Friday at 2am, me and Jensine decided to make the 1-hour journey to Busan for a day trip on Friday.

Got on the wrong train, but no probs, just had to stand the whole time. Arrived to meet the boys, ventured to the beach, soaked our feet in the ocean and generally had the most perfect day. Around 7pm, me and Jensine even decided to stay the night and party with the boys.

All-in-all the trip was amazing... even if it was mostly random and spontaneous.

So without further ado, I will introduce you to 4 people you should avoid at all costs in Busan. Or not. Either way Busan is pretty interesting.

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#1 - Douchebag at the beach.
(Scene: As we were sitting on Haeundae Beach (the most popular beach in South Korea), James busted out his wonderful iPod speakers and we debated over what music was appropriate to play the at beach. Since it was the first beach trip of the season, we went with the cliche Jack Johnson.)

[Enter Douchebag.] "Whoever the f*ck is playing Jack Johnson better turn that sh*t off before I stab someone!"

[Enter Amanda.] "Uh, dude, we're right behind you."

A few words were exchanged debating the quality and appropriateness of Jack Johnson on the beach. I could care less about Jack Johnson, but it was the principle of the matter. Don't be a douchebag. I didn't see him bring his own speakers.

#2 -- Crazy Ajosshi at the beach
(Scene: Once again, innocently enjoying our music and beer on Haeundae Beach.)

[Enter adjosshi (a middle-aged Korean man).]
Grunting and pointing at our beer jug.

[Enter Amanda.]
"아 니 오, 아 니 오...가서!" ("No, No...Go away.")

[Ajosshi exits.]

Ajosshi goes to Douchebag's group of friends and asks them. Feeling hospitable, they give their jug of beer to the man for a drink. He then proceeds to pour the entire full jug of beer into his mouth, face, and down his body. Hands the jug back to the group and walks away.





#3 - Gold Medal Crazy Ajumma
NOTE: While we've met a lot of crazy ajummas, this one takes the cake, hence Gold Medal Crazy Ajumma.
(Scene: 5 Waygooks (me and my friends), searching the streets of Haeundae for cheap overnight accommodation. Princess James, one of the Waygookss, has ruled out a jjimjilbang. We scour every motel and love motel we can find.)

[Enter Waygooks] "Anyang haseyo, ahl mah-ay-yo il bang? Chil myung?" (Which roughly translates to "hello, how much for one room. Seven people?")

[Enter Crazy Ajumma] Lots of grunting and overall unpleasantness. "한 방? 우만 완. 두 방? 십만 완." (Which roughly translates to: "one room? 50,000 won. two rooms? 100,000.")
She continues to eat her ramen on the floor and refuses to get up or put forth any effort into anything.

50,000 won for one room. The room roughly twice the size of a walk-in closet. 100,000 for two rooms. Of course we are getting screwed. However, its Buddha's Birthday weekend and a fashion show is in town. These are the only rooms we can find.

[Crazy Ajumma] "Take it or leave it, you stupid foreigners." (In Korean, of course, but we got the gist).

More grunting and absolute unpleasantness continues as we try to confirm the number of rooms and floor pads. She keys she gives us resemble gas-station-bathroom keys. We have survived the meanest old crazy ajumma any of us have ever experienced.



#4 - Suicidal 7-11 Man
(Scene: After a night of darts, drinks and dancing at a bar and Busan nightclub, we are seated outside a 7-11 enjoying some after-club drinks).

[Enter Suicidal Man]
Sitting with Korean women at adjacent table, a seemingly normal Korean conversation is going on between the group.

With quick movements, Suicidal Man has grabbed a glass soju bottle and is banging it furiously on the ground. After a few bangs, the glass finally shatters everywhere.

[Enter my group of friends]
As we watched, the girls were frozen, but with relatively calm faces as the man continued to talk to them. I noted as he pointed the shattered bottle to his jugular, then his subclavian and brachial arteries. Either he was giving them an anatomy lesson, or telling them that he could use the bottle to easily injure/kill himself or the girls.

Either way, the girls got away after a minute or two. We chased the girls down to ask if they knew him. They had no idea who he was, but insisted that he was crazy.

We returned to the 7-11 where he sat alone at a table. I watched as he poured out an entire gatorade bottle on the floor, and then filled it back up with another bottle of soju.

He then approached our group. With staggering and slurred English, he told us to leave, to go away. So away we did.

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So overall, it was an extremely.... interesting trip. I had a great time in Busan despite these events....... even maybe because of these events.