Busan International Film Festival Square

Lantern Show at Gwangalli Beach

21 May 202215 May 2022travelingpersecond

It was almost nine in the evening when I decided to leave Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Square in the Nampo-dong area. I started walking away from an official UNIQLO counter at BIFF Gwangjang-ro and then continued down the main street, Gudeok-ro. One hundred and fifty meters ahead was Gate 7 of Jagalchi Station which was the target of my steps to immediately leave Jung District.

I was heading underground ten minutes later. In warm basement, I didn’t have to bother looking for ticketing vending machine because I still had a small piece of One Day Pass I bought this afternoon when I arrived in Busan. Walking past automatic fare collection gate, I waited for arrival of Humetro Line 1 (Orange Line) at station platform.

The Humetro quickly arrived, opened its automatic doors and I quickly entered center carriage. Sitting on a seat, I kept an eye on the busyness of Busan residents after work. Humetro slowly crept through underground line, dropping me off at Seomyeon Station after passing through nine stations, then I changed to Humetro Line 2 (Green Line). And similarly, after passing through nine stations I arrived at Gwangan Station in Suyeong District. It felt that trip towards this station took quite a long time, forty-five minutes.

I rushed down the carriage and back to surface using escalator. Then took exit at Gate 5 of Gwangan Station which was directly opposite Gwangan-ro Avenue. The street’s air temperature was already at the level of one degree Celsius. I was forced to walk with an occasional shaking body for seven hundred meters towards beach. The presence of several groups of tourists heading in the same direction, made me a little calm, considering that it was almost ten o’clock at night.

I arrived at the beach twenty minutes later after walking nearly seven hundred meters. Standing on the beach as far as the eyes can see, the luminous stretch of the second longest bridge in “Ginseng Country” was truly stunning….Yup, that was Gwangandaegyo Bridge, a seven and a half kilometer long suspension bridge which connects Haeundae District and Suyeong District.

Now I have mingled with tourists and other locals enjoying the festive atmosphere at Gwangalli Beach. I continued to observe the show by residents airing mini-sized lanterns. Parents, young people and small children were almost all immersed in the excitement of show.

While some others seemed to enjoy decorative lights in the form of various kinds of fauna which were pleasing to eyes. In the other hand, the beach looked crammed with multi-storey buildings which gave an impression that the beach area had been touched by technology. But everything looked clean with a well-maintained and organized environment.

I was only able to withstand cold air for forty-five minutes. Surely the air would approach freezing point when night reached its peak. I hurried off the beach and headed back to station. Quickly stepping to escape growing cold, I arrived at station breathless, then rushed to platform and a few minutes later Humetro took me, to then drop me off at Seomyeon Station. Humetro then transferred me on Line 1 to Beomnaegol Station, a station where the hotel I was staying at was located….Yup, Kimchee Busan Guesthouse.

Now it was time to rest for next adventure tomorrow.

Permainan Lampion di Gwangalli Beach

12 February 202112 February 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Hampir jam sembilan malam ketika aku memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Square di daerah Nampo-dong. Aku mulai melangkah meninggalkan konter resmi UNIQLO di bilangan BIFF Gwangjang-ro dan kemudia berlanjut di jalan utama, Gudeok-ro. Seratus lima puluh meter di depan sana adalah Gate 7 Stasiun Jagalchi yang menjadi target langkahku untuk segera meninggalkan Distrik Jung.

Aku sudah menuju bawah tanah sepuluh menit kemudian. Di ruangan bawah tanah yang hangat, aku tak perlu bersusah payah untuk mencari ticketing vending machine karena aku masih menggenggam potongan kecil One Day Pass yang sudah kubeli sore tadi setiba di Busan. Melenggang melewati automatic fare collection gate aku menunggu kedatangan Humetro Line 1 (Orange Line) di patform stasiun.

*One Day Pass* seharga 4.500 Won (Rp. 57.000).

Humetro itu cepat sekali tiba, membuka pintu otomatisnya dan aku segera memasuki gerbong tengah. Terduduk di sebuah bangku, aku terus memperhatikan kesibukan seusai kerja warga Busan. Humetro perlahan merayap melalui jalur bawah tanah, menurunkanku di Stasiun Seomyeon setelah melewati sembilan stasiun, untuk kemudian aku berganti menggunakan Humetro Line 2 (Green Line). Dan serupa, setelah melewati sembilan stasiun aku tiba di Stasiun Gwangan di Distrik Suyeong. Tak terasa perjalanan menuju stasiun ini memakan waktu yang cukup lama, empat puluh lima menit.

Aku bergegas menuruni gerbong dan kembali merangsek ke permukaan menggunakan escalator. Kemudian mengambil arah keluar di Gate 5 Stasiun Gwangan yang dihadapkan langsung pada Gwangan-ro Avenue. Suhu udara jalanan sudah berada di level satu derajat Celcius. Aku terpaksa berjalan dengan tubuh sesekali bergetar sepanjang tujuh ratus meter ke arah pantai. Keberadaan beberapa rombongan turis yang menuju ke arah yang sama, membuatku sedikit tenang, mengingat malam sudah hampir mendekati jam sepuluh.

Aku tiba di pantai dua puluh menit kemudian setelah berjalan kaki hampir tujuh ratus meter. Berdiri di tepi pantai sejauh mata memandang, bentangan bercahaya jembatan terpanjang kedua di Negeri Ginseng itu sungguh mempesona….Yups, itulah Gwangandaegyo Bridge, suspension bridge sepanjang tujuh setengah kilometer yang menghubungkan Distrik Haeundae dan Distrik Suyeong.

Kini aku telah berbaur dengan turis dan warga lokal lainnya menikmati suasana malam nan meriah di Gwangalli Beach. Aku terus mengamati pertunjukan warga mengudarakan lampion-lampion berukuran mini. Orang tua, kaum muda dan anak kecil hampir semuanya terhanyut dalam kemeriahan permainan itu.

Sementara sebagian yang lain tampak menikmati hiasan lampu berwujud berbagai macam fauna yang enak dipandang mata. Disisi lain pantai tampak berjejal bangunan bertingkat yang memberikan kesan bahwa area pantai telah tersentuh teknologi. Tetapi semua tampak bersih dengan lingkungan yang terjaga dan tertata.

Beberapa bangunan hotel di tepian pantai.

Aku hanya mampu menahan dingin udara selama empat puluh lima menit. Pasti udara akan mendekat ke titik beku ketika malam mencapai puncaknya. Aku bergegas meninggalkan bibir pantai dan menuju ke stasiun kembali. Melangkah dengan cepat demi menghindari hawa dingin yang semakin menjadi, aku tiba di stasiun dengan nafas tersengal, lalu bergegas menuju platform dan beberapa menit kemudian Humetro membawaku, untuk kemudian menurunkanku di Stasiun Seomyeon. Humetro lantas mentransferku di Line 1 menuju Stasiun Beomnaegol, stasiun dimana hotel tempatku menginap berada….Yups, Kimchee Busan Guesthouse.

Kini tiba saatnya untuk beristirahat demi petualangan lanjutan esok hari.

Busan International Film Festival Square … Origin of BIFF

31 July 201931 July 2019travelingpersecond

IF….

Uncle Sam country has Sundance Film Festival

Great White North country has Toronto Film Festival

l’Hexagone Country has Cannes Film Festival

Then “The Land of the Morning Calm” also has same thing….i.e Busan International Film Festival.

Held every end of year i.e September or October, BIFF always introduces Asian newcomer directors with their first film. The festival which was first held 23 years ago has moved to Centum City in Haeundae-gu area.

This time, I wasn’t going to new BIFF homebase, but I would go along an area where became origin of BIFF, Nampo-dong. For remembering it then headed to BIFF Square.

My journey started from nearest station of Kimchee Busan Guesthouse i.e Beomnaegol MRT station using MRT Line 1 (Orange Line). After passed through 8 stations, I got off at Jagalchi MRT station. Other destination which can be visited near this station is Jagalchi Market (It selling a variety of seafood ) which is open from 5am to 10pm.

Out from exit gate, I’ve been greeted by street food stall. Because cold weather pierced bones, smoke which came out from furnace burning made MRT passengers stopped to eat hot food which sale by buyer.

I experienced a bit of disorientation. I confused in looking for BIFF Square Street, because all streets looked crowded. Finally I braved myself to approach a police officer who was on guard at police post. Patiently, He explained to me while pointing his finger left and right and spoke Korean….Even though I didn’t understand Korean, I though it was easy to understand his explanation.

BIFF street divides that place along 150 m. And when I visited it at night, it was easy to find street food stalls. These stalls form which liked mini house might aim to protect buyers from cold weather at night. It was arranged in a row in middle of road, making BIFF street became a culinary market at night.

I just tried a little bit of eating seafood in a stall, then I proceeded to find a portion of dinner food.

Because it was so hard to find food which suited with my tastes, finally I stopped by at a small food stall in a row of shops around BIFF Street. “Ahangeya” is name of that restaurant. I prefered to eat a beef rice bowl for USD 3,5.

Beside dining stalls, I also found many sellers of souvenirs, t-shirts and some electronic equipments. But my attention wasn’t fixed on that, I prefered to look for a winter jacket at UNIQLO shop.

For spare jacket….It was crazy, 12 days journey and just brought a jacket

Cold weather made me freeze.…I couldn’t stay there long and I decided to go back to guesthouse because tomorrow I would walk long and uphill to visit Gamcheon Culture Village.

So.…let’s sleep!

Busan International Film Festival Square…Asal Muasal BIFF

14 June 201911 February 2021travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Jika….

Negara Paman Sam memiliki Sundance Film Festival

Negeri Pecahan Es mempunyai Toronto Film Festival

Atau Negara Kota Mode tersohor dengan Cannes Film Festivalnya

Maka Negeri Ginseng juga memiliki hal yang sama….Busan International Film Festival.

Diselenggarakan di sekitar akhir tahun yaitu September atau Oktober, BIFF selalu memperkenalkan sutradara-sutradara pendatang baru Asia dengan karya pertamanya. Festival yang dibuka pertama kali pada 23 tahun lalu, kini telah berpindah tempat ke Centum City di daerah Haeundae-gu.

Kali ini Aku tak menuju ke new homebase nya BIFF, tetapi Aku akan menyusuri sebuah daerah yang menjadi cikal bakal BIFF yaitu Nampo-dong. Kemudian, untuk menapak tilas asal muasal BIFF maka Aku menuju ke BIFF Square.

Perjalanan dimulai dari stasiun terdekat dari Kimchee Busan Guesthouse yaitu stasiun MRT Beomnaegol menggunakan MRT Line 1 (Orange Line). Setelah melawati 8 stasiun, Aku turun di stasiun MRT Jagalchi. Satu destinasi lain yang bisa dikunjungi di dekat stasiun ini adalah Jagalchi Market (menjual beragam seafood) yang buka dari jam 5 pagi hingga 10 malam.

Keluar dari exit gate, Aku sudah disambut oleh pedangang street food tepat di pintu keluar stasiun. Karena udara dingin menusuk tulang, asap yang keluar dari pembakaran tungku itu membuat para penumpang MRT rela berhenti sejenak untuk sekedar memakan makanan hangat yang dijual pembeli itu.

Aku sedikit mengalamai disorientasi kali ini, bingung mencari jalan BIFF Square, karena semua jalan terlihat ramai. Akhirnya kuberanikan diri untuk menghampiri pak polisi yang sedang berjaga di pos polisi lalu lintas. Dengan sabar, Dia menjelaskan arah kepadaku sembari menunjukkan telunjuknya ke kiri dan ke kanan dengan bahasa Korea…..Walau tak mengerti bahasa Korea, Aku rasa cukup mudah memahami penjelasannya.

Jalan BIFF membelah tempat itu sepanjang 150 m. Dan ketika Aku mengunjunginya di malam hari, sangat mudah menemui tenda-tenda street food. Tenda-tenda berbentuk rumah-rumah mini ini mungkin bertujuan melindungi si pembeli dari dinginnya udara Busan di malam hari. Tersusun berjajar di tengah jalan, menjadikan Jalan BIFF menjadi pasar kuliner dimalam hari.

Aku hanya sedikit mencoba memakan sate seafood di salah satu tenda, lalu Ku lanjutkan untuk mencari makan malam yang lebih sedikit nendang.

Karena begitu susah menemukan makanan berat yang sesuai dengan selera, akhirnya hinggaplah Aku di sebuah warung makan mungil di deretan pertokoan sekitar Jalan BIFF. ”Ahangeya” nama tempat itu. Aku lebih memilih makan beef rice bowl seharga 4.000 Won (Rp. 48.000).

Selain tenda-tenda makan, Aku juga menemukan banyak penjual pernak pernik souvenir, t-shirt dan beberapa peralatan elektronik. Tapi perhatianku tak tertuju pada itu, Aku lebih memilih untuk mencari jaket musim dingin di sebuah konter penjualan Uniqlo di bilangan BIFF Square.

buat ganti jaket…masak iya jalan 12 hari hanya bawa 1 jaket

Hawa dingin membuatku tak kuasa menahan bekunya tubuh….Aku tak bisa berlama-lama disini, dan kuputuskan untuk menuju destinasi berikutnya.

So…..kemanakah?