How to meet people in Korea (or at least Busan!)

You're going to have to kiss a lot of frogs before finding your Prince (or Princess!).  Thankfully there is a mixed bag of great people in Korea.  Photo by Joel Gale Photography

I was very hesitant to write another list post but after the quick success of the last one (and e-mails from followers - thank you!!) I figured why not?  Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments and tell me about anything I've managed to forget.

1. This one's the easiest.  Talk to strangers!  If you spot a foreigner for the most part they will be just fine with you saying hello.  Don't be creepy, crack a joke and if they laugh and seem open to conversation then continue along.  If they seem busy or uncomfortable then move along.  Most of the friends I've made here have been from smiling and saying hello.  More often than not if they are going to go do something cool and you seem interested they'll invite you along.  That's how I met one of my best gal pals (and discovered a tasty vegan restaurant!).  I read an article when I first arrived in Korea about a guy who ran down the street to talk to another foreigner just so he could speak English.  If you're in a rural village this might be your best bet.

2. Head out to the University area on a Friday or Saturday night.  Kyungsung University in Busan is a really busy area on Saturday nights and you can usually just sit down at a table and chat people up.  Friday nights we usually start in Gwangan or Haeundae (the beach areas with lots of expat bars), but ultimately we always end up in KSU!  I hear that PNU has some good spots as well, but I have yet to discover the area (other than the nearby Dongnae-Gu).

3. On that note - Expat Bars!  There are a TON of expat bars in major cities (Seoul, Busan, Ulsan, Daejeon, Daegu, and others).  These are spots where you'll meet other foreigners or English-speaking Koreans who are interesting in broadening their horizons.  In Busan you can check out Thursday Party (there are practically more Thursday Party locations than Starbucks and they're always busy)

4. Trivia - there are so many spots to do trivia that you could probably fill your week with a different bar each night.  Typically people do arrive in teams, but you can always join in (someone always has to bail if they need to work late or get up early.  Spots open up - don't worry!).  Check out HQ Gwangan, HQ KSU, and Eva's (Thursday night at 10 PM weekly).

5. Go on a trip!  Groups like When in Korea (WinK) offer group trips to the islands, zip-lining, Makgeolli tasting, Wine-making, and to the DMZ.  They've also opened up their own restaurant/ bar in Seoul which looks like it would definitely be worth checking out!

6. Charity Events.  Sharky's is hosting an upcoming event in support of the disaster in Nepal, Curry for Canines at HQ Gwangan, and dog walking at the Busan Abandoned Pet Sanctuary are all great places to meet people with common interests (or just party productively).

7. Concerts - Ultra and other similar concerts sell out pretty quickly but you can always catch DJ Festivals here and there to meet people with similar tastes in music.

8. Language Exchange Groups - careful with this one.  I haven't checked them out yet but I've heard from a few sources that Korean guys aren't so interesting in practicing their English skills, rather meeting foreign girls they might deem easy.  Obviously this isn't always the case, but if you bring up a Language Exchange to a Korean friend you might get a chuckle and a knowing smile.  If you're looking for an International Party there is one coming up in Gwangan at Sharky's.

9. Clubs - There are a ton of groups on meetup.com.  The one's that are really active on Facebook are the Wine Club and the instagram Club.

10.  There are hidden foreigner markets generally with a philanthropic goal - keep your ear to the ground for these ones.

11. Hit the beach!  In Haeundae and Gwangalli on a bright, sunny weekend you're almost guaranteed to find foreigners laying out unafraid of the sun.  Look for the people on the beach without umbrellas or creep the patios - the Sunday Funday game is strong! 

12. Do you like to dance?  Go to a club!  There are a ton of nightclubs in Seomyeon and Haeundae where Busan's elite hang out.  I haven't partied Gangnam Style just yet, but once I do you'll all be sure to get the inside scoop.

13. Lucky (or unlucky) #13 is Tinder!  Tinder is used pretty heavily in the expat community.  I find that it's a little less hook-up, a little more dating-friendly (or at least a way to meet cool new friends).  I know a few guys and gals who have met their significant others on Tinder in Korea.  Go ahead and swipe right!  You never know...

14. If all else fails there's ALWAYS Speed-dating!  I would never have imagined going to a speed-dating event back home in Canada, but you never know who will be out on a lark looking for a good laugh.  Drunkenmaster KSU will be hosting a Speed-dating event this weekend so if you're interested the details are available here.

Realistically the only way you're going to meet new and exciting people is if you put yourself out there.  Don't wait by the phone expecting people to get in touch with you - the most wild and imaginative people are already out there experiencing it all.

Kudeta

Merriam-Webster describes a Coup d'état as: "a sudden attempt by a small group of people to take over the government usually through violence".  "Kudeta", a nightclub in Haeundae Beach, seems to have taken over the space we originally thought was TAO Beach Club (yes - like in Vegas).  Whether through violence or not, the sudden take-over came with a new name and a surprise to my two EPIK gals, a couple of military boys from California, and me.  Most surprising of all?  The fact that my 27 year old ass was so willingly brought along to a nightclub.

Last Friday night S, L, and I met up at S's gorgeous little villa-style apartment for some planning and Makgeolli.  It was the first time I had taken the city bus in Busan, so I was glad that L waited for me at the station.  The gents had already arrived, so once we settled on a game plan we all piled into a cab clown car-style and were on our way to Haeundae Beach.

It hadn't occurred to me that we would be heading over the Gwangali "Diamond" Bridge that I've had the chance to admire a few times from land already, so my pictures of the unbelievable light show we experienced aren't fantastic.  I think it was everyone's first time rolling over the bridge so it was pretty exciting!

  














First stop was, of course, Thursday Party.  This was my first time at Thursday Party in Haeundae Beach, however I had been to the location in Changwon and then in the KSU area as well.  We saw some locals from Hwamyeong, which was unusual because Haeundae is so far away.  After a drink and some beer pong with a strapping young Air Force man we headed out in search of TAO.

As we know now, somewhere down the line TAO became Kudeta.  Friday night, however, we walked around for what felt like an eternity just trying to figure out where we were going.

The club itself was actually quite small.  We were brought over to our booth which had an arrangement of fruit as well as a couple of bottles of Absolut Vodka and various mixers.  It was kind of far from the dancefloor in its own room with couches, so I venture through to the runway-style dancefloor and met various English-speaking Koreans, one of which was apparently a Korean Drama Actress, another who owned a large shipping business.  Smoking was allowed inside the club which left me a little smelly the next morning, but that might have been compounded with the smoke machine.

If you've read about South Korean modesty rules then let me tell you - nightclubs do not reflect those rules.  My Halston dress was a criss-cross halter that was backless and I was one of the more conservatively dressed women at the club.

All in all it was a great evening with even better company and if this was any indication of the nightlife in Busan you can bet you'll see a few more posts on industry experience to come!

Haeundae Beach Holi Hai 2015

Last weekend we celebrated Sunday Funday at a Festival called "Holi" down at the famous Haeundae Beach in Busan, South Korea! 

"Holi (pronunciation: /ˈhoʊliː/; Sanskrit: होली Holī) is a spring festival, also known as the festival of colours or the festival of love.^[3][4] It is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities outside Asia.^[5]

The festival has, in recent times, spread to parts of Europe and North America as a spring celebration of love, frolic, and colours.^[6][7][8]

Holi celebrations start with a Holika bonfire on the night before Holi where people gather, sing and dance. The next morning is a free-for-all carnival of colours,^[5] where participants play, chase and colour each other with dry powder and coloured water, with some carrying water guns and coloured water-filled balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders. The frolic and fight with colours occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People visit family, friends and foes to throw colours on each other, laugh and chit-chat, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks.

Holi is celebrated at the approach of vernal equinox,^[5] on the Phalguna Purnima (Full Moon). The festival date varies every year, per the Hindu calendar, and typically comes in March, sometimes February in the Gregorian Calendar. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair ruptured relationships.^[5][12][13]"

We arrived at Haeundae Beach around 10 AM and decided to go ahead and register formally for the festival.  For KRW 10,000 we received a Holi cap, a bag of coloured powder, a soda, and 2 delicious samosas!  I had been craving some Indian spices and this was a great (albeit unconventional) breakfast we enjoyed wearing shorts and a t-shirt while sitting on the beach.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I was enjoying beach time mid-March!

At noon the festivities truly began, and after some Makgeoli we headed over to the area where we would be throwing the powder.  There was a countdown then boom - colour everywhere!  

I was very glad to have my sunglasses on because the powder went everywhere: down my shirt, in my hair, in my mouth (I had green teeth for a bit...), and could have well gone in my eyes.  The vibe was like an outdoor club - EDM playing, people dancing, and everyone having fun.  I was nervous to head home on the subway after the event (I had coloured powder and sand all over my clothes), but I had strength in numbers as a friend of mine from Hwamyeong was heading into the subway at the same time as me so it was nice to have a friend on the ride home.