and Japan (BMOMA): A great collection of travelling art from Korea’s neighbors at the already vastly well-collected Busan Museum of Modern Art. www.busanmoma.org Through 7/11 Son Ah-yoo collection (BEXCO): Korean artist featured on the 2nd floor of the museum. Admission 700 won.

7/22~25 Busan Cup: Korea-China-Japan Junior Sailing Championships @ Busan Yachting Center

The Bard comes to Busan Open Mics: Tuesdays - The Basement Wednesdays - Ol’55 Thursdays - Crossroads

Trivia Nights: Thursdays - HQ Bar Sundays - Starface Dalmaji

www.busanhaps.com/calendar

One Year Done A little over a year ago, Mike Schneider approached me with a ragged little printout entitled “15 Things I like about Busan,” that he and Conor Murphy brainstormed a few nights before. Mikey asked if I could give it the ‘writer’s touch.’ Looking back now, it was probably one of the best ‘gifts’ I have ever been given.

At the time I was in need of a new creative outlet. I had, over the years, tried to be a hip hop star (seriously), a pop star, a baseball player and most recently, a world class novelist. I had six solid years under my belt as a working journalist and was meandering through the good life here in Asia recovering from novel rejection.

Then came Mikey.

I had no experience at all with design, but opened up Microsoft Word and managed to put together the first Busan Haps in June of last year. Chris Tharp and Jen Sotham were the only writers in what was intended to be a simple guide. That summer, I learned some of Adobe’s design software and little by little managed to build a website and a magazine. It is ironic that while gathering and distributing info about Busan, I have actually had little time to go out and enjoy it myself. What was I thinking?

So, to those of you who have written or taken photos, to those of you who have supported us financially, and to those of you that tune in, thanks for allowing me to pass on the gift.

busanhaps

5

Sailing Away

june/july

Contents

Busan is home to Korea’s only expat sailing club. Thinking about becoming another Magellan? Mark Chi is the guy to talk to first. By Kelly Keegan

Forever in Busan

19

Boyd L. Watts was first in Busan as an 18-year-old boy during the Korean War. Now he is back at 78 hoping to stay here for all of eternity. By Jim Batcho

27

Blogging About Love in the ROK

Thirteen percentage of all new marriages in Korea are between foreign woman and Korean men. A lot of them are starting to blog about love in Korea. By James Turnbull

Lost in Shinsegae

35

The world’s biggest department store in one day? From the basement up, there is much to see, and much to do, but is one day enough? By Alexandra Karpen

Reviews El Olive Minossurf DVD: ‘Thirst’

Guides 12 14 23

Regulars Events Survival Korean

3 21

Night Life Food Beaches Sights Area Map Giants Schedule

9 11 13 15 17 21

Articles Photos: A Night With the Giants Klickitat: When Nice Guys Funky Biking Korea, then the World Dalmaji 90210

24 25 29 32

Busan Abandoned Pet Sanctuary

33

Busan’s Best Burger

7

CEO: Ju Shin-hye Executive Editor: Bobby McGill Director of Marketing: Michael Schneider Managing Editor: Jeff Liebsch Contributing Writers: Photography: John Bocskay Mike Dixon Alexandra Karpen Rissa Nirwandar Thomas Bellmore Amber Newton Kelly Keegan Will Jackson Jim Batcho KRWonders Amber Newton Jeremiah Hill Gus Swanda Bmc J. Lipsky David Holt James Turnbull Jeff Liebsch Charles Young Cheryl Kim Public Relations: Roxy Kim: roxy8318@hotmail.com Advertising: mikey.busanhaps@gmail.com Submissions: busanhaps@gmail.com

Sailing Away Busan is home to Korea’s only expat sailing club. American, Mark Chi, has built it into a ten boat operation with a growing membership. The weather is right and the water is waiting.

By Kelly Keegan

F

irst, let’s get one thing out of the way: I am from Iowa. Not exactly a sailing Mecca, but Busan Haps asked me to write on sailing here in Busan. So, there I was, headed to Suyoung-man Marina in Haeundae one Saturday morning, off to experience what I’d only read about or seen on TV. With Styx’s “Come Sail Away” on replay in my head, I pumped myself up for my first Basic Dinghy Sailing course offered by the Busan Expat Sailing Association (BESA).

For those of you who are as unfamiliar with boating lingo as I was, dinghies are the small sailboats, fitting only one or two people-a.k.a. the boats you see speckled across the horizon when sitting on the beach in Gwangan-li. Dinghies are perfect for those looking to learn the basics of sailing with no previous sailing experience.

Like a girl from Iowa.

The class I was attending was small (8 person cap) and the course began with learning the basic terms and techniques of sailing. Not wasting much time on land, my classmates and I learned how to set up the boats, practiced some dry-land maneuvers for turns, then launched into the marina to put all the new pieces of information into practical use.

When the wind caught my sail for the first time, a feeling of empowerment and confidence filled my blood. Like Stewart from Mad TV, I wanted to jump awkwardly and shout, “Hey, look what I can do!” I was sailing! Until…

One wrong angle to the wind and instantly my sail hung limp leaving me in the …dun dun duuun....dead zone.

I felt foolish as my boat bobbed in the water. The next

minute as I was struggling to exit the dead zone and find the wind, my sail filled and the boat jerked forward. Suddenly I was moving fast--too fast. I was hitting the waves and trying to keep balanced while the boat began to fill with water. I watched as my favorite shoe slipped away into the sea. I’d caught a gust. After a few deep breaths, I was in control once again. I was sailing!

Sailing has all the right ingredients for a true adventure: a little danger, battling the elements, physically and mentally challenging, frustrating, and thrilling all in one.

If you need any more reasons to love Busan, then add sailing to the list. Busan is home to Korea’s only expat sailing club, created to give expats the opportunity to experience Korea on the open sea, away from the overcrowded and noisy beaches.

Expats from all over the ROK come to take the courses offered by the BESA. BESA offers basic and master level lessons on dinghies, as well as a larger keel boat course. “It’s a nice and relaxing way to see a different perspective of Busan while looking way cooler than the people walking the path along the coast,” recommended dinghy classmate, Albert Le Roux.

The fact that Busan is home to the only expat sailing club in Korea can be attributed to Mark Chi, founder and director of BESA. Chi, an expat himself from Salt Lake City, Utah, came to Korea seven years ago with plans to stay only a few months to travel and visit family. When he accepted a job teaching English, months turned into years.

In his free time, Chi would visit the marina. “I raced big

“You know, I never thought this could turn into a job. It was just for recreation before.”

5 | busan haps

Cover Story

Photo by Mike Dixon boats in college so I felt this itch to try water sports here in Korea,” he said. He began helping out at the marina, getting to know people there, and eventually joined a basic dingy class. Chi immediately fell in love with the smaller, more physically challenging dinghy boats.

As with many activities you find when living abroad, the language barrier is a constant issue. “I was telling my expat co-workers about the dinghy classes and they also expressed interested. But of course, they wouldn’t be able to understand a class offered in Korean.” Chi then asked the Director of Busan’s Sailing Federation (also the head coach for Korea’s Olympic training program), Mr. Kim, about expats joining the classes offered in Korean, volunteering to translate the material and instructions for his friends.

Mr. Kim was enthused about the expat interest and suggested to Chi that he start a club for expats, offering his own lessons or courses in English. Mr. Kim made it possible by providing boats, some building space and support for getting the club off its feet. With the necessary boost from Mr. Kim and a little hard work and perseverance from Chi, the BESA was born in 2008.

The group started small in its first year with just a dozen members. In its second year the club took off, growing to over 40 members and over 100 who took the classes.

Now into its third year, Chi is happy to see the club going so well. “The club currently has 10 boats. We hope to buy more beginner boats and maybe some three people boats so we can keep growing.”

Teaching on the side now, Chi stays busy directing the BESA and helping to organize international match races in Korea. “You know, I never thought this could turn into a job. It was just for recreation before,” he said thinking

back on how things have progressed. “Sailing and BESA are really what’s kept me here in Korea.”

Long before there was me, other expats or Chi braving the Korean seas, there was Yi Sun-Shin, a legend in Korean naval history from the 16th century and hero among Koreans still today. So popular in fact, that in 2004, a drama aired in Korea based on Yi Sun-Shin’s life, called The Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-Shin. Commander during the Japanese invasions during the Joseon Dynasty, Yi Sun-Shin was famous for not losing a single battle, turning back the Japanese by using his innovative turtle ship, and dying a heroic death during the Battle of Noryang in 1598.

Korea’s rich history on the sea may be reason why today it is recognized as being a strong sailing country in Asia. Korea competes well in the Asian Games and Asian Sailing Championships. “Korea hasn’t done so well in the Olympics, but recently they are doing much better. There is one guy that has a chance to finish in the top 10 in the next Olympics,” predicted Chi. No big dreams of becoming an Olympic sailor for this Iowan, but I will say that summer is looking a whole lot more exciting with a shiny, new sailing certificate in my hands. Grab a few friends and sign up for the BESA course, you won’t regret it. And would you keep your eye out for a drifting gray, canvas shoe, size 9, I’d appreciate it.

For more information about the BESA, lessons, or club membership, go to: www.busansailing.com or call 0102858-9470 For more on Yi Sun-Shin and his famed turtle ship, check out: www.koreanhero.net busan haps | 6

busan haps

Best Burger Contest You voted, we tallied.

And the winner is: Blowfish Surf Bar in Song Jeong Beach!

The Best of the Rest: Thomas Grill (Kyungsung) Breeze Burns (Kyungsung) Sunset Lounge (Haeundae) Sharky’s Bar (Haeundae) Eva’s Bar (Kyungsung)

7 | busan haps

Blowfish’s Gwak Eun Hye Photo: Rissa Nirwandar

busan haps | 8

gUIDES

Night Life

“Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” ~Socrates

Haeundae

Club Elune - Busan’s hippest place to dance with the world’s most famous DJ’s. Dress code. Unless you have really great legs, ditch the cut-offs bro. In the Paradise Hotel.

Blowfish Surf Bar - A short taxi ride from Jangsan Subway Station to Song Jeong Beach lands you at Busan’s only surf bar. Great food and cats abound.

Miami 88 – Two locations at the beach. The original: across from the aquarium, behind the BMW building. Open air bar with large patio. The new spot: On the beach at Pale de CZ right next to Paradise Hotel.

24/7 Bar - A swank new spot in Haeundae with the true lounge atmosphere and a TV spread like you’ve never seen.

Fuzzy Navel – Great food, good staff and of course, the fire show. What more do you want? Just off the beach, near Sunset Hotel.

Rock n’ Roll House – Bar and Grill with darts/pool/incredible view. On the 14th floor across from the aquarium.

Great burgers, cheap drinks.

Geckos – The legendary watering hole of Itaewon has finally come to Haeundae. Face the beach, eat a great burger and drink a cold beer. At Pale de Cz. Murpii Bar – On the beach at Novotel. Remodelled and back to its old form, a long time hot spot for singles. 051-743-1234 U2 Bar – Dance Bar/Live Bands. Darts. Pool.

Across from the Novotel. The ultimate hip layout and great smelling bathrooms. Yeah, seriously.

Sunset Lounge – Named one of the top 10 bars in Korea by 10 Magazine in Seoul.

Weekly special events. 051-742-2925 www.busanhaps.com/sunset Thursday Party – 2 locations in Haeundae.

Great atmosphere, good beer. Jangsan: 051703-6621. Beach: 051-744-6621 Starface – On Dalmaji Hill. All you can drink 20,000 Friday and Saturday, 7-11pm.

Awesome house band.

They’ve got good grub. 051-742-0600 Sharky’s Bar - The latest incarnation from the founders of Sunset Lounge. Right on the beach at Pale de CZ, 2nd floor next to the Paradise Hotel.

One of the best steaks in town.

Kyungsung

HQ - Very cool place to chill out. Open air, with tables in the window. The place to watch sports. Now with a full kitchen and seriously good food. Darts.

Club Fabric - Great decor inside, with lots of room. Live music on weekends and great staff.

Foxy - Same owner as Fabric. Great spot for dancing and very good drink prices. Nice-uh.

9 | busan haps

Thursday Party - Stylish, open air bar with outside seating and a good view of the Kyungsung night parade. Owner, Jacky has found the perfect mix for drinking and relaxing. He has a lot of locations now, you might get lucky and meet him.

New York 88 - Great selection of import beers and cocktails.

Dart board, great music including Hip-Hop. They have a wide selection of beers and cocktails, buy 4 get one for free. 051622-6988 Ghetto - Urban chic. Very popular with the Korean youth.

Cheap cheap drinks and loud music. Yeah!

Ol’55 - A great spot for tunes, with an amazing collection of vinyl. Live music on the weekends from some of Busan’s best musicians. Pool table. Open Mic on Wed. Vinyl Underground - This is a long-time legendary spot for dancing and for music. Look for Andy Warhol’s big yellow banana. Start a pool as to when the dangling “d” will be fixed.

051-628-0223 Eva’s - Good menu with a variety of western food to satiate your palette. Good atmosphere and dog-friendly, if you so like. Across from HQ. Kino Eye- Movies on the big screen. Large rectangular bar with a laid back feel. The lights are dim if you want to take your date there. Enjoy.

Cafe Radio - Cool, quiet, with a great atmosphere.

Home to “K’s” Wordz Only once every month.

Nice collection of vintage radios on display. Duh.

PNU Soultrane – One of the area’s oldest and most well-known foreign bars. In the basement beneath Crossroads. Good setup for live music.

The Basement – Celebrating its 8th year, The Basement is one of the most popular bars in Busan. Live music, pool, miniature basketball, hookah and an excellent staff.

Open Mic Tues, German-Reggae on Wed. Live music on Sat. Crossroads – Open Mic on Thurs. Great music. 051-515-1181. Right in the heart of the PNU district. A legend.

Interplay – Live music, Jazz, Korean Indie and punk. Open Mic Thurs. 011-873-2200 Monks Bar - Good spot for Korean indie bands. Great punk scene. Fallen off a bit with the expat crowd, but it is still funky.

Red Bottle - Where the old Moe’s once was, now sits the Red Bottle. Still has the cool atmostphere, great English speaking staff and Guinness on tap.

gUIDES

What Happened to Haeundae?

S

Club Elune Photo by KRWonders

Gwangan-li Club Womb - Located on Gwangan beach, Womb has one of Busan’s best sound systems, a massive LED screen, lasers (not for corrective surgery) pool, darts and a lotta groove.

Fuzzy Navel - Similar in style and atmosphere to the one in Haeundae. Still has the fire show. They also serve food in the evenings. Definitely worth a look.

Holloway Road Pub - Located right on Gwangan Beach with a great view of the Gwangan Bridge from the rooftop lounge. Good drink prices and staff.

Enoch Mansion - A hip new place with a very lounge atmosphere. In the alley behind Dunkin Donuts. They even have free DJ lessons if you wanna build up the resume.

Hollywood Star - Relaxed bar a few blocks off the beach. American nostalgia right down to the motorcycle in the middle of the bar. Pool/Darts. 051-622-6621 Thursday Party - Two locations to go with the others in Haeundae, Seomyeon and Kyungsung. On the Beach.

051-758-0822/051-753-6621

Seomyeon Metal City - A new and increasingly popular spot. Darts, pool, live music and cheap drinks. Starting to put together a good music scene with some of Busan’s top acts on weekends. 051-807-4807 O’Brien’s - Just past Seomyeon on the #2 subway line, Gaya station. Busan’s only Irish Bar. 051-994-6541 Foxy - Two story dance club in the heart of Seomyeon.

Packed during the weekends. Good sound and DJ’s.

Fuzzy Navel - 2 locations. Good drink specials and great atmosphere, just like the other four locations in Busan.

Great Mexican food now served.

Rock n’ Roll Bar - Look for the large sign with Kurt Cobain down the small street perpendicular to Lotte Hotel.

Guri Bar - Right behind the Lotte Hotel, Guri bar has been around a long time, with the owner Pan at the helm. Good atmosphere and great place to kick off the night before making the Seomyeon rounds.

Thursday Party - Good selection of drafts and cocktails.

Busy on the weekends. Cozy atmosphere, great staff.

Can’t go wrong with that.

ure, Haeundae is the premier spot in Busan with the beaches and shopping at Shinsegae, but the one slam has always been the same: The nightlife is too spread out. Better off going to PNU or Kyungsung, where you can hit a couple of choice spots with a short stagger. Well, taxi no more. With the opening of several bars in the Pale de CZ building next to Paradise Hotel, the hot summer days have turned into hot summer nights.

There was always, U2 and Murpii Bar, but then you pretty much ran out of options. Now a whole slew of good spots are available within walking distance of each other. Sharky’s Bar, Miami 88 and Geckos have all opened establishments in the Pale de Cz. Then, right next door, is Korea’s best super club, Elune. For a more Korean style dance gig, Maktum is right out in front, posh 24/7 Lounge is across the street, and the down home Rock n’ Roll bar sits on its 14th floor perch right across from the aquarium with the original Miami 88, Thursday Party and Fuzzy Navel nearby.

For those of you Busanites living far from Haeundae, it’s not a bad idea to get a room for about 30-40 bucks, hit the beach for the day, go back and wash off the sand, and then hit the scene. You could even start the day in nearby Song Jeong Beach at Blowfish Surfbar and work your way over from there.

gUIDES

Haeundae Blowfish - Busan’s only surf bar and winner of the Busan Haps 2010 Best Burger Contest. The atmosphere is great--sit on the deck and look out on the waters of Song Jeong Beach.

Sunset Lounge - Great BBQ on the roof, near the beach. Try the Ranch Chicken Tacos. Now with Delivery. www.busanhaps. com/sunset 051-742-2925 Geckos Bar - The great taste that became famous in Seoul is now in Busan on the beach at the Pale de CZ building. They brought the chef from Seoul to stay true to the original taste.

Sushi Miga - Sushi boat style, high end raw fish.

Great food , good service and the interior is awesome. Across from the beach, in Harbor Town.

051-746-0196 Taco Senora - A little tough to find. Take the street next to SFUNZ (Haeundae Station) towards the beach. In a little alley on the left near Save Zone.

051-744-4050 An-Ga - Some of the best Korean BBQ in Busan. Exit at Jung Dong subway station towards the overpass.

A little pricey but worth it.

051-742-7852 Jagalchi Eel - BBQ eel in a spicy sauce. Goes great with soju. Very popular with Korean celebrities, especially during PIFF. Near Paradise Hotel. 051742-5387 Sharky’s Bar - Arguably one of the best steaks in town at a good price. Also try the avocado bacon cheesburger with a side of garlic mashed potatos.

Great stuff.

Somunnan Beef Rib - If you have a preference 11 | busan haps

Food!

for the gender of your beef, they have 40 years experience serving only female cows. Go figure.

Walk the beach road east, a few blocks before you get to the RR tracks.

051-746-0003 Starface -Bar/Restaurant.

Mexican, Italian and British cuisine. Excellent lasagna and a healthy portion of fish and chips. Tell Charles he is handsome.

Gwangan-li

Fuzzy Navel - The wellknown bar now has great Mexican food to go with a great selection of drinks on the beach. Great staff.

Saigon “Pho”- Vietnamese restaurant. Across the street from the Starbucks, just off the beach. Big yellow sign. It is on the same street as Hollywood Star.

Guess Who? Family Restaurant - Coming from the Gwangan Subway station, make a right at the beach road. They have just about everything on their buffet.

Breeze Burns - Have a hamburger on the beach.

The most recommended spot on our “Busan Haps” Facebook group.

Cusco - Dig on some spit fired chicken. The ricestuffed chicken is popular.

051-624-0990 East Village Cafe - The cafe is beautifully decorated, has great coffee, hand baked pastries, free WiFi, and a pretty darn good potbingsu. It is located next to Haagen Daz Ice Cream and Hotel Homers with a view of the beach and the Gwangan Bridge.

Korean Natural Food Restaurant Vegetarian food.

If you don’t like meat, this is the place that you want to go for a good vegetarian selection. 051-7515534

PNU

Fish & Pork - BBQ Shell fish is their specialty. Cheap.

Can sit outside. There are a number of good restaurants nearby. Staff is made up mostly of PNU students some usually speak English.

Won Cho - Ultra cool place with all kinds of “real Korea” feeling. There are a variety of traditional Korean dishes from bulgogi (marinated meat) to chicken feet. Located a block upstream on the same one way street as The Basement.

Kebabistan - Listing this Turkish restaurant is probably a waste of ink. Everyone has been there. If not, head out gate 1 PNU Subway Station towards PNU. On the left past the main road.

Pho - At the same spot as Kebabistan is a great little Vietnamese restaurant.

2nd floor with a great view of the PNU student throng.

Real Vietnamese coffee.

Wazwan - Serious Indian food, cooked by top chefs from a family that has migrated around the world to cook fantastic Indian food.

No alcohol is served, but you are more than welcome to bring your own jug. A must eat. 051-5171947. A little trivia: Why is the telephone no. 1947?

Taco’s Family - Nice hole in the wall with great burritos.

The owner makes his own refried, lard free beans every week. Also has a decent lasagna, too. It is a few steps just south of The Crossroads.010-5688-6303

Way” towards Mega-mart.

Eu Dae Di - BBQ pork.

Across from Thursday Party. Both here and Bae Dae Po have signs written in Korean. So start learning.

Pasta Factory - Busan’s favorite place for pasta.

The owner Jackie has built an amazing establishment with fantastic food. A must try in the Kyunsung area.

HQ Bar - Real American “cuisine” from Mutt’s kitchen. They have great pulled pork sandwiches and a good variety of stick in your gut gourmet.

Gogiya - Excellent meat restaurant right across from the HQ bar. Great dinner sets and friendly staff.

Bey Kebap House - Great Turkish food from the folks that wheel that cart around the Kyungsung area. The restaurant is right across from the Family Mart and the grub is good.

Seomyeon

Kyungsung

Zooza - This place has got a little bit of everything.

From salmon to steak to a great Cajun salad, along with a wide selection of beers.

Florians’s - Across the street from TGI Fridays.

All you can eat Buffet Loving Hut - Vegetarian.

Take Seomyeon Exit 2, left across from Outback. Try the “Noble Spaghetti” or Spicy noodles.

Buffalo - It’s got a strange logo with a Buffalo strangling a chicken. No Buffalo on the menu, just great chicken.

O’Brien’s Gaya - Bar with a great selection of food.

Subway Gaya station, Exit 2. 051-894-6541

Bae Dae Po - Korean BBQ seafood and meat. About 75 meters from “Buy the

Check busanhaps.com for more listings.

El Olive: Bocskay Good Italian By John

I

Flying Fish Roe Spaghetti

came to Korea at a time when cell phones were large, TVs were small, and there were no decent Italian restaurants outside of Seoul. News of an Italian restaurant opening in Busan was always accompanied by irrationally, exuberant recommendations passed through the grapevine; exuberant because there were so few available options, and irrational because you just knew it would suck but you went anyway. Then you went again. Those were dark times.

It has gotten much better over the years, as Korean chefs get a better feel for the food, high-quality imported ingredients become more widely available, and a more worldly Korean clientele cultivates a more discriminating palate.

Hundreds of restaurants in Busan now serve some sort of pasta dish, and there are more pizza places than PC bangs.

But despite boasting several respectable mid-range options, Busan’s high-end Italian food scene is a sparsely populated realm, dominated by a handful of pricey restaurants in the big hotels.

Enter El Olive.

Situated alongside the Suyeong River in Mangmi-dong, El Olive occupies two stylish buildings in an otherwise nondescript neighborhood. The main building--all brick, wood and glass--has a high ceiling, large windows and a central hearth in the main dining room, which opens onto an outdoor patio with tables overlooking the river. A separate dining area lies just next to the main building, in a small greenhouse which is light, airy, and adorned with fresh flowers and potted plants.

The food… OK, I have to pause here, take a deep breath, and resist the urge to get carried away. Excuse me while I count to ten as a precaution against irrational exuberance. …8…9…10. Now, let’s see: the Rucola pizza was topped with fresh arugula, broad flakes of parmesan cheese, fresh mozzarella and homemade tomato sauce on a thin, doughy crust. Yes, I’m sure that I loved its fresh ingredients and applauded its correct proportions of everything. It struck just the right balance between substance and lightness, and is easily a frontrunner for

revIew

the best pizza I’ve had anywhere in Korea.

After the pizza came the seafood pasta, with the flying fish roe, sautéed scallops and the big fat prawn. Did I really enjoy the way the scallops melted in my mouth, or were my scampi-deprived synapses playing tricks on me? My one complaint would be that the portion was small, but I didn’t mind that because I knew that as part of Lunch Set C (33,000 won) it was soon to be followed by the tenderloin.

Ah, yes, the tenderloin… soft and juicy, and perched on a thick stalk of blanched asparagus and mashed potatoes made from scratch. Sure, I can say I “liked the hell out of that,” but what does that tell you? How can we be sure that it wasn’t mere irrational exuberance that caused me to rock back and forth gently in my chair?

With the homemade yogurt ice cream that followed, I wanted to be less subjective and more scientific, so I devised an experiment. I measured it on the EMPM scale (Exuberant Moans per Minute), and the data I collected was unequivocal. In layman’s terms, it was “real good”.

My exuberance, rational or otherwise, didn’t keep me from noting a few misses: the assorted fresh seafood stew was bland, and the horseradish dip that accompanies the calamari likewise lacked flavor. I also found that when El Olive is busy, the service too is quite Mediterranean (read: slow) and sometimes suffers from bad timing when you order a la carte (on my last visit, our entrees arrived about 20 minutes apart).

In terms of overall quality, however, El Olive offers a bit more bang for your buck than the comparable Italian eateries in the 4-star hotels. The chef, Lee Jae-gil, honed his chops at Apkujeong’s ever-popular Anna Bini, widely regarded as one of the best Italian restaurants in Korea, and he has devised a menu for El Olive that is similarly Italian in spirit, with more of an emphasis on seafood to both reflect and exploit Busan’s maritime location.

The lunch sets (spaghetti, fish, chicken, tenderloin) are priced from 19,000 to 33,000 won, and the dinner sets (fish, steak, lamb, lobster) from 52,000 to 79,000. If you prefer to mix and match, they offer a range of interesting appetizers and salads from 13,000 to 20,000 won, a variety of pastas, ranging from the modest Aglio Oglio (13,000) to the ambitious Spaghetti with beef tenderloin in gorgonzola cream sauce (29,000), and dish up several pizzas (Margherita, Gorgonzola, Prosciutto) priced from 14,000 to 22,000 won.

The main courses will keep me coming back for further “research” this summer: grilled rack of lamb with asparagus, pan-fried whole halibut in saffron sauce, and beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and red wine sauce, to name a few that caught my eye.

In the warm weather, the outdoor deck will be open, affording diners a view of the river and the Costco caravans returning home with their trunks loaded with pesto sauce and frozen ravioli. Funny, the things people get excited about.

El Olive is open for lunch every day from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and dinner from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Call 051-752-7300 for reservations (strongly recommended).

El Olive is in Mangmi-dong, on the riverside road roughly halfway between the Jwa-suyoung Bridge (the one with the large circular arch) and Costco, directly across the river from The Sharp Apartments. busan haps | 12

gUIDES

The Beaches

Sure, the season calls for rain, but sometimes a little sun has got to fall.

When it doesn’t, who cares? You’re gonna get wet anyway, right? Here are the best spots to do so.

Haeundae In August every year, upwards of 700,000 people nestle under a canopy of a Guiness record 12,000 parasols along the 1.5 km beach. A ton of bars now are also along the beach, including Geckos, Miami 88, Sharkey’s, Rock n’ Roll, U2 and Elune. Beaches and beer, what else is there? Look for volleyball in front of the Paradise Hotel on weekends. To get there, take subway line 2 to Haeundae station. It is about a 5 minute walk from there.

Song Jeong A short taxi ride from Haeundae’s wall of humanity is the much more laid back Song Jeong Beach. The shallow surf is great for swimming and there are several good restaurants and bars nearby. To get there, take Line 2 to Jangsan. From there, it is about a 5-10 minute taxi ride. There are seven daily trains there from Bujeon and Haeundae stations. Also home to Blowfish, winner of Busan’s Best Burger.

Gwangan-li Though better known for the incredible night view of the Diamond Bridge running the full span of the horizon, Gwangan is a great spot during the day. There are usually pickup beach volleyball games every weekend. On the north-east end of the beach is the Millak fish market, with some of the best seafood in town. To get to Gwangan-li, take subway line 2 to the Gwangan-li Station. It’s about a 10 minute walk.

Dadaepo At the southern most tip of Busan, where the Nakdong river ends its 500 km journey to the sea, is Dadaepo Beach. It is a great place to chill out and have a picnic, collect a few seashells and go for a swim in the shallow surf. Just up the river is one of the best places in Korea to check out migratory birds chilling in the marshes. To get there, grab a bus in front of the Lotte Dept. Store in Seomyeon or take the subway to the end of line and cab it.

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Korea’s Largest Surf Shop Opens in Haeundae

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Min Song

ast April, in Haeundae, Minossurf celebrated the opening of their new store. It’s owned by Korean surfer, Min Song, who is entering the budding Korean surf market for the first time.

Minossurf is the largest in Korea, and stocks everything from boards to boardies and accessories. Min has stocked his store with all the latest in surfing gear, making his shop a surfers’ dream.

Minossurf is currently the only spot in Korea to deal exclusively with Webber and McTavish (surfboards), in addition to FCS (fins and high quality wet-suits). Minossurf also sports a club house for surfers and offers board rentals and surf lessons for all levels, from beginners to the more advanced surfers who want to hone their skills.

When asked why he decided to open a Western style surf shop in Korea, Min said that the decision was “a difficult one.” As a resident of Australia, he had to leave his life and a booming industry behind to start from scratch in Korea.

It was the pure love of surfing that fuelled the ambition to open Minossurf.

“I believe that supplying decent quality goods and building accessibility for surfing equipment and culture will help the development of the surfing culture in Korea. Surfing seems an important part of western life, even though it is originally a Polynesian spiritual activity. So, I thought that by bringing that culture to my shop and Korea, it would help people understand surfing better,” he said.

Min Song also recently announced an exclusive distribution deal with famed South African board designer, Spider Murphy. You can get a board tailored to your size and weight.

Minossurf is located in Mipo at the end of Haeundae beach that heads up towards Dalmaji. You can check out there website at: www.minossurf.com ~Cheryl Kim

gUIDES

gUIDES

Busan Sights Worth a Good Look

Beomeo Temple One of Korea’s “Great 5 Temples,” Beomeo is an incredibly serene temple complex. Founded in 678, the temple offers a unique view into the life of Korea’s Buddhist Monks, and Korea’s unique interpretation of Buddhism. Take Subway Line 1 to Beomeosa station. Head out exit 5. From there you can hop in a taxi or take the city bus up the mountain.

Beomeo Temple is open all year.

Yonggung Temple Located right on the coast near Haeundae, Yonggung Temple offers stunning views of the sea as well as a dozens of statues and Buddhist artwork. Visit the three-story pagoda that is home to the four lions. The lions symbolize sadness, anger, joy, and happiness. After just a short time at Yonggung, you will forget the former two and fully embrace the two latter.

Busan Tower/Nampo dong Market Busan Tower offers a great view of the port area.

Nearby is the massive International Market where you can find just about anything. The area is recently polished up and has a great shopping district and a gazillion restaurants to check out. To get there, take Subway Line 1 to Nampodong station. It is a great place to get lost, so I will leave the directions at that. Enjoy.

Geumjeong Mountain Fortress An ancient wall and guard towers lining the ridge of the Dongnae Area, Geumjeong Mountain Fortress offers not only a view into the past but also a great view of Busan. To get there, take Subway Line 1 to Myeongnyun-dong station. From there head west.

If you aren’t up for a hike to the top, then you can hitch a ride on the bright red and yellow cable car and glide right on up to the ridge in comfort.

Geumjeong Sanseong Village Ceramics Korea has a long history for ceramics that goes back thousands of years. Craftsmen from all over North-East Asia would come to Korea to study the fine art of pottery, especially celadon which was prized by royalty in Japan and China. Geumjeong Sanseong Village is a great place to experience it for yourself. Nestled in a nice little wooded area near the Oncheonjeong subway station.

Go out exit 3 and catch bus 203 across the street.

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Jagalchi Fish Market Great place to pick up seafood to cook at home or to just kick back and have it cooked for you. Home to the largest seafood market in Korea, Jagalchi is located just across the street from Nampodong, so make it your last stop when you visit the area. As you walk around, you will be tempted by the many ajumae who linger outside hoping to draw customers to their seafood. After they serve you, say: “Jal meo-geot-seumnida.” (I will eat very well).

Nurimaru/ Dong Baek Island On the south-west end of Haeundae Beach, you can take in some incredible views of the full breadth of Haeundae and Gwangan. There is an elaborately done pathway that leads you around the area, an old lighthouse and densely wooded areas to pretend you are lost in. Also look for the stone inscription of the Shilla Dynasty scholar, “Haeun” (which means “sea” and “clouds) who visited there centuries ago.

Historic Graffiti. Cool stuff.

Taejongdae Natural Park Located on the island of Yeongdo, Taejongdae is an incredibly scenic park with great views from high cliffs facing the sea. There is an evergreen forest to wander around in and several facilities for tourists such as an observatory, an amusement park with a full on Ferris wheel and a cruise ship terminal. And there is the funky abstract art to boot. To get there, just take bus 88 or 101 from Busan Train Station.

Busan Museum of Modern Art A sprawling 3-story, 21,000 square meter building housing everything from traditional to modern art, the BMOMA is one of Busan’s prized jewels, housing an enormous collection. And it is all available to the public for a mere 700 won. That is no misprint. To get there, take Subway Line 2 to the Museum of Modern Art Station. They are open seven days a week. 051-744-2602

Busan Aquarium The largest aquarium in Korea and one of the most highly regarded in all of Asia, Busan Aquarium is a must see. Located literally on (and under) Haeundae Beach, it is a great place to round out a day on the coast. You can check out shark feeding, penguins, and the bizarre looking Eagle Ray. To get there, take Subway Line 2 to Haeundae station and hoof it towards the coast.

For more sights check out www.busanhaps.com

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FEATURE

Foreverin

Busan Around 1,789,000 Americans served in the Korean War. Of those, 36,516 never made it home. Boyd L. Watts was one of the lucky ones. Now, he is back in Busan to be laid to rest when his last days are done.

By Jim Batcho

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Photos by Rissa Nirwandar

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he first time Boyd L. Watts came to Busan, he was the Army allowed. First were the NCO Club “floor shows,” an 18-year-old American boy with a war to fight. The which were arranged entertainment for the troops. Watts relast time it was spring, the war long past, and at 78, he members seeing the Kim Sisters, a singing group that went on had a different agenda in mind. His hope is to secure a final to enjoy some fame in Las Vegas. Then there were the Korean resting place in Busan’s United Nations Memorial Cem- military advisers. “We were able to meet what they call KATUetery, the only UN cemetery in the world. For him, it’s not SAs, which are Korean military who spoke English and are assimply a matter of taking rest with his brothers in arms— signed with your unit,” he said. “So what I learned about Korea Busan has become his second home. back then, I learned through them.”

I met with Watts on the first truly warm day of spring to take Watts served out the remainder of his regular service in Jaa walk through the cemetery and talk about his life. We wan- pan with the 1st Cavalry Division. He later re-enlisted and was dered through the finely cut landscaping, past grave sites of again sent to Korea in 1957, but this time with the 51st Signal fallen soldiers and beneath blooming spindle and rose trees. Battalion at Camp Red Cloud in Uijeongbu. The area made faHe talked about his time in the Army, his connection to Busan, mous as the setting for the TV show M*A*S*H, was nestled and his feelings about the war. right between Seoul and the DMZ. His main task then was to Watts has seen many changes in Korea over the past 60 years. drive the much needed water trucks along the military posts.

When he first arrived at Busan’s Pier 5 in December of 1950 “At that point, everything was still off-limits. You still couldn’t for military assignment, he said he had no knowledge of the go out into the town. You could only travel the main route to go city or the nation. He to another post.” Watts said there were curfews because the was quickly directed security situation was tense, with North Korean soldiers trying to join the Army’s to sneak across the border.

7th Division, 31st After serving in the U.S., Germany, South Korea again, and Infantry Regiment back to the U.S., Watts retired in 1970. But his connection to at the Taegu Perimthe country refused to be severed. While living in El Paso, Texas eter. “We held a in 1971, Watts met a Korean woman who would eventually beriver there at Taegu,” come his wife. She had come from Busan with her 13-year-old Boyd said. “That was son to make a life in America. Much later, in 1991, Watts rethe best spot to be turned with his son to Korea for the first time in 24 years. because (UN forces “Then, in 1991 everything had changed,” he said. “It was had) blown all the a different world. I remember just bridges. There was no way for them “We made a forced march one time trying to make my way around after (North Korean soldiers) to come across.” up the side of a mountain. There not being able to integrate before. In Although it was only six months a few short years, they really built a into the war, a lot had happened by was a valley beyond the mountain country here. That’s the amazing part that time. North Korea had taken to me—they’ve done it in such a short over Seoul and quickly moved south. and there were supposed to be Chi- time.”

United States and Republic of KoWatts currently calls Las Vegas home. rea units held the North Koreans at nese down there. But when we got But after that first visit, he returned to the famed ‘Pusan Perimeter.’ This there, there wasn’t a soul.”

Busan at least once every year over gave UN Commander-in-Chief, Genthe next 20 years. eral Douglas MacArthur, time to ship reinforcements and “I’ve learned to supplies into Busan. It also enabled him to sneak up to love it just from beIncheon and launch one of the most celebrated invasions ing here so many in military history. Over the next few months, UN forces times. The people would re-take Seoul and push the northern forces almost here have changed. to the Chinese border before being pushed back below the They’re all re38th Parallel in a brutal counteroffensive aided by a mass ally friendly now. of Chinese conscripts.

The young people This was the setting in which Watts arrived. It was a period of have changed their low morale for UN soldiers. His 31st Infantry went on patrols, way of thinking. but Watts didn’t see much action in his area. “There wasn’t It’s more like how much but sniper action,” he said. “We made a forced march Americans think. If you want to do something, you have one time up the side of a mountain. There was a valley be- more freedom to do it.” yond the mountain and there were supposed to be Chinese As we walked past the Wall of Remembrance at the UN Cemdown there. But when we got there, there wasn’t a soul.” etery, I asked Watts what he felt seeing all the names of the Watts didn’t get the opportunity to see any action beyond fallen. “There are a lot of names here,” he said. Then he stood that. Due to a bitterly cold winter, he developed health prob- silent and cast his eyes across the wall before continuing. “I’m lems and was sent to Busan to recover. “I had some problems glad I didn’t see much action. It just so happened that the cold with my kidneys because of the cold, so they sent me to the affected my health and I had to do most of my service in other Swedish hospital here in Busan.” Watts remained in Busan for ways. Someone had to do what I did. I just got lucky. Otherwise, the next nine months. It was his first extended stay in the city, I might be one of these guys on this wall.” but what he experienced then was limited to views through a While U.S. soldiers made up roughly 90 percent of the total military vehicle window.

UN deaths, only 16 percent of the interred at the UNMC are US Sanitation and security were major problems throughout Korea military. All 36 of them are military personnel who survived the and he was forbidden by his commanding officers from integrat- war and later expressed a wish to be buried there. Watts would ing with Korean life. “I couldn’t experience life with the local peo- like to join them. He submitted a request to the UN Council and ple at all,” he said. “You could drive down the main street only, is currently awaiting word. from one post to another. I couldn’t go to restaurants; I couldn’t “We’re working on it now. They got a lot of us old fogies burgo anywhere. I could see it, but I couldn’t touch it.” ied out there. It’s the best kept cemetery I’ve seen anyplace. I’d Watts’ experiences with Korean culture were limited to what like to be a part of it.”

busan haps | 20

Lotte Giants Home Games The Giants are hanging tough with a solid offense, let’s just hope the pitching comes through and the Lotte Boys make it to the playoffs for a third straight season in 2010. Go Lotte!

JUNE 15th vs Samsung 6:30 16th vs Samsung 6:30 17th vs Samsung 4:30 25th vs SK 6:30 26th vs SK 5:00 27th vs SK 5:00 JULY 9th vs SK 6:30 10th vs SK 5:00 11th vs SK 5:00 27th vs KIA 6:30 28th vs KIA 6:30 29th vs KIA 6:30 30th vs LG 6:30 31st vs LG 5:00 21 | busan haps

Grab Your Seats, it’s Time for World Cup

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he 2010 FIFA World Cup is underway until July 11, and for a few hours several times over the next month, South Korea will come to a complete standstill; hopefully punctuated with an occasional roar from the apartment windows above.

Billions of soccer fans worldwide will be tuning in for the month long event. World Cup viewership puts even the Olympics to shame.

South Korea has qualified for her 7th consecutive World Cup, and is hoping to reignite the magic from 2002, when they stunned the world by reaching the final four. The South Korean team is in Group B, along with Argentina, Greece and Nigeria. Leading the charge for the Red Devils will be Manchester United star Park Ji-sung, along with midfielder Lee Chung-yong (above), and forward Park Chu-young.

South Korea’s Schedule: June 12 - Korea vs. Greece - 8:30 p.m.

June 17 - Korea vs. Argentica – 8:30 p.m.

June 23 – Korea vs. Nigeria – 3:30 a.m.

‘HaHa Hole’ Comedy Open Mic Continues to Grow

Chris Tharp

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Photo: Jeremiah Hill

If you are looking for a good laugh beyond whatever confronts you every morning in the mirror, then head out to the monthly HaHa Hole event, slated to be held again July 2nd at Soul Trane in PNU. Host, Chris Tharp, and regular Roy Early, are usually on tap for the night, along with other comedy aspirants looking to test the waters with their homegrown material.

While the event has taken on a gypsy-like persona the past few months, travelling from bar to bar, it looks like they will settle back into their original home at Soul Trane just below The Crossroads.

So, grab a cold one, take a seat (or the stage) and prepare to be entertained by some people that just might be as funny as you.

DVD Review:

Thirst

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enerable Korean director Park Chan-wook has set his personal bar extremely high, it would seem. His work being celebrated by international critics and audiences alike, mostly for his Vengeance Trilogy (and more specifically Oldboy), Park Chan-wook’s latest offering has been met with lukewarm reception. It is because of the aforementioned trio of exploitation revenge tales that many people see Thirst, Park’s entry into the vampire genre, as being somewhat disappointing. Perhaps some are looking to hold his work to an unreasonably high standard due to their love of Oldboy? I, for one, think Thirst is his best work to date. Yes, even better than Oldboy.

Park Chan-wook no doubt produced a landmark film with Oldboy, and its impact and influence on how Korean cinema is viewed and received by international and domestic audiences is still being felt to this day. However, Oldboy survives as a cult classic more for its visceral edge and taboo shocker of a twist, rather than its examination of its themes and plays on morality. This is where Thirst earns its place above Oldboy, making it not only one of the best films of 2009, but one of the best vampire films ever made.

Thirst, at its core, is a morality tale. Having never been one to shy away from the often raw and gruesome results that arise from betraying ones moral code, Park Chan-wook has crafted a decidedly bold and erotic vampire film by making his central character a priest. The priest is played by Song Kangho, and I can think of no one better to perform within the confines of Park’s eccentric and lavish style while still managing to approach the characters’ conflictions with a certain restraint.

Due to this superb casting choice, we are given incredible insight into a man whose faith and moral principles are tested against the horrific nature of his affliction. As a result of a blood transfusion, Priest Sang-hyeon is left at the mercy of a leprous disease that disfigures him at an astonishing rate. It is in this affliction that Sang-hyeon discovers heightened senses and abilities...and a thirst that is triggered when he smells human flesh. Volunteering at the hospital of his parish gives him the opportunity to siphon blood from a comatose patient, and as he drinks he discovers that his leprous sores and disfigurements vanish. The man who would continue to uphold his religious oath is now tested by carnal urges born out of necessity. His very existence under the curse of vampirism is 23 | busan haps

By Thomas Bellmore a sin, and despite acknowledging this, he continues to indulge in pleasures of the flesh.

One of these indulgences comes in the form of a miserystricken housewife, played by Kim Ok-bin. Tae-ju is married into a family who owns a traditional hanbok shop, forcing her to uphold her spousal “duties” by preparing meals and house cleaning. She detests her in-laws, as they make it a note to remind her often that she should be grateful for their taking her in, being an orphaned girl living on the street. The price she pays for being taken in under such “gracious” circumstances is her marriage to a man she loathes even more than her inlaws. Tae-ju is clearly holding back from lashing out, and she finds her first bit of “release” with Priest Sang-hyeon in the back of the hanbok shop in a rather jarring sex scene (and this is just a catalyst for the inevitable). She’s unaware of what Sang-hyeon has become, and her terrified reaction when she discovers his almost animalistic nature is easily one of the best scenes in the film. Kim Ok-bin brings a brazen sensuality and vicious veracity to her role, clearly having fun with the character as she sees Tae-ju giving in to her evil nature that’s been lurking beneath the surface.

The vampire genre has suffered from a lack of innovative approaches to story and character as of late, due largely to the Twilight series. The challenge has always been in finding the right balance between staying true to the mythology while creating something that feels entirely fresh. Park Chan-wook has proven to be the absolute best director to tackle this genre with a daring new vision, given his stylized and undeniably graphic depictions of violence and sex, he’s clearly willing to stay true to the erotic and gruesome mythology of the vampire. He does so with restraint, but when he lets loose, we get all that should be promised by a true vampire film. He not only creates a film that satisfies the genre, but one that compliments his own body of work, sticking with the themes that he enjoys revisiting with such fascinating character studies.

Sang-hyeon’s journey arrives at the only logical conclusion for a man of the cloth, and it is orchestrated in such a way that rivals all other Park Chan-wook films. It’s probably one of the best endings to a vampire film that I’ve ever seen, and that’s no small feat considering Park Chan-wook has to contend with the likes of a recent masterpiece out of Sweden called Let the Right One In. It is because of films like that, and now Thirst, that we can take solace in knowing that there are directors out there who still appreciate what can be done with the vampire genre.

Thirst (2009) Directed by Park Chan-wook Starring Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Eriq Ebouaney Deluxe DVD Edition now available Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival

Busan Haps ‘Night With the Giants’ Draws a Big Crowd On June 2nd, Busan Haps and the Lotte Giants held the first ever ‘Expat Night’ at the ballpark. With 100 discounted tickets in one section and a big after party featuring several Giants’ stars, the event was a great success. See you again in July.

MUSIC

KLICKITAT: FUNKY when nice guys get by j.lipsky

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ith Klickitat, you’ll never see the same show twice.

The jazz-rock-whatever trio of expats dish out a set of sophisticated funk one night and then the next they hit you with something completely different—like a full set of Beatles’ tunes with a near perfect version of “She Said.” All of which shows the depth of this immensely talented group.

Klickitat has enough musical sense to pull off most anything on stage and the savvy to mastermind one of a kind performances night in and night out. Improvisational jamming is the backbone to a majority of their work, which demands a clairvoyant reading of each other’s next move that would make even Bobby Fischer blush. It’s these off-the-cuff live arrangements that are fueling a growing fan base that come to expect the unexpected on stage.

All three were earning their chops many moons before arriving in Korea. Gino Brann, who pulls the crowd along with tight riffs and pinpoint solos hails from Columbus, Ohio. What better way for a kid from the Midwest to pass the time than by mastering the fretboard? He grew up on Dylan and other singer-songwriters, but once he heard the white chocolate of Steely Dan he never looked back. During college, Brann was turned on to the improvisation of Miles Davis, stirring up a quest for songs that can be manipulated into new territory. As he put it, “These days, it’s anything improv. It doesn’t have to be just jazz.” That mantra is reflected in the wide range of eclectic artists Klickitat covers, from Wilco to Radiohead to Herbie Hancock to Grant Green.

The rhythm section, with Jim Batcho on drums and Kurt Gough on bass, are both products of the San Francisco Bay area who attended the same university but never crossed paths until living overseas. Gough slugged his way through high school on the thug side of town and found a solid refuge in music. He’s a hard core jazz nut, versatile on both the upright and electric bass, and also plays a little trombone, most recently on a recording session with fellow Busan expat singer-songwriter Trey Yip. But

he also loves to rock and branch out into other genres as well— even some metal from time to time. His musical diversity is further evident in his nickname, “Kurtis Blo.” It’s an homage to hip hop pioneer Kurtis Blow. “I’m a huge fan. He was the beginning of early rap,” Gough said.

Jim Batcho brings an appreciation for jazz as well, but as he put it: “I’m a sucker for a well-crafted pop tune. I’m into things like complex harmonies, melodies, changing time signatures, and progressive rock, anything that takes the pop format and bends it in interesting ways.” Back in the Bay, he accompanied numerous recording and touring musicians, including Shana Morrison, daughter of Van the man. Presently serving as a visiting professor, he instructs courses on sound for digital image and video.

The combination of Gough and Batcho produces a methodical precision and jazzy finesse. The two combine forces to lay down an evolvable foundation that Brann can interact with, allowing things to take a new course if they feel the urge. Their shows are typically a few hours long, and have been known to stretch even further. Some tunes contain a lengthy jam while others quickly run their course. “When we play Fela Kuti’s ‘Expensive Sh*t’, it can be up to twenty minutes long,” said Gough. The energy of their live sets is charged by the musical language they speak and their instrumental interaction that belies a deeper relationship both on and offstage.

To hear them tell it, the three of them are self-proclaimed music geeks. The hours of practice and endless debates over what good music should be, merges with their different backgrounds to mold the layers of an intricate sound that is distinctly Klickitat.

The three got together and started playing around three years ago at Ol’ 55 in Kyungsung, while joining in on Kim Dong-ha’s Wednesday Open Mic Night. Dong-ha is behind many of the popular acts in Busan today that are quick to credit him as the catalyst for their opportunity to play. He operates four different venues, and his love of anything live draws in many other

Photo by Mike Dixon

like-minded folks. As Brann put it: “Dong-ha provides people in this town with a place to play and an open door to meet other musicians. He’s a bar owner, but a music lover first.”

Gough tips his hat to Dong-ha too, explaining that “he started the Busan music scene. If he didn’t open his bars, we wouldn’t have much of a foreign music scene or even a Korean music scene. He got everything off the ground and running, and everyone else came after. But he also supports new clubs and the diversity it brings to the fans.”

Eventually the guys forged together into a band with other local musicians called Rev Mac & the Funk Attack. They built a solid following, but at the top of their game, two members left town. Guitarist Sean DeGregorio fled to Portland Oregon by way of South America, and keyboardist Mark McGrath ended up in Singapore.

This all went down two years back, and since their farewell, the remaining guys have evolved into Klickitat. Despite living on opposite ends of the world, the Funk Attack still keeps strong ties to one another. Gough, Batcho, and Brann have played gigs with their old chums while visiting or traveling with them in Singapore, Malaysia, and Portland.

Portland is, in fact, the genesis of the band’s name. If you happen to take a stroll through the avenues of the city, you may eventually stumble across a street by the name of “Klickitat.” Brann describes the day they discovered the unusual word. “We were all there visiting for Sean’s wedding and to get the chance to play together again. We kept walking by Klickitat Street, and we all thought it would be a great name for a band.” The street got its name from a Native American tribe in the Pacific Northwest.

According to Batcho, Klickitat doesn’t necessarily have a favorite venue to play. But they are partial to Dong-ha’s clubs. “Ol’ 55 and Vinyl Underground, for nostalgia and loyalty,” Batcho said. He added that the group enjoys sharing the stage with Busan’s vast network of musicians when the occasion allows.

“We’re all friends and collaborators here.” They play out as a trio about half the time, but are often accompanied by others.

Saxophonist Jesse James Halpern is their most steady addition, and has essentially become a fourth member of the band.

Anthony Garcia, half of the celebrated local duo Poko Lambro, and Gordon Bazsali Jr. from the horn section of the mighty One Drop East, are two other notables that will share the stage.

Garcia abandons his famed guitar playing in favor of a vintage Fender Rhodes. “That’s the thing about Anthony,” said Brann.

“He’s known for guitar, but he’s just as impressive on the keys.”

Bazsali is the guru behind Klickitat’s hidden treasure: Each Thursday, the gang gets together with other local musicians as a jazz reading club. This serves as an outlet for even further improvisation, and gives Gough a chance to pluck his upright. “The Thursday jazz thing isn’t a show, even though sometimes we wind up with an audience,” Batcho said. “It’s really just a chance for us to read some charts and improve our jazz instincts.”

Klickitat does all of this simply for the joy of playing music and sharing the love with people, and because they have a passion for jamming off into undiscovered domains. Brann put it best: “We love music, and there’s no other reason than that.

We have the freedom to play whatever we want to play. And no show, ideally, is the same twice.”

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Blogging about LOVE in the ROK

By James Turnbull

Thirteen percent of new marriages in South Korea are international, with the majority being Korean men marrying non-Koreans. Grand Narrative blogger, James Turnbull, looks at the growing presence of Western women blogging about love and marriage in the ROK.

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hether you’re new to Korea or have been here a while, blogs can often be invaluable sources of information about the place. With over 300 active ones available, you are almost guaranteed there will be at least one on literally any aspect of Korean life you are interested in: from military affairs and K-pop to science fiction and gender issues.

With such diversity, you might expect it to be very difficult to speak of any definite trends in this Korea “blogosphere”.

And yet, one thing does stand out: a very sudden and a very large increase in the number of Western women blogging about dating and/or being married to Korean men. But why so many, and why now?

One reason may simply be that it is increasingly easy to blog. It can take as little as two minutes to create one on popular platforms like Wordpress or Blogger for instance, and one, Tumlbr, which many of these new blogs are based on, seems particularly well-suited to quickly cross-posting content and getting dialogues going. Otherwise isolated in what had previously been a very male-dominated field, this ease may have helped a critical mass of like-minded bloggers to finally develop and lend the topic some legitimacy, in turn encouraging other would-be bloggers in a kind of snowball effect.

But much more important are those factors now “pushing” Western women to produce these blogs, and/or literally “pulling” them and Korean men towards each other!

Focusing on the former, one blogger (It’s Daejeon, darling!) cited the dearth of information to help her navigate the wholly unfamiliar terrain of intercultural dating before she came here, in stark contrast to that on teaching English and living in Korea. On top of that, popular forums like Dave’s ESL Café bombarded her with so many negative messages about Western women that she wrote, “I came here prepared to be single and stay single, because I had the impression that local and foreign alike were just not interested and it was all my fault.” But she soon learned that this just wasn’t true, and blogs like hers now help to both fill the gap and provide a more accurate impression of the dating scene for women.

As for the latter, one possibility may be increasingly positive representations of East Asian men in the Western media, after historically being underrepresented and stereotyped. Combined with the popularity of the Korean Wave, this may have increased their appeal to Western women. Indeed, many of these new blogs (but by no means a majority) feature the bloggers quite brazenly discussing their sexual exploits with Korean men, albeit anonymously. But 27 | busan haps

while this can obviously be problematic sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with that in itself, and to be fair many of the blogs’ names belie much tamer actual content.

However, the vast majority of expats of either gender do not travel to a foreign country because of an exclusive preference for a certain ethnicity or nationality, nor do they acquire one once they’re there. They do anticipate being able to date or even marry locals if they choose to though, and may well blog about that in passing when it happens. But crucially, Korean men generally did not seek long-term relationships with Western women until recently, seeing them as only suitable for casual dating partners instead.

Western women that have lived here for some time however, now report that Korean boyfriends are starting to introduce them as their girlfriends to their parents. As blogger Msleetobe puts it, it’s like “suddenly there is a possibility of being a Western girlfriend to a Korean now in a way that was much more difficult just a few years ago. We’re not just fantasies, but we don’t have to immediately become wives either.” And she directly links this to the increase in the number of related blogs.

Does this mean that the trend is here to stay? Conventional wisdom dictates that women like to discuss relationships much more than men do, and so this appears likely.

But it’s also true that strong double-standards exist in the ways men and women in any country can publicly discuss the topic, and in turn, no article on the subject in Korea is complete without mention of the “English Spectrum” episode of 2005 (just Google it if you haven’t heard of it). Just how reliable is that “conventional wisdom” then, when many Korean netizens will simply not tolerate Western men openly discussing dating Korean women?

Either way, for many Western women the blogosphere is now just the new locker room, and perhaps Western men in particular should be encouraged to visit this realm previously out of bounds to them. At the very least, it’s likely to overturn their “conventional wisdom” surrounding Korean men, whereas Western women have already known the reality for a long time!

James Turnbull writes about Korean gender issues at his blog “The Grand Narrative”, and would like to thank all his readers for their help in compiling this report.

Ulsan Native Ha Hun-jong and his wife, Lindsey Neilands, from Canada. They were married in February of 2008.

Biking Korea Then the World

As a cyclist dedicated to making a difference, Brian Perich not only talks the talk, he rides the ride. And how. He is set to take a mammoth charity ride from the Arctic Circle all the way to the southern tip of South America.

By Jeff Liebsch

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ost cycling enthusiasts have a sense of adventure, a strong desire for exercise and a love of nature.

Brian Perich, of Gangneung, Gyeonggi Province, is no different.

Perich, a Canadian expat from Windsor, Ontario, began riding with the Caboto Velo Club Canada in 1990, and later with Maple Leaf Cycling Club in 1992. His focus on endurance training led him to an interest in touring, from canoeing through Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario; to a 4000km and back cross-country motorcycle tour across North America.

However, in 1998, after two traffic accidents and four road accidents, he finally retired from endurance motorcycling and put his sole focus into cycling.

Now he is preparing for his biggest journey yet: a 32,000km charity-focused, environmental expedition from north of the Arctic Circle to the southern end of Patagonia, Argentina.

He will be teaming up with several foundations to promote ecologically-sound travel, education through expeditions, and several charities supporting the communities of people suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. His expedition will be linked to Education Through Expeditions (ETE) founded by Polar Explorer (antonyjinman.com), as well as the IDEAS Foundation of Canada and GYGIG Foundation of America.

“My inspiration for cycling comes from previous experiences traveling across North America with my family.

My passion lies in the physical and mental challenges of endurance training and learning to overcome my weaknesses through continuous participation in these related activities. It’s a passion for adventure and the amazing experience which draws me together with others with similar interests that is fueling my fire to burn down the roads to Patagonia from the Arctic,” he said.

In addition to cycling, Perich is deeply committed to raising awareness of environmental issues that affect not only 29 | busan haps

climate, but also our health and well-being as caretakers of this planet. He hopes to engage this challenge to inspire others to take on their own mission to make a positive impact today. “After living in South Korea for several years, you learn to appreciate the environment more. This is an intense environment to battle the influences of environmental pollution from industries, cars, trucks, buses and the effluence blowing over on prevailing winds from other countries. Bicycle touring is the one way to engage in the green movement and experience an amazing oneness with nature across the country, or the world if you are up for it,” he said.

For the past three years, Perich has been using the Korean roads as his training base his expedition. With a long journey ahead of him, he hopes that others will join him for the ride. “Cycling in Korea is great! As well, it’s intense and a great place to train for global competitions or for just the love of cycling alone. I recommend it to everyone.”

For those looking to cycle around the country, here are some recommendations on the best rides in Korea: East Coast--from Busan to Sokcho if you enjoy climbs, descents, twists, turns and village life.

Seongnam to Suam to Andong to Daegu -- an excellent 3-day ride with two nights staying over in Min-baks. Larger cities all have Jimjil-bangs for 9,000 won or less per night, preferred accommodation unless you bring a tent or a sleeping bag. Camping is available on the entire coastline (where fences don’t prohibit access), and within rural areas and mountains across the country.

If you would like to sponsor Brian on his charity ride check his site at www.arctic2argentina.com For more information about cycling in Korea, you can visit his blog at www.korean-world.blogspot.com

Dalmaji 90210 It’s hip, it’s funky, it’s gentrified, it’s old. It’s that place at the far end of Busan, right next to Haeundae, that most people don’t even know about. Dalmaji Hill, where you can get away from it all while you’re still in the thick of it. Upscale cafes, galleries galore, and a taste all together different than the rest of Busan. By Amber Newton & Charles Young

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ising to the east of Haeundae beach, over which Busan’s morning sun makes its first climb, is the pine tree lined outcrop of land known as “Dalmaji Hill”. When translated into English, the word “Dalmaji” literally means “Moon Watching Place”, and I couldn’t think of a more suitable name for this vibrant, yet tranquil neighborhood, where the moon is just one of a myriad of things to do and see.

Dalmaji has been drastically gentrified over the years, from its once ghetto-like origins to its current status as a cultural hub and home to some of Busan’s elite set. The numerous upscale restaurants and cafes act as popular hangouts for local celebrities and film makers, as well as those gallery hopping along the hill; while the long stretch of road attracts motorcyclists, outdoor sports enthusiasts, and those just out for a stroll and look at the spectacular view of Busan’s coast.

To the east of Dalmaji Hill, a fishing village called “Cheongsapo” still exists, though the hill’s visitors easily overlook it as Dalmaji road turns smoothly back down the hill towards Jangsan. The eight kilometer road is known as “The 15-Road” for the 15 curves it makes as it snakes along its way.

Starting from the west side of the hill, Dalmaji road begins at a junction with Mipo road which begins its ascent at the farthest end of Haeundae beach. From there, it begins its steady incline along the cliff. The architecture of the neighborhood contrasts the area surrounding Dalmaji almost instantly, with hotels, cafes, galleries, and spas of white terracotta, red brick, and grey cobblestone.

The seaside of the hill is lined with wooden, and then brick walkways from which soil-paved trails can be trekked down the forested coast towards lovely ocean observation points and Cheongsapo harbor. Along the trail there are four “story spots” that post tales of local legends about those areas. All along the walkway are park benches and Korean pagoda-style resting spots where the seascape, including Haeundae Beach and Gwangan-li’s Diamond Bridge can be admired.

For those visiting the hill for the sake of gallery hopping,

there is a Dalmaji Art District map which pinpoints nearly twenty gallery and museum spaces at the entrance to the neighborhood on the west side of the hill. One of the first on this side is the Korean Art Center, which has gallery spaces on the first two floors; the third floor acts as an event hall, and the fourth and fifth floors have Italian restaurants called “The Kitchen” and “The Table”, the latter with a rooftop patio. The former gallery director remarked that they frequently hosted parties on the rooftop, which were popular with foreigners and Korean celebrities.

Further up the hill, where the road meets a smaller side street, is JoHyun Gallery. JoHyun Gallery features a variety of well-known foreign and local artists. Works including those of Damien Hirst, Paik Nam June, Julian Opie, Joseph Beuys, and Georges Rousse, whose anamorphic art installation remains on the stairwell where the gallery meets Café Van. Café Van often acts as an extension of the exhibit space, and it serves a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as well as sandwiches, which are as pricey as most cafes on Dalmaji. The artsy interior décor, and gorgeous balcony patio with an ocean view are the main appeal to its clientele.

Heading back towards the west, up the smaller side street, is the popular Hae-O-Pabu café, with its extensive menu of imported gourmet coffees and its tripledecker sandwiches with real dill pickles, which is just to the right of Kim Jae Sun Gallery. Kim Jae Sun Gallery has an art center, as well as a jazzy café-wine bar on the first floor. There is a large, green wooden patio, also with a stunning view, however I have never visited this venue and seen anyone other than myself and a single member of their staff. The bar has a grand piano, microphone and speakers to rent for private events.

Another nice spot for private parties and live music is Buena Vista Café, which just opened a year ago. This place boasts of its Mojitos on the sign out front, and they’re surprisingly authentic and reasonably priced. A regular, and rather large mojito is priced at 7,000 won, with an Absolute Vodka or Jose Cuervo for 8,000 won.

crust pizzas, and steaks in three or four course meals.

Along the road from The International School (aka Waedae) and next to the ‘World’s Mystery Library’ is the long-running StarFace bar. With a relaxed pub atmosphere, it has existed on Dalmaji as one of Haeundae’s original drinking spots for foreigners and Koreans for over 14 years now. It is now an Anglo-Korean venture, and though a remodel took away some of its ‘spit ‘n’ sawdust’ image, it remains just as popular as it ever was.

It still gets busy on Fridays and Saturdays when it hosts live music, as well as a variety of special events, such as the popular Blues Night, Hip Hop Night and Sunday pub quizzes. They also serve a variety of authentic Italian, Mexican and British cuisine. And keep your eyes peeled for the occasional Korean celebrity who casually saunters in for a drink.

In short, for those of you who skipped to the end: Dalmaji is a place where you can catch a good view of luxury cars cruising by, and see swarms of Harleys roaring downhill, boats sailing along the coast, young couples out on dates, the sea of people crowding Haeundae Beach, local live music, birds singing along the forested trails, and the upper class hobnobbing in gallery cafes. Even more hot spots appear to be in construction on this ever-transient hill, though it will always be best known for its namesake “Dalmaji,” the moon watching place.

The point that can best be considered the peak of Dalmaji Hill has evolved a lot over the past year as the coffee chains have staked their claim to Dalmaji’s pricey real estate. Tom N Toms, Angel in Us Coffee, and A Twosome Place have all sprung up in a row, with a Beans Bins up the side street that sits nearby even more art galleries.

For some good eats there is The Pho, with a menu of reasonably priced Vietnamese food including (self-assembled) rice paper spring rolls, Pho noodles, Vietnamese coffee, and vegetarian options. The glass door front is propped open on warm days and nights to create that patio-like ambiance.

Across the street from this strip of coffee shop chains is a parkette, which is known as a meeting spot for a local motorcyclists group. There are a number of resting spots here, as well as a tourist information center, and entrance points to the trails on the cliffs.

From here, the monstrosity of a building called Bar Alexander cannot be missed. Imagine a mansion-like wooden cabin, with a brick roof, decorated with imitation neoclassical statues, and you’ve got Bar Alexander.

There are European chefs employed here, and I have been told that the food is really good, but whether or not it is worth the even-expensive-for-Dalmaji price is purely up to you.

Off the main road, near the International School of Busan, right at the top of the hill, are a couple of Dalmaji’s hidden gems. The first is Cafe Opera, which serves a good, yet pricey menu of Western cuisine, such as thin busan haps | 32

Giving Refuge from the Dog Eat Dog World By David Holt

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he Busan Abandoned Pet Sanctuary (BAPS) in Jucheon is home to 70 delightful, but also noisy dogs. Roughly 45 minutes from Busan, this safe retreat for animals has been the result of many months of hard work by Leo Mendoza and his wife Jin Young.

Over 110 dogs have come into their care since they took over the shelter, when it was in an atrocious state in June 2008. Most of the dogs had been forsaken by their owners or brought in after being found.

BAPS prefers not to be referred to as a shelter. “Shelter is a general term, which usually involves euthanasia,” says Mendoza, who also cares for seven dogs at home.

Here at the sanctuary their policy is clear--they do not euthanise. Every dog that has come into their care has a home for life, but that means once they reach their quota, they are forced reluctantly to turn away further dogs. Unfortunately, the sanctuary does not receive assistance from the government; the money comes from donors who work as often as they can to provide care and cash for the animals.

To keep the dogs for one month costs approximately 1,000,000 won ($814) and that is just enough to cover the basics, such as rent and food for the animals. They have been lucky recently to receive some help from an unnamed vet who has recently vaccinated a number of dogs, but there are still many more that need to be properly vaccinated.

The sanctuary was handed to Leo when the previous owner found himself unable to continue because of ongoing debt.

Rather than turning a blind-eye, Mr. Mendoza took up the challenge and his first amendment was disposing of the dilapidated cages that the dogs were held in and installing large enclosures, giving the animals more space to move about.

Previously, the dogs were all clumped together and often the unsociable dogs would attack the weak and the small. “It really was a matter of life or death,” Mendoza said.

To date, South Korea’s approach to abandoned dogs is a “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t worry about it” policy. Dogs are abandoned frequently and many are too small or too terrified to survive on their own wits. Of all the dogs that have been rescued, thousands more are being dumped every year.

There is still much more that needs to be done. Mendoza mentioned that he would like to increase the amount of space to bring more dogs into their care and perhaps one day move the sanctuary closer to Busan, allowing him more time with the animals and less time in the car.

Expats are encouraged to volunteer at the shelter by walking and bathing the puppies, but more importantly, by socializing with them and restoring their forgotten trust.

Check out their website at www.shindogs.org

Lost in

Shinsegae

It’s the largest department store in the world, with just about anything and everything under the same roof. To mark Shinsegae’s first year in Busan, Alexandra Karpen, tried to take it all in over the course of one day. Now, the question remains: Did she do it?

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n a word, it’s big. Sprawling up and out, the equivalent one of Shinsegae’s myriad of cafes for the weary shopper. of forty-five football fields, Shinsegae holds the Guinness Close by was the Shinsegae Academy. The signs weren’t World Record for the largest department store on the in English, but according to the Shinsegae website, it is “a planet--and is a shopping mecca for fashionistas both local highly sophisticated cultural community that has enhanced and tourist alike. the value of the cultural center by adopting unique cultural It is hard to fathom what ‘the biggest department store in contents and brand strategies showcased here for the first the world’ means until you actually experience it. And that is time.” Looking across in the other direction was a children’s exactly what I did. My game plan was simple: visit anywhere gallery, basically adorable finger paintings by the next Picasand everywhere amongst the fourteen floors of a shopper’s so to playfully admire while drinking coffee. paradise all in ONE day.

I wasn’t up for a movie so I passed the seventh floor cinema When plotting my route, I decided to forgo any sort of mas- to check out the event hall and nail salons on the eighth. ter plan and simply work my way from the bottom to the top. Anyone looking for the modern movie experience in Korea Not much to see in the parking garage, so my first stop was would not be disappointed there. the basement floor which is devoted almost entirely to food.

However, my rather large latte and the marvel that is cafIt is absolutely impossible to walk through it without buying feine kept pushing me up through to the next floor. It was several morsels of manna-like goodness. pretty quiet passing the cultural hall, but the high-end resAside from high-end Korean rice cakes and several gour- taurants and outdoor park on the 9th were bustling with met versions of the local dishes, there is an incredible smor- patrons. gasbord of international delicacies. I allowed myself be seAfter spending a few hours inside, I was pleased to find an duced by freshly prepared sushi and outdoor area. It was nice to step outreal French bread. The ‘petit pain’ (lit- “If I could do it all over side onto the grass and stroll around tle bread) at Dalloyau was incredible: the paths, looking at flowers and the chewy dough, crisp crust, freshly made again, I would have started view of Busan. It felt almost incongruheaven with each bite that took every at the top and worked my ous to find a tiny patch of nature in the ounce of will power not to buy the largest department store in the world, way down. Knowing that a and yet it flowed perfectly from the whole lot.

I wouldn’t ordinarily say such a thing, airy halls into the open sky. but even the water was impressive, ton of great food awaited Shinsegae also has a spacious ice rink with a wellspring of variety at the Wa- me would have been all and a large indoor driving range, but I ter Bar: Functional Water, Deep Sea am a bit clumsy so I decided to pass. If Water, Sparkling Water, and Still Water. the inspiration I needed.” not for my own safety but also for the After about 45 minutes of wandering safety of everyone else around me. in the basement filling my tummy, I headed up to do some My final stop was the spa. Known as “Spa World,” it is made window shopping (or “eye shopping” as the Koreans cleverly up of three levels to meet your every pampering need—the refer to it) through the main floors. perfect way to unwind after spending hours upon hours Stepping out of the elevator onto the first floor was a bit like shopping. The actual spa itself was similar to other grandistepping through the doors of Saks, Printemps or Harrods. ose Jimjilbangs, but their decorations were by far the most How often do you see a Cartier and a Tiffany’s under the tasteful that I’ve seen. I think my favorite part was how quiet same roof? Mixed in with the popular international brands it was—children under the age of 13 aren’t allowed inside. were some Korean and Japanese makeup lines, though the Relaxing without shrieking children nearby is most definitely emphasis on designers was definitely imported. the way to go.

I ogled the latest Marc Jacobs and Prada handbags and Truth be told, I didn’t quite make it through all 14 floors of almost bought one until firmly reminding myself that living Shinsegae, the place is just too big! But, I did come pretty solely on ramen for the next four months would probably close. And after all, shouldn’t I leave something for next time? leave me too weak to actually carry any sort of bag at all.

If I could do it all over again, I would have started at the top After two hours meandering the first four floors of clothing, and worked my way down. Knowing that a ton of great food I decided to browse the books at Kyobo perched upon the awaited me would have been all the inspiration I needed fifth. For my taste, it was a bit sparse on foreign language to accomplish the goal of seeing everything in Shinsegae in novels (mainly bilingual classics), but there was a rather large only one day. section for teachers and independent study.

By the time I reached the 6th floor, my feet were dragging If you want to lose yourself in Shinsegae, here is how you and I was wondering how to manage a break when lo and be- get there: Take Subway Line 2 to Centum City, stop number hold, there was a Starbucks! After settling down with my soy 206. Follow the signs to Shinsegae and you can enter directly vanilla latte, I consulted my map and realized that it was just from the station.

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FEATURE

Alexandra Photo by Bmc

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