It is Monday night of Chusok and as Koreans are dancing in the streets and feasting on rice cakes, I am huddled up in my room at 8 pm and about to eat some delicious Ramen noodles and catch up on reading. Last night Darcie and Meredith took me on a little adventure, which began at a Mexican restaurant and ended with a pack of Turks. The Mexican establishment was a bit on the pricier end, however the tortilla soup was just what I needed to ecscape my rice rut and of course a little margarita to wet my whistle was a must. For dinner we met up with two other girls who teach at a different branch of our school. Of course, one was from Wooster.
Anyway after dinner, Meredith, Darcie and I hopped on a bus headed toward Itaewon. Itaewon is an area of Seoul that is heavily populated with internationals and U.S. Army personnel. Very close to the strip of restaurants, bars and shops is an Army base. Word on the street is that this base has a Taco Bell. Now call it what you must, Toxic Hell, Taco Smell (and I'm sure the list goes on), however after a long and endless night, there is nothing that I want to sink my teeth into than a cheesy rollup. In conclusion, maybe making a military friend or two would not be such a bad idea for reasons which include T. Bell access and protection from Kim-Jong-il's nukes and troops.
So I digress a bit in my writing style but so we went to Itaewon. I was initially shocked because of all the English I was hearing and the people looked different. I was no longer stuffed in the homogenous society and if I wanted to, I could converse with others! We first stopped by a low key bar to grab a glass of wine and check out the scene. Not too much was going on in "The Loft" so we walked down the street and landed upon what is generally more of a lounge environment, but last night they specialized in some crazy electronic beats. The electronica enthusiast inside me advocated our entrance. The first friends we made were Americans, one was from Cleveland and the other upstate New York. I was not captivated by their personalities, so I began speaking to a [who I thought was] Korean. I was thrown for a complete loop when the words that came out of his mouth were all Aussie talk! Wow, that took me about a good ten minutes to digest. His parents were Korean but he was born and raised in Australia, it seemed like a really difficult concept for me last evening...
Anyway after Kyle from Oz, we met some veterinary students from Istanbul, Turkey. Three to be exact (great for a game of three on three). Their English was a bit shaky so I opted against initiating the "Why does Turkey keep trying to horn in on the EU," conversation and kept it light...such as what is your favorite pet to operate on? They were very nice gentlemen and well-behaved, unlike Kyle who was crazy and asked if I was the oldest in my family, who I am voting for in the presidential election and if I thought we were a good match. Peace out.
All in all, the night went very well and of course we all rolled out with some business cards as keepsakes. That being said, this old girl needs to rest up for another week of teaching fabulous Korean children (my favorite is Huey and you will hear about him very soon). I hope everyone is doing well and keep up the e-mails/messages :) I love hearing from you all!
Anyway after dinner, Meredith, Darcie and I hopped on a bus headed toward Itaewon. Itaewon is an area of Seoul that is heavily populated with internationals and U.S. Army personnel. Very close to the strip of restaurants, bars and shops is an Army base. Word on the street is that this base has a Taco Bell. Now call it what you must, Toxic Hell, Taco Smell (and I'm sure the list goes on), however after a long and endless night, there is nothing that I want to sink my teeth into than a cheesy rollup. In conclusion, maybe making a military friend or two would not be such a bad idea for reasons which include T. Bell access and protection from Kim-Jong-il's nukes and troops.
So I digress a bit in my writing style but so we went to Itaewon. I was initially shocked because of all the English I was hearing and the people looked different. I was no longer stuffed in the homogenous society and if I wanted to, I could converse with others! We first stopped by a low key bar to grab a glass of wine and check out the scene. Not too much was going on in "The Loft" so we walked down the street and landed upon what is generally more of a lounge environment, but last night they specialized in some crazy electronic beats. The electronica enthusiast inside me advocated our entrance. The first friends we made were Americans, one was from Cleveland and the other upstate New York. I was not captivated by their personalities, so I began speaking to a [who I thought was] Korean. I was thrown for a complete loop when the words that came out of his mouth were all Aussie talk! Wow, that took me about a good ten minutes to digest. His parents were Korean but he was born and raised in Australia, it seemed like a really difficult concept for me last evening...
Anyway after Kyle from Oz, we met some veterinary students from Istanbul, Turkey. Three to be exact (great for a game of three on three). Their English was a bit shaky so I opted against initiating the "Why does Turkey keep trying to horn in on the EU," conversation and kept it light...such as what is your favorite pet to operate on? They were very nice gentlemen and well-behaved, unlike Kyle who was crazy and asked if I was the oldest in my family, who I am voting for in the presidential election and if I thought we were a good match. Peace out.
All in all, the night went very well and of course we all rolled out with some business cards as keepsakes. That being said, this old girl needs to rest up for another week of teaching fabulous Korean children (my favorite is Huey and you will hear about him very soon). I hope everyone is doing well and keep up the e-mails/messages :) I love hearing from you all!
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