For the past 16 years, Busan has hosted the Busan International Film Festival or BIFF for short. For two weeks, the city showcases the latest films from first time directors as well as new films, mostly focusing on the Asian community. We attended last year and we made sure to attend this year too. It's always exciting to see new films and feel like a part of something so big. This year, we went with our two lovely Korean friends, Junnie and Min-su. It was a great time and we always have fun with them. They don't speak English very well, but it's always fun trying to figure out what they're saying and vice versa.
We watched Comes a Bright Day, a British film. While we were waiting for the film to start they announced that the director was there and that he would be answering questions after the film It was quite an exciting surprise, especially for a $6 movie. Comes a Bright Day was wonderful and I really enjoyed the film. I actually wanted to see this movie even before I knew it was coming to BIFF. It's a love story, coming of age story and heist story all in one. The acting was fantastic, the cinematography was beautiful and the story was well written. Afterwards, the Koreans asked some really strange and odd questions. Markus had a really good question but they ended the Q&A. Guess it wasn't meant to be.
On the way home, we gave Joonie his birthday present. As you can tell from the photos, Markus was really excited. It was great time and it made me thankful for the friends that we've made in Korea. When we spend time with them, it feels like we're really living in this city, that we're a part of it and I love that feeling.
The dish you see before you, dear friends, is whale meat. I've had many a discussion and debate about eating whale. I am not the type of person that thinks we should eat it often or that it should be a food source. It's one of those animals that every American kid has a sentimental attachment to. Who can forget that tearjerker Free Willy? Although, I also try to be adventurous and try things that are strange and bizarre. I guess it's that wanderer in me. I always said that if I was out with other people and they wanted to try whale, I would too. I wouldn't order it as my main meal, but I would at least taste it.
At the Jinju Lantern Festival, there were rows and rows of food stalls. The most interesting thing was that they were all selling the same foods. Every time you walked past one, the old ladies would try and pull you in. We saw one stall that was full of people. Emilio said, "if it's full, you know the food is better there." We walked closer to one of the stalls to investigate what they were selling. We saw huge vats of spicy beef soup, weird little black chickens, roasted pork and of course, whale.
The four of us decided that there was no time like the present and to just go for it. First we had to make sure it was whale. I spoke with a female server and after a lot of hand gesturing and broken Korean, we learned it was indeed "really big fish". We ordered one serving, which was $30, a bit pricey, but I've heard it's always expensive. We also ordered beer, soju, and a bowl of spicy beef soup, just in case the whale wasn't tasty. While we waited for our meal, we drank a shot of soju for courage. When the plate finally arrived, it was nothing like I was expecting. To be honest, I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't what they brought. The whale itself looked unlike any kind of meat I've eaten before. The skin was black and there was a thick layer of fat. The meat was cold and must've been cooked sometime earlier. As you can tell by the look on my face, I am not very excited.
The four of us sprinkled on some salt and each took a piece. We dipped it in the soy sauce and took a bite. It was not a pleasant experience. Both Emilio and Gina looked completely disgusted. I felt the same. I don't even know how to describe the taste. It was gelatinous because of the fat, and it didn't taste like meat. It tasted really fishy. The fact that it was cold, not even lukewarm, made it taste even more like the ocean. I was not a fan. Markus actually liked it and ate more than the three of us combined. We needed to get the nasty whale flavor out of our mouths, so we ordered a plate of roasted pork. I guess that was our punishment for eating such a beloved animal.
Someone told me that these were little black chickens. I think after eating the whale, I wanted to stay far away from any other bizarre meats for the rest of the evening.
After our whale adventure, we spent the rest of the evening wandering about looking for tasty treats. We ended the night with an order of takoyaki, which is one of my favorite street foods, and delicious $2 waffles. You can't go wrong with waffles and they were a perfect end for an adventurous evening of eating.
Every year Jinju, a city near Busan, transforms into a city of lights and lanterns. Last year, Markus and I were unable to make it to the Jinju Lantern Festival, but thankfully we made it this year with Emilio and Gina. The festival is free and only an hour and half bus trip from Busan, an easy day trip. Once we arrived in Jinju, I quickly realized that this event was much bigger than I anticipated. Many of my friends attended last year and they said that there weren't many people and it was a fun way to spend the day. We were stuck in traffic for at least 30 minutes and we hopped out before we reached the bus station. We headed down towards the river and immersed ourselves with the crowds. I love living in Korea. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to live here and I rarely complain about it, but there is one thing that really annoys me. When there are huge groups of people gathered in a small area it's horrific. It's the most ridiculous thing, people walk in front of you when you're trying to take pictures, they bump into you even if you make room for them and worst of all, they cut you in line. It's terrible. The Lantern Festival was no exception. Despite the crowds, the lanterns were pretty fantastic. I thought that it would be a little section of lanterns, but there was so much to see. My favorite part was the lantern walkway, it was beautiful. The festival felt a bit like a carnival, there were heaps of food and game booths. Emilio and I couldn't help ourselves and we tried a few games. We even won some prizes. We were at the festival for about five hours and that was all that was needed. After hour three, my feet were achy and I was tired of being pushed around. I felt like we were cattle just following the flow of people around us. Also, I was a bit lanterned out. I think that happens when you see too much of one thing. Overall, it was a good time and I'm so thankful we were able to experience it before we left Korea.
I love these creepers.
Look at those chubby cheeks, I just want to squeeze them!
