The Sweeter Things in Life
Ice lollies, snow cones, shaved ice heaped into a mountain and soaked in colourful sugar syrup… Being from the sunny side of the globe, it is no surprise that most of my early associations with the cold took shape in the cooling sensation of a homemade popsicle melting ever so quickly in my mouth and trickling down my throat. My fascination (or obsession) with all things icy has since seen me having a soft-serve or an iced drink in the dead of winter. Needless to say, the level of satisfaction peaks when the conditions are warmer, and the effects of having a cool treat are heightened.
I had my last shaved ice in Busan – in an unassuming shop tucked away in a residential district. We visited on a warm day in spring, and there was only one item on the menu — patbingsu. We ordered a serve to share, and took a seat under the leafy canopy.
This place – let’s just say you feel like you’re in someone’s backyard. Chairs – plastic, wooden and stone were strewn around an eclectic mix of pre-loved furniture – what looked like study desks or dining tables from back then. Unintentionally compartmentalised by a bamboo structure and the existing greenery, the space had little alcoves you could escape to. In one corner was an oversized frame with a photograph of a foreign landscape, classic wall-mounted fans, handpainted wooden signages… The makeshift nature of all these disparate elements seemed to have been be sealed into permanency with time.
The patbingsu was but a mere gem in this treasure trove. The humble looking heap of shaved ice sitting in a bowl of milk, topped with a generous serve of red beans and a dash of green tea powder, was easily the best we’ve had. Each spoonful was a wake-up call for the next, and in no time, the whole bowl was gone. Throughout our little experience, the filtered sunlight danced down in approval, and around us, this dish earned the praises of neighbouring patrons.
It was on that one spring day that I truly felt I got a glimpse of what it meant to appreciate the little (and sweeter) things in life. I hope that the next time we visit, thatthe establishment will still be there – just the way we left it, standing tall against the test of time.
BOSEONG NOKCHA28 SUYEONG-RO 394
NAMCHEON 1(IL)-DONG
SUYEONG-GU
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREATEXT AND IMAGES BY ANATOMY OF THINGS
ALSO FEATURED IN ABSTRACTS – ISSUE ONE: IMPERMANENCE