I Don't Like Sand- It's Coarse and Rough, and It Gets Everywhere

I am not usually a sand girlie (Anakin totally had it right about sand), but I do love a good sand castle. Funnily enough, Haeundae Beach was hosting a Sand Festival this past weekend. I cannot remember the last time I even built a sand castle; it had to have been years ago. Nevertheless, I dragged Tom along to yet another random festival here in Busan. May is apparently the certified festival month of the year.

Full transparency, I had seen a few of the impressive sand sculptures the previous weekend during a meet up with some old center friends, Maddie and Nicole. We could see the sculptors actively working on their masterpieces, with a few of them finished to completion. No one, however, could get close to them yet. I knew I would be coming back soon to see the festival, so I was not at all concerned about half finished work.

By the time Tom and I found ourselves back in Haeundae the following weekend, every sand scultpture was completed, and people were milling around all along the beach. It is one thing to see sand creations from 30 feet away, but being up close and personal was fantastic. So much dimension and character was added to each piece, and the only medium the artists had available was sand. I have no idea how one finds out they are adept at sand sculpting, but kudos to them. I cannot even draw let alone sculpt with sand. Furthermore, there was an array of various pieces. Some artists chose to sculpt famous paintings or statues, such as The Last Supper, while others chose to sculpt characters/ people, such as Marilyn Monroe and Darth Vader. There was even a unique interpretation of The Scream featuring an alien. Stunning work all around.

Can you spot any famous pieces?

We continued on our merry way along the beach. There was a beach trail that piqued Tom's interest the weekend before, so off we went. The trail led to the APEC building that I had visited months beforehand. I showed Tom around the building although I do not know how much interest he actually had in the historical significance. There was a relaxing bench area that we fully indulged in. Minus the random shouts from a megaphone (there was some kind of festival or event happening nearby), we enjoyed sunning ourselves much like dachshunds on a warm day. I also may or may not (definitely did) have gotten sunburned in the same location I have been burned twice before in the past 3 weeks. I just really want tan lines apparently.

Feeling a little peckish, we headed back towards the beach for a refreshing snack. I chose the honeycomb ice cream while Tom opted for the grilled marshmallow ice cream. I enjoyed my treat though it was very sweet at the bottom of the cup. Tom savored his treat and found it to be quite worth the hype. Bellies at least 40% fuller than before, we grabbed a subway to Seomyeon to hit up the arcade. It had been a few weeks since we tried our hands at darts, and my skills had only grown in that time. Not to brag or anything, but I scored 3 bulls and a bullseye in one game. I also scored a 2 during a game of 501 (you start with 501 points, and the aim is to get down to 0 points). Tom refuses to admit I am basically the best dart player in the world. Oh well.

We ended the night by checking out the claw machines. Every time we visit the arcade, Tom tries to win me a prize; he is successful about 95% of the time. I decided I would try and win him a little something, so I staked my claim at the quokka machine. I spent way too much money on the machine, but I was eventually successful. It only took about 16 tries, yet I managed to snag a surprised-looking stuffed quokka.