taejongdae in busan

2023, august 11

message to a friend.

taejongdae is a park right by the sea. my mom grew up there and it’s her favorite place. you can walk up the hill and if you know the secret spot, you’ll end up walking down steep steps. down and down and down, until you reach cliffs right by the water. there’re all these old, tough, badass korean ladies selling super fresh fish. they have all these plastic bowls filled with water and fish swimming in them. you pick your fish and they will, super fast and without mercy, transform them from being alive to edible. you can buy soju and beer and there are big plates on the cliffs, to sit down with your tray full of tasty stuff. in my profile pic, you see me holding a tray with super fresh raw fish, with chillies, garlic, soy sauce, and wasabi and you wrap it all up in tasty lettuce leaves and pop it in your mouth, while the waves crash against the cliffs right next to you and in the distance you can faintly see japan and the sea is turquoise and breathtaking and the waves are wild and rough and white. and it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world and i explode with happiness every time i sit there eating fish and drinking beer and soju and looking at the sea.