For New Years Eve our group resolved to explore Busan together and stay up all night in order to see the first sunrise of the New Year. Why? Because we could. Also, the first sunrise is a big deal here. People convene on the beach to set off fireworks, drink, eat and set balloons free to ring in the New Year.
After a long night of floating around meeting many new people, dancing, eating Korean food and McDonald's, and of course the Korean Kareoke...We got coffee and made our way to Haeundae beach with the large, exhausted crowd who shuffled towards the sand in order to see the sun. I was surprised by the sheer number of people up at 6am on a Sunday morning, in the cold at the beach. Our group picked a comfortable spot to sit and commenced waiting for the sun.
We watched teenagers run around, a kite salesman trying and failing to keep a kite aloft, groups of people set off small orange hot air balloons with the occaisional firework. It was a bit foggy so as the sky got lighter we began to think we might not be able to see the sun. Thousands of white helium balloons were let go into the sky at once and four helicopters randomly flew by. Jokingly, upon seeing the helicopters, one of the guys in the groups turned to us and said "Guys, if those are from North Korea, and this is it...I just want to say...it's been fun." Luckily, they were just random helicopters.
Just as we were getting up to leave thinking the show was over, people started pointing and shouting. Sure enough, we could see the top of the sun peeking through the mist. As time went on we saw more until it looked like a large egg yolk low in the sky. Satisfied we gratefully made out way home to a warm bed and slept. Seeing the first sunrise of the New Year is considered good luck. I hope all of you back home have been lucky so far in 2012. I know I have. :)
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