Last Day in Busan

I went to an art museum and the Busan museum today.  The first was naff and the latter was interesting, but I didn't get all the way through as I got tired and just longed for a nice nap.  Basically today wasn't all that bad.  There were some great sights, but I forgot to take a memory card for my camera, so I have no photographic evidence. 

The day was pretty warm, it could easily have been autumn rather than winter here, but by night time the wind hit and it was freezing again.  It seems that Korean winters are just as changeable as the sort of weather we experience in the UK.  The rest of the year may be the same, but I have nothing to compare against, so I won't make that assumption yet.

I travelled around a bit further today on the underground and ventured further a field.  At one point myself and my current travelling compaion Matt (who will be cast off to another school tomorrow as I am) found ourselves in a very interesting part of the city, it was as if we had found a suburb, just behind the main street.  There were houses, churches, a traditional type of market, schools and local shops.  Yet from the main road none of this could be seen, we happened upon it by accident, but it was a really good find.

For the last couple of days I have been noting how white I am.  Basically even though I have lived in multi-cultural areas most of my life I have never been the minority.  But here white people are a rare breed.  It's not just as if there are a few here and there.  No, in fact other than Matt, I have only come across a random English girl on the subway, a random American family and the odd Eastern European.  Incidentally I thought these chance encounters would play a little differently with short conversations being sparked, or at least a little interest...but no, generally other white people have no interest in me at all.

However the Koreans are interested, generally the older generation of men look on with distain or lack of interest and the younger men have no particular concern either way.  The women on the other hand seem to have taken an interest in me, they seem to like my hair colour...interesting.

Another factor you cannot escape from in Busan, is the open sewers all over the place, so often the smells of Busan are, fish, sweat and shit.  Not pleasant at all, but it does mean when you finally find one of the rare few gardens dotted around the city you really appreciate it...but I have to wonder what the Koreans think of it.  They don't seem to react, but as I was saying to Matt, surely it must have some effect on business.  For instance if there are two identical eateries on opposing sides of the street, both equally good, but one smells like shit and the other doesn't, which are you going to choose?

Well, anyway, that's me done for today.  Knackered now.  Got to get plenty of sleep before being shown around my school and moving in tomorrow.  I assume it will be a busy day.