One Last Look Around

I look like a ghost! Haha here's some shots of the first round of our samgyupsal feast. Also how much do you love that right next to the water cups on the table, THERE ARE SHOT GLASSES. Because they are as commonplace as drinking water clearly. If casual drinking were as prevalent in America, I feel like we might have less problems with all the bad drinking-involved incidents. Like the theories about changing the drinking age and it having an effect on lessening underage drinking/binge drinking. As a person who was underage not long ago, I can say this idea definitely has merit. A lot of kids only underage binge drink because it's not legal. It's just a fact.

Today I met Dajeong for a double kbbq feast! We had both samgyupsal and marinated pork, along with the egg stew and spicy soybean soup. We had a few struggles when getting our drinks from the soda machine...Dajeong slightly nudged the ice trigger and this DELUGE of ice came crashing down and spread all over the floor hahaha, her face was the funniest thing ever. It was like this "I DIDN'T DO IT" face, so cute. Our food was delicious! Dajeong says I eat like a Korean now that I know what to do with everything on the table and how to eat different things properly. For some reason that really pleased me haha; I'm so used to being the bumbling foreigner, forever embarassed all the time because native people here expect me to know what to do/where to go, but I don't. 

Coffeesmith is one of the few Korean coffeehouses I haven't tried yet! It had a very casual, minimalistic, and almost rustic feel to the decor. I had my usual :) Isn't it cute?

I've mentioned before how I love when coffeeshops are on upper floors over here. The walk up is a bother, but getting to have a bird's-eye view of the streets and street vendors you are so used to walking by is fun in itself. It's like a completely different perspective; everything looks familiar but different. Does that make sense? It's like looking at your bedroom from between your legs, upside down. You know in your mind that you are looking at your familiar bedroom, but it looks like a completely foreign place...no? Am I the only one who does this?? xD

We talked for awhile about the differences in the Korean language and English language, one of our favorite topics because Dajeong (like my friend Yeji!) shares my interest in linguistics. There are so many small nuances in both languages that make it difficult to explain certain phrases. We were both glad that we didn't have to learn the opposite language hahah, because we each thought the other language was complicated. 

After lunch we got coffee at new Coffeesmith down the street. Dajeong was just commenting on how the place seemed new as we walked up the stairs to the second floor (where the Coffeesmith was), and then we walked straight into a sign that proclaimed that it was the Grand Opening of this branch :D Good call Dajeong! Over our drinks she shared some seriously funny stories about her being in the US that I won't share to save her the embarrassment lol. They were hilarious though ^.^

After coffee, I headed out back over to the subway. I had to meet my friend Yeji back at Sinchon but first I had wanted to stop by Namdaemun. I had previously planned Namdaemun for today because I wanted to buy last-minute gifts but given how packed my suitcases were already, I just looked today. I didn't spend much time there, since if I lingered too long I was bound to buy something haha. Back by Yonsei University I was struck by the amount of people crossing the street opposite me. 

It was around 6pm and there was this MASSIVE OUTFLOW of students coming out of Yonsei. Wtf? It appeared that this was when school normally ended for them, probably only for a break before coming back to study more. I know when I was in college, there would be students who had classes at 5 or 6, but it was rare. Most classes were in the afternoon and we ended then. This was like, the entire university all not ending classes until this late. Daebak 0.o

My epic search for wifi in the FREEZING bitter cold ended when finally after walking for ages and stopping at no less than 15 different potential coffeeshops, I found a Coffee Bean with wifi I could use from outside (Dr. Beans LOL). Wifi here is not consistent. I have been to a Starbucks by my hotel and there was no wifi, but the Starbucks by the Mnet center had super fast free wifi. The Coffee Bean by the Mnet center however, had ZERO wifi and this was had wifi so strong I didn't even have to go inside to use it. Others, like Holly's, have wifi but it's locked and you need a password. There is almost always some form of Ollehwifi or Twifi anywhere you go, but those are Korean wireless companies and you need to pay for them or have a Korean phone. I was trying to get wifi so I could contact Haeri, who I was supposed to get sushi with tonight

This time I was smart; I bought TWO tornadoes at the same time to save myself the inevitable trip back for the second one after I ate the first haha. You have never seen such a happy happy girl as me as I sat down in the subway station and munched on them. Like, EVER. I got lots of weird looks but hey, I'm more than used to them. Keep em coming folks haha. - Also some more cute earrings I picked up and a shot of the Han River bridge lights as we crossed over. So pretty!

Now that I'm leaving again soon, I took another moment to appreciate subway travel. I always love it so much and appreciate it's efficiency when I first get here, then I get desensitized to it and take it for granted. I got a serious case of the giggles watching everyone on the subway tilt this way and that, swaying backwards and forwards then backwards again, all in unison. Most people are on their phone, so they aren't paying much attention to the abrupt swaying of the train; it often catches a businessman or adjumma by surprise and they have a near wipeout, which is always entertaining :D But what really gets me is the communal swaying lol. It's just so funny! I feel like you have to be there to know what I'm so giggly about. All these strict adjusshis or power-suit wearing women, and it's like were all on the same kiddie ride at an amusement park.

It's also pretty hilarious how all the grandpas and grandmas with gnarled hands and white/no hair play games like Farmville on their giant Samsung phones. They're all super super into them too, focusing hard with their faces close to the screens; it's adorable!

I had showered this morning and it was late by the time I arrived back at my hotel, so I just wanted to wash my face and go to bed. However, I had packed most of my stuff already since I was leaving tomorrow...including my face wash T.T It was then that I blessed the freebies I got from the cosmetics stores and handouts from people on the street, because I still had 2 packets of make-up removing wipes and cleansing wipes to use instead :) I made myself some citron tea to relax, planned out my (last!) half-day tomorrow, and then passed out ^^

Before I climbed the stairs back up to the surface streets, for the first time ever I helped a foreigner with directions!! Haha, generally I am seen as native (read: not fluent in English) but this guy didn't seem to mind. He was standing in front of the (supremely confusing and utterly useless) subway station map with his phone open to something he was looking for, with this confused and slightly pained expression. I was thinking 'heyyyy I know that look!!' haha, it's the one where you know where you need to go, and how to get there but you can't seem to equate your directions in English and these directions in Korean. So you are stuck. And the pained part of the expression is because you know you need help but you can't exactly stop any passerby to ask for assistance because they won't understand a thing you're saying. So again, you're stuck. However, he flagged me down very nicely and asked for help finding an e -mart indicated on his phone but without an exit number. I didn't know of any e-mart but I told him of the Lotte Mart I go to at the top of 6! He looked so happy and relieved haha, then thanked me and said cheers.