First, I have to admit something. I did not vote for Barack Obama. I didn’t vote for the schools. I didn’t vote for the library. I didn’t vote for whatever other liberal cause that would have raised my taxes like I usually do. I DIDN’T VOTE. Months ago I signed up to vote from Japan but I never got the ballot delivered to me. So thank goodness a lot of stuff went the way I wanted it to without my vote.

Today’s update starts with my minimal selection from the Haeundae Toyoko-Inn’s free breakfast. My stomach wasn’t feeling bad, but it wasn’t feeling great either. I’m sure I could get used to eating all the Korean food, but at the moment I’m wolfing down the garlic and kimchee and hoping for the best as this isn’t what my stomach is used to.

So I’m completely turned around here and my sister and Lim took me to Starbucks in the direction I thought was away from the beach but was directly towards Haeundae Beach. A block away from the Toyoko Inn is the most popular beach in Korea according to one of my tourist pamphlets and I can see why. The water and the beach are beautiful. I’m still reeling from the size of the high-rises here.

We sat around in the morning watching three surfers. It was a beautiful morning.

We also watched a fluffy white dog chase the seagulls.

We met Sally and her friend Sayoko for a traditional Korean lunch (of a bunch of courses) at Sayoko’s in-law’s restaurant. Sayoko is from Yokohama and married a Korean guy from Busan. This is the pre-meal starter.

There’s Sally, Lim (looking tiny due to perspective issues) and Sayoko.

When the food started coming out there seemed to be no end to it.

 

Several new dishes were brought out a couple of times. This time it was crab and the pancakes.

There was an interesting meat dish and soup next.

We talked and told weird stories for hours and I hope Sayoko wasn’t scandalized by the weird American tales.

I was stuffed, but my sister and Lim were able to walk to a bakery (I waddled) and we had more to eat. Then they started in on the shopping, but it wasn’t too bad. First was a market with beauty products. I’m looking for lip balm that actually works but they were no help. They were too busy looking for whatever eyeliner or face wash that they needed.

Then it we got in a taxi and it was off to Shinsegae, THE WORLD’S LARGEST DEPARTMENT STORE. Or, in other words, suck it Minnesota.

We wandered around a bit but I think it looked like any other mall in the US (but bigger). It wasn’t like a Japanese mall where everything was just different enough that you really wanted to see what was going on.

We ended up at the food court because I wanted some coffee. We sat next to the ice skating rink and watched the kids skating.

Dinner was blowfish soup with Sally and her kids.

Once again, I was stuffed but everyone else was activating their dessert stomachs. No one could explain (at least not in English) what the drink I got was called, but I think they have it at I Love Crepes on 23rd Avenue as “Job’s Tears”. But oddly enough, I don’t think this was called yulmucha. Maybe it has a different name in Busan.

I wish I had something to scale the honey bread. It was giant. Fortunately, we all shared it (including the two boys who also had ice cream).

After that we took a quick trip to the night market.

Fish to eat!

I think this might be those slimy eels that they used to make eelskin wallets out of.

There’s no end to the fresh fish. OK, there is an end, and it was just past these four sets of tanks.

I was going to go take pictures of the pig’s head and barbecued ribs, but we went back by a different route. I can understand why so many Koreans look so much better fed than the Japanese people do.