day 27, and a few random days after that

Day 27 (Saturday last week) 

So the day was very boring, did lots of resting. Me and Britt also went out for a bite to eat across the street, and the man who kinda speaks English there told us to tell Alix that he was sorry if he offended her when he said that Alix had a boy's name (earlier this week i think). He wanted us to tell her that in fact, Alix was a beautiful name for a girl and he hopes to see her soon! 

One thing I wont tell you about the events of the night is the time that things occur. But I think from reading, you'll be able to make certain assumptions about the time.

Here we go:

So Gavin and I, in the same vein as Tuesday (day 23), we take a bus to Samsung Plaza and meet Leah. Then, we take a bus to some station that I still haven't figured out, and from there, we took a cab to Hongdae!!! which is Hongik University Subway Station. 

We walked around for a bit trying to locate a Salsa bar, since Leah felt like dancing. We decided to check the internet to see if we could find directions. So we found a place called Let's PC. And as Gavin put it, only in Korea could you find signs that use PC as a verb. Anyhow, we found two different directions who both made it sound very easy to locate. NOT TRUE! We actually gave up looking for it.

Instead, we ended up finding this tiny cafe that sold cookies and cakes and cake decorating lessons! But upon entering, we found out that everything was very expensive, and their cheesecake was actually a cup of "cake". So we left and went to a Starbucks-esque place. (They have Starbucks everywhere here, but we somehow ended up at this place. I had an Iced Caramel Macchiato, Leah had a Caffe Latte with an almond cookie and Gavin had an Iced Caffe Latte with a chocolate chip cookie. It's important that i note Gavin's bracelet. We were looking at it, and he told me he'd bought it for 30 dollars and it was one of his favourites, because the stones were obsidian, and they seemed to absorb light. Really cool stones. We also discussed the fact that he wanted it re-strung, out of fear that it would break some day. I counted them, since it's my OCD thing that i do (15 beads).

The bathroom at this place had one of those strange grabby hands where you squeeze the thing and it closes fingers on a hand. WHY you'd need one in a bathroom is beyond me. for sanitation?? that doesn't make sense because people will just touch the grabby hand thing instead. still gross!

Anyhow, we left the cafe and went searching for a bar. We found this place called Zen Bar, which is such a ridiculous place with such cheap drinks. but we're now convinced that they water them down. Anyhow, we drank and had some really deep discussions over loud hiphop music (yeah, the zen bar is a hiphop bar. there's a mural on the wall of a Buddha-esque person DJ-ing and smoking, and drinking all at once with multiple arms and tribal tattoos.)

We spent a few hours there and then Leah decided she really wanted to dance. From there on, we were jumping from one dance bar/club to the other, but only hitting the no-cover ones and dancing our hearts out to everything from Muse and Green Day to Blondie. Good times. My shirt was soaking wet by the end of the night. The last place we went to had paper circles taped up all over the walls. We started taking them down and sticking them to ourselves, but mostly to Gavin. Leah helps me smuggle some circles out for my devious plan (I wanted to cover Gavin in circles and have him wake up with them the next day.)

So from there, we decided to catch a cab home. We specifically discussed 30,000 won to get home (about 30 dollars. conversion is dead simple here) in Yatap and then to drop Leah off in Jeongia. He agrees and we hop in, he doesn't start the meter. About 30-45 minutes later, we arrive in Yatap at our building, and we try to sort thins out, we pool 30 for Leah to give to him when she gets off. He then says it's 35. after a bit of arguing, we discover he wants 45,000 to take Leah home. So we say no, that we'll just get off here, and try to give him the 30, which he refuses. We start getting out of the cab, and he follows us out screaming in Korean. First he grabs Leah and she tries to give him the money, which he crumples and tosses on the ground. Then he grabs Gavin, and we continue to argue with the bastard. I rip his hand off Gavin's wrist, and then he grabs me too. I give him the death stare and rip his hand off me, trying so hard not to clock him in the mouth. He grabs Gavin again so hard, it breaks his bracelet. Beads all over the sidewalk. Now we're pissed, but instead we start picking up the beads. The cabby realises he won't win this one and picks up his cash off the ground to leave, but not before tossing an empty plastic bottle at us first. It misses entirely, and he drives off. Leah crashes at Gavin's and we arrange to hang out the next morning for breakfast.

After all this, I realise I still have the circles in my hand and the ones Leah gave me too. So I tape them all to his door, in a jovial looking arrangement. (yes, it was jovial)

The next morning, I have breakfast with Britt and go down to visit them and plan our day. Not much happens though, we go with Gavin to meet his Mandarin teacher in a waffle house. I drop Leah off at the station, and go back home to hang with Britt. I walk Britt to the station as well, since she has to go to this church to sing, and I take us down a short cut, but I fail to notice all the loose bricks on the ground and Britt trips and cuts open her foot. (I FEEL HORRIBLE ABOUT THIS!) we go buy her some bandaids and off she goes. we arrange to meet up in Jamsil, but I end up passing out and missing our meeting time instead. 

THERE! that's the post I'd been trying to type all week! now I'm off to get ready for work. I'll try and bring this blog back up to speed soon. BYE!