Weekend in Seoul aka Yusheng's Big Adventure.

Thanks for your comment, Terri. Although I can't divulge all of the details I do have some info about Yusheng and 성희/Seong Hee's 'date'. It started when I went to Yusheng's hotel to get him on Saturday and spotted this sign (below).


Tom's Lobster is now Canadian Lobster...wonder if I can get Molson Canadian beer there?

Then we made our way to Daehangro for the VT meeting. We took the bus (the lovely 263 from Yeouido to Namdaemoon Market) for some of the trip, as I wanted Yoosh (I'm the first and only person to call him that) Seoul overground...he's seen subways before. He said it reminded him of Tokyo...pretty clean, busy...but that Seoul is a 'foreign' country for him because he can't read any of the signs. He's fluent in Mandarin and can understand Cantonese and, thus, can read many signs in Japan but here he hasn't a clue on many of them.

Anyhoo, we transferred to the subway and it was then that I noticed my phone battery was almost toast. Crap! My number is the reference for everyone coming and we didn't exactly have an itinerary set out. As well, no chance of an audioblog--had to conserve the battery. As it turns out they lasted long enough to get everyone together. So, who was there: Yoosh, Seong Hee (his 'date'), Bunny (another VTer, her Korean name is almost impossible for us foreingers to pronounce), Rachel (Supernib on VT), Jason (her beau), Kelvin (Lanatir on VT), his bud Yen (an auditor from PriceWaterhouse in K.L.), Dawn (a teacher), another Rachel (Psychokitty from VT), another Jason (friend of them from Australia), and Jane (another teacher). Holy crap, that's a pretty big group. We were sure to get discounts with a posse like that.

We made our way to a 닭갈비/dak-kalbi (chicken & hot pepper sauce dish) place and took over 3 tables. Also ordered beers, soju and 오십세주/oh-ship-sai-joo (50% baeksaiju, 50% soju) and the fun started. Everyone started talking adn stuff and I found out that Supernib and Jason have been here 3 years and are ready to go back--they met in Canada and figured what better way to test their relationship than to go to a place like Korea for a few years. Ha! Talk about trial by fire. I couldn't take any pics on account of the battery situation, but Yoosh had his massive professional-grade camera so I'm sure he took a few (not that I could remember if he did or not). Yoosh and his gal weren't talking much (his Korean is basically zero and her English, while passable, was not too good with all the noise and booze). He just said: "Ya, we're can't really communicate right now." or something...hmmmm...wonder what that means?

After dinner it was off to 꾼/Kkoon for beers. The owner knows me there and he got a couple to move so we could have seats at the ice-bar. We also got free cuttlefish mmmmmm... Someone (me) had a bottle of tequila there and started pouring shots...what a nut. At about 11 Jane and Dawn had to leave, but we convinced Jason to stick around...haha.

Next was the 노래방/noraebang (singing room). We got a massive room and I proceeded to do my pitiful rendition of 1979. After that the real singing started. Kelvin and Yen bolted at about 1AM, and after the time was up (actually it was finished a couple of times, but we told the manager to give us more time..as in free time) both Jasons and Supernib headed for bed (not together, though). The rest of us proceeded to the only dance bar in Daehangro (that I know of): Bunker.

Of course Bunker was loaded with people. With a 1 drink minimum and good tunes it's a rockin' place to be. We wanted to go to Hongdae but Psychokitty seemed in her element in Bunker, so we parted there.

In Hongdae we hit Hodge Podge, but that didn't last long. I saw my old stalker (a story from before my blogging days) and we got the heck out of there. If you're in Seoul long enough you'll get a stalker (even if you're a guy!) For my Dutch buds they got one on their first night out (right after I told them there is no chance for them to meet girls easily here...what did I know). Basically, a stalker is a Korean girl (in my case) who is quite aggressive and tries to, well, 'get' you. It's weird as most Korean gals are pretty timid, shy, reserved...that sort of thing. But these gals are anything but. Thankfully call-display is all the rage here and you can block the calls, but for a while it gets damn annoying. I have to tell you also that I wasn't encouraging her at all...but Koreans have a way of taking most/all things to extreme. This is just so you know...if you're single and out for a good time then this place is cool. If you're married and face capital punishment for any infidelity (as I am) you have to watch your step here.

We all got home safe and sound. Man, I was so bagged at the end of all that--I think my own shoring woke me up a couple of times...my poor neighbors!

Sunday was a little more sedate. Yoosh and I headed to Namdaemoon Market for a little shopping and sightseeing. I found my favorite shirt-seller there and picked up 4 from him for 26,000 won (about 22USD). Korea is funny. You have your high-end department stores where they sell the same things for 45-65,000 each and your street-sellers who mark it down to 5-20,000 apiece. One of the shirts he had even has a Meryvn's tag on it and a $15.99 price point! I've seen ones with Moore's tags on them too, but most are last season's stuff from Home Plus or Lotte Department Store. I also saw another good shirt, but it was 10,000 won...still got it though. I had fun with the lady selling them...a little chatting in Korean about how some of the shirts were 제비/jay-bi (playboy) style shirts. Did she think I was a playboy? Haha...no discount. Crap, oh well, here you go: 10,000 won. What the heck.



We strolled to 명동/Myoung-dong and Yoosh got out his telephoto lens for some long-range shots of people. He does model-shoots as well as architectual photography and he said they always use the telephotos because it makes the model seem slimmer, as opposed to the wide-angle ones that spread you out (obviously ALL pics you see of me are wide-angle...I'm actually very thin). So you get this model on one end of the room and the photographer on the other side barking orders to her...haha. Kinda looks like he's aiming a rifle, doesn't it?


Yusheng the paparazzi

In a coffeeshop on the 4th floor of Lotte Young Plaza (young is the new fad here). Check out this table. Yoosh's camera is on it...making it look smaller.


Cool kidney-shaped table.

After meeting up with Seong Hee we had 빙수/bing-soo (ice, fruit and yoghurt ice cream) which Yoosh loved. (Have to get some pics from him.) After that we went to Insa-dong and walked around. Saw this neat store with lots of old toys in it.


Wow, old action figures!


They love their Astroboy here.


This big boy is 90,000 won (about 80USD)! Maybe I should get my mom to ship my old toys here.


Here's an interesting one...a doll in a towel. From Japan; where men read sex-filled comics on the subway.

Then it was time for more food. We really weren't that hungry but had nothing since dunch at 2:30, about 6 hours ago (dunch is a throw-back to the Dutchboys who lived here last year...they always got up last after a night out and had breakfast/lunch after 2 or 3 PM...couldn't call it brunch so they called it dunch: Dutch + lunch). Yoosh wanted to compare New York Koreatown Bulggogi and Pajun to the Korean versions...they're pretty similar, but the Korean ones (even with Insadong's higher prices) were cheaper.


Here are those two in the restaurant...everyone's very tired.


Ancient Yoyos? Anyone know what these shaped rocks are?


Even more tired...on the subway now. Finally got Yusheng to be a little wacky.

Tune in tomorrow for more "Adventures of Yusheng"!