The Flying Elephant

Story time 

12/22

The Flying Elephant 🐘 

One day, I walked into Dunkin Donuts by my work to grab the most American tasting hot dog that I have found while in Korea. I was dazzled by the Christmas tree at the front door decorated in blue, gold, and clear glass ornaments. 

When suddenly my eyes fixed on one ornament in particular. It was a blue, blown glass hot air balloon with gold paint and blue glitter. Attached by a delicate golden cord was a little elephant, as if it were being lifted through the sky. 

I LOVE elephants and thought, "I have to have this! Where did they buy it?" Christmas anything is really not easy to find in Korea so I assumed it may not be too difficult to pinpoint a place to purchase it.

I spent days searching Google, Naver, Amazon, Coupang, G-Market, etc to see if I could locate it or anything similar. Mobiles for babies rooms were all that I found, but not this ornament. I made the mistake of telling a friend that I saw this and she begged me to find it too. 

So, I went back a few days later and in my minimal and broken Korean, I anxiously asked the store clerk where that ornament was purchased. I was told the manager bought it locally. So the clerk asked for my phone number and said that he'd have the manager contact me with the location. 

An hour or so later I received a message from an unknown number, telling me in the best English that they or a translator could muster up, that it was purchased at a "free market" close to Beomil station. Of course one can't simply look up "free market" in English on a Korean GPS, so I frantically began searching the map for anything that seemed likely on the map.

A coworker actually helped me locate it and turns out it was a wholesale market place. So I sent the location on the map to the manager to confirm. They said it was correct and that I would find the ornaments on the 3rd floor. 

Fast forward another week, I was meeting a friend close to that subway station so I decided to leave my house earlier so that I could peruse this wholesale market in hopes to find it. That was also the coldest day yet in 2021 in Busan (3°, -2° with wind chill), but I was determined.

I bundled up in my long padding (long winter coat), scarf, hat, gloves, and face mask and left my house at 9am. This market closed at 5pm so I was afraid I wouldn't have time after meeting my friend and time was short only being a week away from Christmas when all the Christmas items would get packed away.

I arrived at the station, hiked up the 4 flights of exhausting flights then cross the street to this triangular shaped building. There were pop up stores and kiosks in the front with household items, socks, lamps, etc. So I found an entrance and went in. I was suddenly emerged in shoes everywhere as if a Payless shoe store had exploded. The aisles were so skinny to walk through that barely fit with my winter coat and backpack. 

I just needed to find an elevator or stairs to get to the 3rd floor. Finally, I saw the sign for stairs... more stairs... ugh. I should have beastly legs living here with all of these stairs.. But, I was on a mission. I wasn't going to leave until I searched every nook and cranny. 

I hiked the narrow stairs still surrounded by boxes of more items for display to be unpacked later. I arrived at the 2nd floor and found myself virtually swimming through winter coats and winter clothes. I could barely see any aisles. But there were no stairs to the 3rd floor!! What?!?! The stairs stopped so I had to maneuver through this winter wonderland of garments in search of another way up. 

Turning corner after corner, squeezing through alleys of clothes I finally saw a sign for stairs. I hurried towards it.... only to find that it was the same stairs I came up. Feeling a little defeated in the moment, I let out a sigh and decided to just go straight until I reached a solid wall. This building didn't look so big from the outside. 

Low and behold I reached a glass doorway, which I could barely see beyond, another set of stairs!! I excitedly scurried up yet another 15 or so steps to the 3rd floor where I reached another glass door.

My heart began to race and a grand smile swept across my face. I could see through these doors the start of the most shiny and brightly colored Christmas items that I have ever seen in a single place. This had to be a good sign. 

I searched the first designated area with no luck, then the next, and then another. There were so many decorations but nothing of blue and gold.

I walked around aimlessly store after store until all of the Christmas items turned to floral arrangements. The Christmas was gone! So it was time to go back and be very thorough. Surely, I had either missed it or missed another store. 

It's a good thing I don't have a permanent residence and a bank full of spare cash because I would've bought so many other things. I came across two more stores where finally I saw an old woman barely visible from within the plethora or ornaments. 

My time was running short and my hopes were getting low. So I asked her in my poor Korean attempt, "Elephant isseo-yo" (elephant is there) while showing her a picture of the one I took of the Dunkin Donuts' Christmas tree. 

Assuredly she nodded her head and started walking. Had I really found it? It was such a needle in the hay stack after an hour long journey, a million stores, no Korean skills... was it really within my grasp? 

Behold, there was one hanging by a clear twine. She grabbed her scissors and snipped the twine to show me. I was practically dancing with glee. She surely thought I was the craziest foreigner ever. But I didn't see another. I was hoping to buy one for one for my friend and one for myself. 

My heart quickly began to sink looking around and not seeing another one. Would I have to bribe and haggle with Dunkin's manager for one of theirs? I sheepishly asked, "are there 2?" Her eyes began scanning the masses of ornaments and finally she found ONE more!! And quickly, my joyfully dancing returned with added clapping of excitement.

I did it!! I was so pleased with myself and this two hour long journey I went on. $15 each may be a lot but it felt like I had won a trophy - 2 trophies! I just kept saying "kamsamnida", "thank you" to the owner. I would have to thank the Dunkin's manager for the help.

At home that weekend, I made cookies and pumpkin bread in my tiny toaster oven (smaller than an Easy Bake Oven) and put aside some goodies to give the sajangnim (manager) later that week. I used a translator to write a kind and brief thank you in Korean writing - so I hope it translated well. 

Today, I went to Dunkin Donuts to gift him the Christmas treats and card. While waiting for my Piña Colada slushy I kept gawking at the tree that started it all. I felt both pride and excitement all over again. Then the manager started to pack up the donuts I purchased into a paper bag and then into a seemingly gigantic plastic bag. I was puzzled, but Korea always over packages things, so I dismissed it. 

Then he walked towards me with my items and suddenly grabbed a small box of various donut holes (mini round donuts) and put them into my oversized "no more" plastic bag. 

Seriously, it was the sweetest gesture and not my goal to expect anything in return as they had done so much already to help me. I thanked him profusely and headed to work where I decided to gift the box of sugar treats to my co-workers

And THAT is the story of "The Flying Elephant".