Weekend number one

The first weekend here was one of new experiences from shopping to block parties to French speaking Koreans. Saturday afternoon Clint and I went shopping somewhere in downtown Seoul. We first went outlet shopping, nothing out of the ordinary other than being followed around like celebrities. I guess white people in pairs is quite novel here. Then we went to some market. It was like being in a carnival. Lights everywhere, packed with people, and yelling vendors we wandered around Seoul looking for good deals. I felt a little odd because nobody would even speak to me, but others were getting great service. Soon I realized it wasn't becasue I was of a different race, it was because I was of a different size. Nobody would talk to me at the stores because I was too big for their merchandise. So, if I don't bring many gifts home, don't be offended it is just because I am too fat to buy things in Korea so they won't help me.
The mall was really strange to me. There were no stores. Just a vast open area with booths of sort where shops were set up one after next in rows. There was no seperation other than clothing racks. Just like a flea market. Soon after shopping, slight dehydration and utter exhaustion of being on our feet for the past seven hours, Clint and I decide to forgoe our planned outing in Itaewon for some drinks at home. So we head off to the subway, on our way to Bonghwasan to HomePlus for some booze. We get on the subway, the last one of the night eager to just relax and have some wine. Part way home they announce the stop for Anam. Anam is a part of Seoul, known because it houses Korea University. I hear something odd though. "This stop is Anam, last stop" What? Last stop? We are still about 15 minutes from where we need to be? I look at my watch, midnight. Subway closes at midnight, but surely it will finish going the line before closing. No. At midnight, the subway closes wherever you are. Good Luck and Godspeed, now please get off our train. Fuck. So, Clint and I get off after some shooing from the train attendant and we walk into Anam wondering what the shit are we going to do? 7/11 is a good idea. Let's get a drink and sit on the subway.
On our way to 7/11 we notice a lot of red t-shirts. Korea University everywhere. Pubcrawl? not sure. So we decide to explore. We grab some hooch and make our way down the street into a dark, dank alley where we stumble upon a block party. Korea University students yelling, screaming, singing and doing cheers in the middle of the street. Since this is very different from home, we decide to cop a squat on a curb and watch the festivities. Many people walk by, of course looking at the whiteys as they pass until two of them stop. Come up and start yelling. DRUNK OFF THEIR ASSES! They shake our hands, and have seat. Ok....what's going on?
"Bonjour, comment ca va?....oh sorry sorry, English, I don't speak English well" Says a drunk Korean...So he tries to speak English and this is where I made my first mistake. I replied, out of pity of some sort "je parle un peut de francais si c'est plus facile pour toi" It was like Christmas for this man. He face lit up like somebody who just won the lottery and we start to talk. I have no idea what about really, I just went along with it. His friend just kept yelling "I don't speak English well" and falling over.
As we sit there, talking to the French Koreans, they ask us to play. Play? What the hell does this mean? My Konglish is really off. Like play in bed play? No thanks, not today haha. They were asking us to go drink with them. This night was already odd enough so we told them we had to leave. We start walking away and they grab us, ask for out phone numbers and say they will call us to drink sometime. Sure...ok...goodbye. Not that easy. The insisted on walking us to a taxi. Nice enough. So they get us a cab and they are talking something in Korean behind Clint and I who are very briskly walking toward a taxi. They grab us agian, arms around our shoulders just talking up a storm in whatever language they could form a sentence in best. Finally they get a taxi for us. The let Clint in the taxi, but blocked me off from getting in. What is going on? Are they going to take me home and make me their elf? Jesus, I want to go home. This would never happen in Canada, they would just shoot you in the street at home. I am in a panic of course, Clint in the cab and me not able to get in. So soon enough, I just sort of give him a shove and am like. I am going too! Let me in the taxi. They didn't realize we were heading for the same destination. So he lets me in the taxi, tells him where to send up and we are off. Finally. Oh wait. Look out the window....who is running outside the taxi waving like people used to wave go the Little Goddamn Hobo? Our new Korean friends...hanging heads in the taxi yelling good bye good bye! Thankfully the cabbie was like "oh shit" and sped off. Safe on our way to home plus. A few minutes later, some good ol' Reba McEntire we arrive to HomePlus to get drinks and relax. Korea is full of odd shit!