Sigur Ros concert!
Last weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in Korea thus far. We got Friday off, because it was Buddha's birthday, so I took full advantage and headed to Seoul. I've been to the capital a few times, but hadn't really been able to explore much. This time round, I got a much better feel for some of the neighborhoods in Seoul. I still stayed mostly in Hongdae, Myeongdong and Itaewon, but I did also venture around the Olympic Stadium.
I really fell in love with Hongdae! It is a great place for young people, and it was so refreshing to see a lot of diversity. And not even just people of different nationalities, but Koreans with such varied styles. It is definitely a more modern-thinking part of Korea, which was exhilarating to be around. Don't get me wrong; I love Daegu. But this was like a breath of fresh air from the monotony that can bog you down. And, of course, Hongdae has one of the very few Taco Bells in Korea, so I was excessively excited to eat there. It was my first meal after getting into the city. But I actually ended up eating therefour times after things just worked out that way (lunch and dinner the first day, then a late night snack before clubbing and an early morning refresher after said clubbing).
Hanging out with Yong!
During the first day in the big city, I just walked around Hongdae, checking out the area. It is really a great little area, and one that I would love to live in. I was also very excited, because I was finally able to find proper nose rings. That night I met up with my friend Yong (권용범), who I met sophomore year of college when he was an exchange student at Fresno State. He was the person who really introduced me to Korean culture and food, and lit a desire to come check out this country. It was so surreal to see him in Korea, but so great that we finally got to meet up. He lives in the Hongdae area, so he took me to a cute little coffee shop and we just caught up on our lives.
The next day I headed to Itaewon for the afternoon, and did a lot of mindless walking around. It is definitely a superb place to go for kitschy souvenirs, plus size clothes and foreign restaurants. I decided on a Mexican restaurant (I mean, Taco Bell is good, but it isn't Mexican food). While looking at the menu, a random Korean man approached me and said he noticed me walking around the area. So he asked to join me for lunch, and I figured why not. Turns out he lived in Washington (the state) for three years and worked as a journalist. We actually seemed to have quite a bit in common, but he had a chauvinistic air about him that I was not impressed by. So after lunch, which was the best Mexican food in Korea I've had, I said farewell and thanks for the meal (he paid!) I then headed to Myeongdong for a little shopping and found some good stuff at H&M.
That evening I met up with Yong again, and had dinner with him and his lovely girlfriend. She studied at USC for her bachelor's degree, and her English was impeccable! It was really nice that I was able to freely communicate with both of them. They are such a great couple, and wonderful individuals. We had samgyeopsal, which is like Korean bbq with pork belly. It was really delicious, and fun to have a Korean meal after all of my burritos and quesadillas! After we went to a coffee shop and grabbed a sweet, tasty cup of Joe.
Lanterns for Buddha
Once we said our goodbyes, I headed to Cheonggyecheon Stream, which is a pretty major tourist destination. It was exceptionally lovely this time of year, because lanterns were on display in the river to celebrate Buddha's birthday. I had a serene, albeit wet from the rain, walk down the stream. It was really beautiful with all of the colors from the lanterns lighting up the stream. I headed back to my hostel around 9:30 p.m. and did a bit of Korean homework for about an hour or so. Then I joined in with the other girls staying at the hostel for what would be a fantastic night! We started the night out with some Norebang, singing for about an hour. Then after a bit of delayed walking around, we finally headed to the club.
We went to Mama, which turned out to be a fabulous spot. It had an excellent mix of house and hip hop and kept me dancing all night long. Literally... we didn't leave until about 5:45 a.m., and I still felt like I had enough energy to go on for at least another hour! I haven't really gotten to see the true clubbing nightlife of Korea, and assumed that was because it was lacking. But it turns out I either wasn't looking in the right place, or not looking with the right people. One of my favorite things about clubbing in Korea is that the men are actually there to dance! Well, obviously not all of them; but so many of the guys just go so hard when they dance, and it is great. Most people were there to dance and have a good time, which is exactly what I love to do when I go out! It definitely puts CA clubbing to shame! Though there was the occasional guy who was a little to aggressive when trying to dance with me. One guy kept pushing down on my shoulders, basically trying to direct my movement, which really infuriated me. I can dance just fine without anyone's assistance, thank you very much! So I removed his hands from my shoulders, and turned around to give him a "shoo, fly don't bother me" hand motion. But other than that, it was a glorious experience overall. I will certainly be hitting up more clubs in Hongdae in the future, and now I really want to give clubs in Daegu a try.
So much talent!
Sunday I slept in as long as I could, then headed back into Hongdae for a sushi lunch. The sushi was all right, but not the best. I mean for as long as Japan occupied Korea, you'd think they'd have it down pat. After another pass through H&M (Hongdae has one too) and a brief rest in the hostel, I headed to the Olympic Park Stadium. I went to see Sigur Ros! They are a ridiculously talented group from Iceland. I got to the concert a little early, so I walked around the park. It was a beautiful spot with lots of little trails and grassy mounds covered with trees. And there were many fun statues as well.
The concert was absolutely amazing. Sigur Ros is pretty chill on their album, but they really ramped it up for the show. It was a work of art with the accompanying lighting and video. I was in awe of their talent, and how powerful the lead vocalist's voice really is. It is insane the notes he can hit and how long he can hold them. It was so great that I can't even find the words to describe it. They put on a show that you really just have to experience to understand. I got back to my house fairly late, but it was worthwhile. Such a splendid time in Seoul!
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