On the weekend of Easter Sunday, I took the KTX train to Busan on the southeastern coast of Korea. Busan is the 2nd largest city in Korea, and has a very different atmosphere than conservative Daejeon. Busan seemed so much more laid back. Just by observing the way people dressed and riding the subway I picked this up. On Saturday, I went to Haeundae Beach to celebrate my Kiwi friend, Jess's birthday. We sat in the sand by the ocean and had champagne and cake.
I cannot describe how pleasant it felt to feel the ocean breeze and sit in the sand after a long winter. After we finished our cake we explored the Busan Aquarium. I admired all the stunning jellyfish and sharks in the tanks.
The real reason we all made the trip to Busan, however, was the fact that on Sunday it was Holi Hai--an Indian Festival where people throw colored powder and paint at each other to celebrate the arrival of spring. It was a perfect day on the beach. Many people typically dressed all in white to exaggerate the effect of the paint. The event was mainly foreigners and a few Koreans. The Indians in Busan ran the event, passing out free Samosas and beer, and playing Indian dance music. After everyone received their painting supplies, the Indians announced it was time to begin. Before I knew it, I was covered in pink and orange, green, and blue paint all over. Colorful powder was on my white clothes, in my hair, and on my face. It was the most fun festival I have ever been to. Dancing on the beach and everyone was covered in colors! I was so happy! Such an odd sensation!
The colored powder was fine...it was the liquid paint that would dry hard and crusty on your skin. After a while I went down to the shore and tried to scrub off the paint, but it was in my eyelashes, and I couldn't manage to get it all out. I rode the train home with a red scrubbed down face, and green clumpy eyelashes. I never enjoyed a shower so much until I got home to my apartment in Daejeon.
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