Sunday, February 8, 2009

Welcome to Hongdae.

The dizzying amount of people coming on and off the Hongik University subway stop seems to have no end. There are rows of stores, restaurants, bars, clubs, karaoke clubs, street food and more. There is no closing time, if people are in a bar/club they won't shut down till everyone leaves on there will. It's a huge hang out for foreigners and some bars you go in the only Koreans you'll see is those who work there. In this area you can walk down the street and forget you are in Korea. You won't here much Koran music, but a lot of Justin Timberlake, hip-hop and other American music. There are millions of lights flashing and blinking as cars try to drive through masses of people. It is similar to Itaewon, but cleaner and less sketchy.

Random Korean guy freestylin' in the park.
Crazy Korean guy trying to sell us disgusting rice liquor. He gave us free shots. Imagine a thick alcohol flavored milk.

My first Korean barbecue and soju experience. A grease fire ignited on our grill and everyone who worked there had to rush to our table to put it out. Everyone in the place was looking at us. Then a Korean girl walked by and slip on some grease and fell. It was kinda of ridiculous. They give you trash bags to stuff your jackets in so they don't get dirty. Also, I learned the proper way to drink soju. You hold the glass with two hands and you allow someone else to pour it for you. NEVER POUR YOUR OWN SOJU! It is super cheap like $2 a bottle at 20% abv. Don't ask me to pour your soju though cause I basically poured out the whole bottle trying to pour it in the tiny little shot glasses you drink it from. It goes down so easy. It doesn't really taste like anything. It's dangerous.
My new friend Aaron. A fellow Philadelphian.
What's the night without fat girls dancing around like they are amazing. And when you see an obese person in Korea, they look even larger cause Koreans are so skinny! Just from being in Korea for a few days you realize that the place is full of foreign English teachers. You also, start to realize the type of people who make a commitment like that. Basically, there are 3 different types of people who pick up and move to Korea to teach. First, the world traveler (where I like to think I fit in) This person wants to see the world and get paid to do it. Secondly, you have the outsider/misfit. These people could be more homely looking and probably weren't that popular back at home and came here to fit in with the other teachers. It is pretty easy to make friends here with either other teachers or Koreans. A lot of Koreans want American friends to help work on there English. Others want them just to talk to in general because we are different. The last reason is sex. I feel like a lot of men move here to find there own little Asian women. There are a lot of beautiful ones to choose from and most of them love American man. Also, for the American gay man who hasn't come out of the closet back at home. Now he is off doing Asian man that are sexually suppressed here. There really is no gay culture in Korea. It's not nearly as accepted here like back in the states.
The first graffiti I saw in Korea.
What would a late night be without street food at 4 in the morning. Can we say mondu

If you need something to drink, while eating your street food, they'll give you a cup of this boiling broth. 
Cooking in it is fish on a stick. It taste like a fish tea. 
Mondu are Korean dumplings.

And then what would a late night after a bottle of soju, a bottle of tequila (they have super cheap bottle service here: 1 bottle of cuervo is $50), some beers and street food be without more food. My late night cooking of green tea and a cup of romain. The little water boiling thing they got me is amazing. It boils water in 2 minutes. I didn't even think that was possible. I thought scientifically it takes 15 minutes for water to boil.  
*Travelers tips: Keep a subway map in your purse. Not a lot of Koreans speak or understand English. So when you are out later then the subway is open and you need to take a cab home, you can just point to the subway stop closes to your place. Now you can relax and pass out in the back of the cab till you get home.


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