Seoul

This weekend gave me: a lump on each knee complete with very large bruises, an aching left hip, calloused feet, a wet skirt, and a smile. Yes, you know what all that means, I went to Seoul.
A friend of mine was having a birthday and wanted to go to Seoul, so I went along. We took the KTX which is this super fast train that takes only about 30-40 minutes to get to Seoul and the time goes by really fast. It was so great being a city with a subway…I always love cities that have great public transport, they hold a special place in my heart. The next morning I remember a few stories that for some reason make me smile, so let me share.
First, the place we went dancing was called ‘funky funky’ which seems like a GREAT name for a club that attracts foreigners to dance on a Saturday night in Korea but it would never work out in the states. It sounds too ‘douchey douchey’, I think. The upside was there was live music and then a DJ until 6 am and free booze until 4 am all for 25000 won. Sounds like a lot, but it’s only about $25...or $37 with the exchange rate (yay global recession!). I got dance on a speaker which was great because…I got to dance on a speaker. I also met a Welsh guy named Christopher and decided I like the Welsh. They’ve always been so lovely. He wasn’t a creep and didn’t try to do anything, so it made me a fan of the Welsh. I also met a Korean who was trying to get me to drink beer by shoving it in my hands (I was actually at the bar to get liquor, I definitely did not want beer and he didn‘t work the bar, he just wanted me to drink more). I pretended to have no idea what he was saying and proceeded to pour it down his throat and make it seem like that’s what I thought he wanted all along, and then I walked away. There’s loads more stories, but those were a couple of my favorites. I actually stayed out dancing until 5 am and my feet hurt like you wouldn’t believe. I woke up with calloused feet right below my toes from wearing heels, I felt disabled. The only downer to the night came when we tried to get a taxi, no one would take us. Either they ignored everyone trying to get a taxi, told us our place was too close (very much not true), or only picked up Koreans. It was so strange being discriminated against like that. At first, I thought it was just everyone else being paranoid, but then I noticed that the taxi drivers really were only picking up Koreans if they picked up anyone. I guess I can chalk that one up to a new experience that will help me understand others who have been discriminated against.
I still feel as if I’m trying to find my groove here but I’m enjoying the process. I found a CELTA program in Seoul that I could go to, but I would rather find one in Cheonan to avoid all the transportation and time costs of Seoul. I’ve also been waking up at a decent time and not sleeping until I HAVE to get up to go to work. Even though there are a lot of bumps and learning opportunities that make me unhappy, I can say that I really like my life. Maybe not love, but I’ll get there.