Life Without Poutine: Busan Museum

After leaving the Life photography exhibit, I started making my way to the subway to go meet my friends, but I took an unexpected detour and found myself walking towards the Busan Museum. The building just looked too damn beautiful to not check out. Just look at it!

As I approached the building, I saw a German fellow by the name of David exiting. I asked him what sort of exhibits were inside, and he said that the museum tells the history of Busan from the Neolithic Era up until basically yesterday.

I have to be in the right mood for history exhibits, and that day I was definitely in the right mood. Especially considering that it the museum is free.

Fun facts I learned about Busan:
- People have called Busan home from as early as the Paleolithic Age. That's, like, before the Internet and TV.
- Being on the coast, Busan has often been used as a gateway during several invasions.
- Stone tools from as far back as 17, 000 years ago have been found around Haeundae.
- First you get the money (a commercial port), then you get the the power (political and military development), then you get the women (duh).
- Busan was the place to be during the unified Silla Period. Its natural beauty was the talk of the town, and the city played a pivotal role in both defending the kingdom and promoting maritime trade.
- With the outbreak of the Korean War, the U.N. donated money to help rescue civilians and rebuild the economy.
- During the first several months of the Korean War, all schools were ordered closed for use by the military. Eventually, classes resumed in tents and open areas.
- After the war, Busan became a creative refuge for artists. Many used the war and the struggles of refugees as the inspiration for their work.
- 1943 marked the beginning of 8 years of delicious independence and freedom for Korea. Then came a couple wars and several invasions. They couldn't catch a break.
- In 1911, Japan wrote up the Turn-Koreans-Into-Citizens-of-Imperial-Japan policy. (Not very creative on the name, but whatever.) Then, in Order of the Phoenix style, several schools popped up around Busan to "recover sovereignty through patriotism and solidarity."

Go humans! I'm pretty sure my posture is as bad as the guy in the back.

How to make tools out of stone: Step 1: Bash it hard against a hard surface. Step 2: Bash it hard against another stone: Step 3: Repeat step two over and over and over again until you achieve your desired results. Step 4: Go buy a 6-pack and admire your work.

The life and times of Busan.

The first ever shank.

Kelleen, they were calling your name. Just look at 'em all!

Coooooool..

I really fancied this one: Pensive Bodhisativa

While I want to be buried with my vinyl and wearing my favourite Metallica shirt, kings insisted on being buried with their favourite pottery, crowns, and other relics. To each his own, I suppose.

Double Dragon!

A badass looking poster advocating unification.

U.N. Memorial Cemetary. A beautiful site to visit for those in Korea.

Elementary, Middle, and High School textbooks respectively. I wonder if that idiot Homin is in any of these.

That harmonica is a BEAST.

Korea's Teen Magazine

A pamphlet for the play Hamlet.

The war brought an influx of 700, 000 extra people into Busan, almost tripling the city's population. There were shortages everywhere and of everything.