Traveling is not vacation

It's my first full day in Busan. And when I say full I mean it.

I was able to get some exercise on Gwangalli beach, as I blogged to you just afterwards.

Then, after a nice breakfast at the hotel I was picked up by Dean Mahn-woo Kwon who took me on a tour of the Departments of Digital Contents and the separate Departments of Digital Design. Although they are separate entitites, it is slightly unclear to me the true differences...although there certainly are some as he was always able to verbalize something...I just didn't fully follow the distinctions.

Anyway, here I am in one of their fully digital control rooms...with a crooked tie.

One of their majors is animation, of which they do stop-action animation as a pedagogical compenent. Although I have seen movies using it, I have never seen a setup up close.

I had a huge and delicious lunch at a Japanese restaraunt with Mahn-woo, Soyoung, and two gentlemen from the Busan mayor's office who Mahn-woo is working with on the International Contents Creator's Convention

Later, it was off to the Busan Aquarium at Haeundae Beach. I love aquariums, and this one had creatures in it that I have never seen in facilities in the states (for obvious reasons, as they are pulling from different oceans. Check out some of these:

After that, the Jagalchi Fish Market, a place like none other that I've ever been to. Although similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle, this place is huge...with many vendors outside in the more traditional setting...where the price of the fish goes down as the day gets longer, as they must sell what they've got before the close of business.

Unless, of course, the fish is dried....


There is also a more modern (and air conditioned !) facility where the fish are kept live in open-air tanks for people to select the best...or friskiest...or whatever...I've never bought live fish.

Then they either eat it right there raw or they can take it to restaraunts on the upper floors and have it prepared.

Anyway, these fish often jump right out of their tanks and flop around on the floor. Here I am spreading my goofiness internationally with one of the escapees and a vendor

The Haedong Yongkung Temple was the last sightseeing stop for the day. An incredible place, while most temples are located in the mountains...this is one of the rare ones on the coastline. Here is a sign at the entrance that I'm told reads something like "the mountains are beautiful, the ocean is beautiful, together they are heaven."

At the front are 12 statues representing the animals for which years are named after. My birthyear means I'm a sheep (no laughing). Here's my statue

And, because I've got to go get ready for today, I'll leave you with a picture of me and Budha