Friday, March 27, 2009

Four Days

My washing machine plays this song when it's finished. It's a strange little quirk; you know, not like the buzz and/or beep I'm used to. I mean, I guess it's a nice touch. It's overly happy though, like "Woo-hoo! Your laundry's done! Let's partay!!!" And it's actually ridiculously long, especially considering that it's a washing machine. I think the song has a couple verses, and maybe even a chorus. And the best part is that I always forget about it until I hear it. And I'm always like, what the hell is that? Where's this cheerful melody coming from?! And then it hits me. Duh, your appliances are serenading you with the dulcet tones of... well, something. I'm not sure why the joy though... I mean, I don't really like hanging up all that shit when it's done. Folding -- meh, no biggie. But the hanging up all the wet socks and sweatshirts and undershirts and whatnot... blech. Remember, no driers here; only washers. We use the air to dry things. It doesn't work that well.

Alright -- here's a quick Busan recap. Friday night, we got in around 10:30~, and couldn't get ahold of Latifah, the woman we were supposed to meet there. So we asked some younger folk at the subway station where we should go, and they told us Seolmyeon. So we went there. Talked to a really obnoxious Canadian guy who was absolutely in love with his own voice the whole damn time, so that subway ride lasted about 2 and a half hours, give or take. When we got off the subway, walked upstairs, we wandered for a bit before asking some more younger folk what would be a good bar to hit up. They pointed across the street and in we went. It was a definite Korean "bar," i.e. no bar to speak of. Only tables, so no intermingling of groups really. Long Life, I think it was called. The glasses were cool though -- more like vases really, and the tables all had little vase-shaped and -sized metal cupholders that were chilled from underneath, and had little glowing lights in them that changed colors constantly, like those fiber-optic Christmas trees. Anyway, cool effect with the beer foam glowing red and green and blue all night. We had to buy some anju (side dishes to go with the bar; mandatory in some Korean bars) so we had some ... actually, I've forgotten. I think there were potato wedges involved. Anyway, we ended up drinking till like 4:30 and then hit the jimjilbang.

Saturday was kind of a wash -- ate a boatload of food at Latifah's house and walked around some college-y neighborhood. Saturday night we went out in ... I'm blanking on the name ... maybe Kyeongseong? I might have just made that up. Em, wanna help me out here? Bars we went to that I remember the name of: Thursday Party. That's it. Sorry... it was another long night and I was just along for the ride, so yeah... we also happened upon a bar with live blues (all white guys, but pretty good), a bar with pool and darts (I played well, but lost to somebody else who played a bit better), a bar with a fire show (twirling flaming bottles, breathing fire, that sort of thing), a dance club, and a bar with a miniature movie theater in it. Well, a room with a big flatscreen, surround sound, and couches anyway. Now that I think of it, there are some pretty awesome bars there! Huh, how bout that! =) I wonder what my odds are of ever finding any of those places again... Oh! Fun Busan fact -- Jill hurled at the end of the night... ha ha.

So the DMZ thing isn't happening this weekend. I failed to pay/book my trip in time and they filled up. So that's on hold for now, but I'm definitely doing it at some point.

Also, on Monday I have to go to Yongin for a 4-GD-day teachers orientation. If some of you are saying "Orientation?! But you've been there over four months already!" I completely and wholeheartedly agree with you. 4 days. Of listening to Koreans talk about teaching English. If I had any hope of them providing useful, practical information that could help me be a better teacher, I'd be all about it. Unfortunately, that's not really their MO. Or maybe it is, and it'll be great.

Catch the sarcasm there, right in that last bit? Yeah, you caught it.

So, I'm taking my laptop with me; the wireless internet here really is a wonder of the world. I should be able to provide up-to-the-minute late-breaking coverage of this whole fiasco. I know you're all on tenterhooks to hear exactly what happens when it happens at a 4-day Korean foreign teachers orientation. Did I mention I have to be there for 4 days? Not sure if I did. 4 days.

3 comments:

The Clements News said...

How much are flights? I'll come visit and listen to your insane washer.

Sean said...

dude -- i don't have the slightest idea... i hear that the airlines are cutting fares to try and compete, so they might be cheap. bring the little one! =) start him on the "countries visited" list!

Anonymous said...

My washer would beep-out a minute long tune every time it finished, and I would dance to it, to the amusement/horror of my girlfriend. You should give it a try.