Cherry Blossom Season

It seems that with the busy start to the new school year, and the dust storms and rain, the blooming of the cherry blossoms kind of snuck up on me and I only had a few days to enjoy the pink and white colours dotted throughout the neighbourhood.

In my cursory research on cherry blossoms in Korea, I came across an interesting read on Wikipedia. It's Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of salt, but the article connects some of the politics and troubled history of Korea with cherry blossoms. Apparently, the Japanese planted some or all (it's contested) of the cherry blossoms during their occupation of Korea, and the practice of cherry blossom viewing was introduced by the Japanese. Cherry blossom viewing is still practiced long after the Japanese occupation ended, but it seems that some trees were purposefully cut down to mark the end of the occupation and to remove the symbols of Japanese imperialism. Cherry blossoms, of course, are closely tied to Japanese identity. Despite this history, cherry blossom viewing remains popular in South Korea. 

Politics and history aside, seeing the pink and white colours is a real treat after the grey and cold winter.

There are several popular cherry blossom festivals throughout Korea but all were cancelled this year due to the corona-virus pandemic. Once again, I had to settle for the trees planted along the walkways and sidewalks in my neighbourhood, and those that are planted on the school grounds. That said, they are pretty to look at and I don't have to worry about crowds obstructing my view.

My favourite part of the cherry blossoms in Busan is how the trees are planted and grow in such as way that they form a canopy over the sidewalk. It's like you are walking through a pink tunnel of cherry blossoms. When the wind blows, the peddles fall down and drop onto your head. I've walked through town and passed plenty of people only to realize later I had cherry blossoms in my hair and on my coat. The peddles that hit the ground tend to pile up on the sidewalk and get swept into a corner.

One benefit to having a school on a steep hill is the nice view of the cherry blossoms. Some of the trees are close enough to the windows that the students can reach out and grab a few peddles and throw them at their classmates. Mischievous and romantic.

The cherry blossoms are already fading and falling from the trees. It was a short and sweet season. We transition now into warmer weather, rain, insects, and later monsoons and steaming heat. I'll enjoy spring while it lasts.