Stepping out in Seoul

After almost 14 months of living in Korea, I can finally say i've been to Seoul.  Part of Seoul anyway.  I'm sure I missed out on seeing an untold number of cultural things but that will be saved for the next trip.  I may not have seen it all, but I got a little taste.

Myself and three other fabulous ladies (Willey, Sarah and Kristina) left Pohang bright and early at 8am.  Anyone who knows me in the slightest bit knows that I am far from being amorning person.  I am bleary eyed and tempermental at best.  We got on our bus and made our way to Seoul.  Imagine a chartered bus with reclining seats, a decent amount of legroom and gawking Koreans galore and you have our home for the almost 5 hour trip.

After arriving in Seoul, fanagling with the subway system and dropping our bags at our hostel, we were off to explore.  Little did I know just how exhausting exploring can be.  Down the stairs to the subway.  Up the stairs to the street.  Walk walk walk.  Down the stairs to the subway.  Up the stairs to the street.  Walk walk walk.  If I lived in a place like Seoul where it was necessary to take the subway everyday I would be infinitely skinnier and would have calves that supermodels would envy.  Here I am two days later and my lower half is still screaming.

Up and down...up and down...

The unknowing subjects on just one of the many subways
we took that weekend

We made our way to the area that would be described by my mother as "artsy fartsy." There were stands galore of handmade necklaces, knitted hats, pottery, pictures...you name it, we saw it.  We were also fortunate enough to be in Seoul on FREE BEER DAY.  We couldn't quite figure out why we were seeing old women, young mothers with children in tow and everyone in between drinking bottles of beer.  Apparently FREE BEER DAY means the same thing in Korea as it does anywhere else.  Take advantage of it whether you really want it or not.  It's free.  It's beer.

I can only assume that the sign say "Free Beer."

My ladies of the day enjoying what we later found
out to be a nice Russian beer.  Meet Willey, Sarah and Kristina. 

Some of the cutest hats I have ever seen.
Mom, do you think Aunt Teresa can make one for Ben?

I had absolutely no clue what he was selling
but his hat made him quite the photo opportunity.

We spent the rest of our day putzing around town helping Willey find the perfect gifts for her month-long vacation to the states that is coming up shortly.  10 hours, a mexican burrito, quizznos sub and coldstone milkshake later (can you tell we miss western food?) we finally arrived back to our hostel to get some much needed sleep.  Little did we know that we were also staying with 4 of the noisiest Korean women ever to grace the planet.  Bright and early (6am) we are all woken up to the shuffling (intense opening and closing) of paper bags.  Talking.  More shuffling.  Loud laughter.  More shuffling.  Even the patented "Comer-glare" did nothing to get to them to be quiet.  Eventually they got tired of playing the "lets see which Waygook will snap first" and either went back to sleep or left.  It's lucky they stopped when they did.  THIS Waygook was on the verge.

Our last afternoon in Seoul was spent much the same way as the first.  We shopped til' we absolutely dropped.  No, we literally dropped when our tushes hit the seats of our KTX (bullet train) and slept the entire way home.  Now what was I able to purchase during this shopping endeavor you may ask?  I got quite the haul.  I got 6 books (in English mind you), the cutest panda shaped baby umbrella  in existence for my nephew, bracelets for my sisters, a handmade clock and a few clothing pieces for myself.  I spent far too much money but the experience and treat of getting away from Pohang for a weekend was completely worth it.

This shot of the busy street doesn't do the business of Seoul
the justice it deserves.

Will I go back to Seoul?  Well,  I am being forced to head back there twice in June when I take the GRE but as for voluntarily going back...we'll have to see.  This is not to say that I didn't have a truly outstanding time in Seoul with my girlies.  I had an amazing weekend but it was just too busy, loud and stressful for me.  I liked the big city feel to it but I don't think I could live there.  There were so many foreigners and options for western food (not that I didn't thoroughly enjoy it) but I didn't feel like I was in Korea anymore.

Change Korea to Kansas and all I needed was Toto, a blue and white checkered dress and my ruby red slippers to make my own version of Wizard of Oz  complete.