OK, so it was the first day at Kaya University, and I’m still recovering from that grueling opening ceremony.

• I’m glad the US isn’t sending tactical nukes to South Korea, if only because it makes Washington and Seoul look like North Korea and Myanmar.

  According to veteran Burma watcher Bertil Lintner, the Burmese junta’s Directorate of Defense Industries is already developing long-range Scud-type missiles with North Korean assistance at a munitions factory near Minhla, a small town south of Minbu in Magway Division.

  “A Scud-armed Myanmar [Burma] would place its capabilities a significant notch above its Southeast Asian neighbors, which do not possess such long-range missiles,” wrote Lintner in a report for Asia Times online.

  “The revelations could spark a regional arms race, prompting neighboring countries such as Thailand to develop or procure their own missile arsenal.”

• So, what was Samore doing? And, Einhorn? A little White House dirty laundry?

• Marcus Noland goes to Washington, and talks North Korea.

• And, I’m sure Kim Young Hwan can speak for all of China, when he says “China does not have any motive for, interest in or desire to annex North Korea”. That would be very rude to South Koreans.

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It's pretty common to hear a foreigner living in Korea use the phrase "If you've seen one temple, you've seen them all". There's a good reason for this. During the Korean War the majority of Korea's ancient and beautiful temples were razed to the ground by the invading North Koreans, and most of what people see these days were rebuilt in a post war rush to restore the country's proud history. While this meant that these sacred sites were not completely lost - it also meant that most of them are quite similar to one another.

Daewonsa on the outskirts of Gwangju is one of the temples that has some unique characteristics, and over the Solnal (Chinese New Year) vacation I discovered that Yonggungsa Temple here in Busan is uniquely beautiful as well.

Busan was one of the few cities in South Korea not to fall to the initial North Korean surge, so it stands to reason that its own temple fared considerably better in the war than its northern compatriots. But what really makes Yonggungsa stand out is its coastal location. The vast majority of Buddhist temples in Korea are nestled away in mountains, yet Yonggungsa proudly stares out over the grey waters of the Sea of Japan (or the East Sea as Koreans insist on calling it) from its rocky perch.

Getting There

I'd originally intended for Thursday (the second of five days off) to be spent in bed watching movies and doing little else. But with my friend Heather in town from Pohang and eager to check it out for herself, I opted to tag along. Busan had turned on a beautiful day for us - shrugging of its perpetual mantle of oppressive skies and icy winds and favoring us with a bright, still day. My neck of Busan just happens to be about as far as possible from almost everything in the city - although Dongdaeshindong does boast a decent nearby beach and is close to Jagalchi Fish Markets if I'm ever feeling a hankering for some live sea cucumber or still moving octopus.

Heather is excited for our adventure

The subway system in Busan is a joy to ride, and while it's often so crowded that you can't find a seat, the trains are regular and you can get to the majority of important sites without too much fuss. At just 1200 won (approximately $1.20) for a one way ticket, it's a much cheaper option than taking a cab and only marginally more expensive than the bus network. From Dongdaeshindong we had to change trains at Seomyeon Station. I don't think I've ever done the change from Line #1 to Line #2 without encountering Koreans frantically sprinting as if the next train to depart for Haeundae (Busan's trendy beachside suburb) would be the last of its kind.

All told it's about a fifty minute ride from my part of Busan. Most tourists into Busan will probably end up staying in foreigner friendly Haeundae though - so there's no train ride necessary for them. From there you can either save some money and take the bus (181 will get you there) or you can do what we did and just spring the few extra dollars for a taxi. From Haeundae it came out at 4000 won ($4).

Street Fare

Our taxi deposited us in a rather packed car park, but we shouldn't have been surprised. Many Korean holidays involve paying respects to Buddha or to one's ancestors, so it stands to reason that on the first day of the Year of the Rabbit we'd not be alone in visiting the temple. A press of people stood between us and the entrance to the temple proper, but a rash of food and souvenir stalls at least made the jostling interesting. The souvenirs ranged from miniature Buddhas to all manner of ceramics and even a few children's toys that had no real reason to be there.

Odeng, tapbokki, and twigim on offer for hungry pilgrims

The stink of bondeggi (boiled silkworm larvae) mixed with the far more appetizing scents of tapbokki (chili rice cakes) and odeng (processed fish cake) in what is a pretty common scene in Korea. Hell, my walk to and from work every day takes me down a narrow street choked with fruit vendors, street food peddlers, women selling live fish out of tiny tubs, and everything in between. It's just part of the perpetual market bazaar that is Korea.

Once inside the temple the crowd began to disperse, although it quickly became a problem again whenever we had to make our way down stairs or through a narrow tunnel. I'd imagine the place is absolutely serene on a normal day. The ominously dark waters beat against the grey cliffs and all around pine and other hardy trees cling tenuously to their purchase on the rock. The buildings themselves either blend into this dour display or they defy it with bright oranges and reds. A massive golden Buddha stands as pride of place at the heart of the temple, while quieter shrines are up in the hills surrounding the main area.

In such a spiritual place it might seem odd to pass a bank of vending machines or a small tent restaurant serving fried food and soda, but that's Korea for you. It's a country of convenience and enterprise - and that extends all the way to this temple. In fairness to Korea, I've not encountered anything quite like that at another temple. It may well have just been to cater for the large number of visitors for the holiday.

And I'm Spent

While there was plenty to admire at the temple, without the quiet to actually soak it in, it couldn't hold my interest for long. I remember spending a peaceful two hours exploring Sumiyoshi at the heart of Fukuoaka, and Fallon and I (along with Cody and Dez) spent even longer photographing and exploring sun-soaked Daewonsa in August of 2009. It may be that a repeat visit to Yonggungsa will prove necessary, but I enjoyed what little time I did get to spend there.

Posing with some stern faced friends at the entrance to Yonggungsa

When I talk with other foreigners here in Korea about some of their annoyances, many of them mention how much they hate going shopping at  the grocery store.

They complain about pushy Koreans who shove you out of the way and abruptly stop right in front of you with their shopping carts; or how there’s never a good time of day/week/month when a particular store is not completely packed with people shopping as if preparing for a  global apocalypse. Then there’s complaints about product representatives who stand at the ends of  aisles screaming at shoppers in an attempt to influence their purchasing decisions–the reason you might walk into a store looking only to buy a soda a some chips, but walk out with a head of cabbage and the latest brand of Korean baby formula. Lastly, the most often cited annoyance is the exuberant prices you’re likely to spend for the oddest things–no Bullshit, I saw a bottle of maple syrup going for damn near $26.

Now all of these are very valid points worth whining about, but as I see it we shouldn’t let these simple nuances deter us and overshadow some of the more interesting elements of shopping at a Korean grocery store. In many ways a trip to the local store can be quite interesting if you know how to approach it. Let me explain.

For starters, let’s look at the obvious. In Korea the term “grocery store” doesn’t quite do these places justice. They should be called “smorgasbord stores,” because you can literally get just about anything you might need on any given day. This is one of the things that amazed me about the stores in my neighborhood when I first arrived in Busan. Not that I’d ever need to, but should I ever want, I can purchase hiking boots, a new washing machine and a space heater–along with milk and eggs–all from the same place. If I was so inclined to (perhaps if I was in a rush with little time before a date, for example), I could also grab a stylish pair of boxer briefs and some designer cologne. Some of you may be less than impressed by all of this, but next time there’s some random item that you can’t find anywhere, check the nearest grocery store. Chances are they’ll have it.

I once needed to have a spare key made for my apartment (I don’t live in one of the more modern buildings with an entry keypad). I checked out every hardware shop in my neighborhood and scoured the subway underground mall looking for any place that would be able to copy a key. Turns out there’s a locksmith’s booth on the third floor of my local Megamart–right across from a McDonald’s, Converse outlet store and the Megamart dry-cleaning service. Amazing. At the time I didn’t even know Megamart had a third floor.

Besides their versatility, Korean grocery stores can also be a cheap place to grab a bite to eat. Most of them have small diners located right in the store (usually near the frozen foods or meat and poultry sections) where you can buy a wide assortment of spruced up Korean street food. Tight on cash? Hit up the free samples. As long as you make it look like you might actually buy whatever you’re sampling you can usually eat as much as you want, but make sure to use the best judgement. If the clerk starts throwing up a fuss, it’s probably best to move on. There’s no sense in getting chin-checked by an ajumma because you wanted an extra piece of mandu.

Lastly, visiting the grocery store can be quite the hilarious adventure if you’re open minded enough. You’d be amazed at the shit they place together. It would be odd to wonder thorough the frozen pizza aisle and end up in the womens’ shoes section back in the states but in Korea, this type of thing is a completely normal occurrence. You might be looking to pick up some spaghetti noodles and discover you also need mayonnaise. Not because you’re out, but because the mayonnaise is probably strategically placed on the shelf just below the spaghetti. Who knew the two went together? After you’ve grabbed your pasta and mayo, head over to the next isle and pick up some sliced cheese. It should be right next to the soju and rice wine.  Tortillas and rice cakes, eggs and cucumbers, dried seaweed and curry sauce; the combinations are endless and each one is more bizarre than the last. True, this can make finding specific items a nightmare, but after a few trips you’ll get the layout down pact. Until then I’d let it the stress roll off your shoulders and simply enjoy the randomness.

Now because I’m really curious as to what grocery stores people most frequent these days (Megamart is my current favorite, but there’s always shit I can never seem to find there), I’ve decided to take a poll: What is your favorite grocery store in Korea? I’ve never done a poll on my blog and I don’t expect it to become a regular occurrence, but I figure I might as well use the feature I’ve only recently discovered exists.

I realize some of you may not cook your own food and could’t be bothered to go grocery shopping outside of picking up beer so obviously there’s no need for you to participate. The rest of you, however, can find the poll on the right at the top of the sidebar.  Be a good friend and cast your vote, and If the spirit really moves you, feel free to drop an explanation about your choice in the comments section.

Ciao,

Kimchi Dreadlocks