So this weekend I went to Seoul for St. Patrick's Day. I have to say it was probably the most fun I have ever had on this holiday. I have marched in Dallas parades, drank myself stupid at my home or with friends and been in New Orleans for what looks like an all Irish Mardi Gras. I have to say though that this was the most fun. It is the first time where I didn't claim to be Irish, which I am a large part by heritage, but simply sat back and watched real Irish people make Korea their home away from home.
The day started out like most others, with me waking up on a weekend at home. I decided early on that I couldn't miss this opportunity to celebrate in Seoul, and the decision was made even easier by the fact that all of my friends would be there. I took the twelve o'clock bus out of Gamgok and was on my way. I arrived in Seoul after a short nap and had to get on the subway line 2 (the green line) so I could head to Sindorim station, the transfer station between lines 2 and 1. I got there and had no clue which way to go, so I went out the first exit I saw. Nothing. Back inside I found some people in green heading towards another exit, so I gave chase. I was right behind a Korean business man when I got to the top of the steps and saw the entire throng of foreigners wearing green. He stopped dead in his tracks and I almost ran right over him. He looked around as if to say "I have been through here a hundred times, but never have I seen this many Waygookin in one place, all wearing the same color." I passed him up and saw that familiar wavy red hair that I know so well. I cocked my arm back and was going to clap down on her shoulder when I realized that I didn't recognize the people that she was talking to, and she was supposed to be a stop behind me. Right before I actually hit her shoulder, I pretended like I was stretching and walked on. Sure enough it was not Phillipa. I knew it would be difficult to find my friends who actually were there, so I did a round of the place to get the basic lay of the land, and overheard some people talking about the closest place to buy beer. I headed across the street to a GS25 that had a kimbap restaurant right next to it.
Self bragging time: When ordering Kimbap I did it so perfectly that she thought I spoke Korean :) "Jamchi kimbap han jul chuseyo. Pojang." (one line of tuna kimbap please. to go.) She spoke back a couple of sentences to me, then realized that I didn't speak enough to understand the complexities of what she was saying, but she did say something about it being "jam kon mon ki da ri seyo" (just a second please) and asking about all the people. That's where I lost her. One delicious kimbap roll, a liter of beer, and a soju juice box later I was sitting with my friends watching a Korean U2 cover band called "have no name." They were good. We met up with Phillipa and her brother, sister-in-law and sister when they came, so we had to move to a bigger area. We went up to sit on some grassy place and watch the stuff go down from up there. More people arrived, and then more after that. I was going strong at about four, with a juice box full of soju and a liter of beer. Lauren was, to her credit, keeping up with me and making sure that I wasn't drinking alone. Phillipa could not drink because she was running in a 10K the next day in Seoul. I was not jealous. We gave her a lot of flak because she was paying more to run 10 Kilometers than it cost to get a cab to drive you 15. She left by six, and we all started heading different directions. The others had gotten a hostel earlier in the night, but I knew that I could either find a place to crash, or I couldn't. It wouldn't be worth it for me to pay thirty thousand won for one night where I only got to sleep for six hours or so before I had to get out of there. So like I said many times that day, "I have a card full of won, a head full of ideas, and a schedule empty of any plans."
Me and Graham were hanging around when the crew started breaking up. Jeff and Gareth, both Englishman, were with us, and the first thing we did is get a couple of beers into us. We sat around shooting the shit, drinking a tall boy, then hailed a cab (much more difficult than I am making it sound) and headed towards Itaewon. In Itaewon we headed to an Outback steakhouse, which I thought sounded delicious. The problem was, that obviously it was suuuuuper expensive. We looked around a lot more and decided on a samgyeopsal and galbi place, where we ate some delicious barbecue. After dinner we headed out to get a place to stay. This is where we ran into a problem. All the hotels in Itaewon were booked. We walked around looking for crappy and nice ones, and could not find anything open. We decided then that we might just have to go the distance. Obviously I have been in situations before where I had involuntarily stayed up all night, so it was no big deal to me. Anyways, the night was still young, and we had a long time to go until I would start feeling tired. We started off at this place called "Geckos" which was big. It was also crowded, and noisy, and full of people trying to get to their friends and bumping you every five seconds. I snagged a table off people who were getting up to leave and we found a place to sit down. A couple of beers later and we were headed out of there.
We ended up at this place called "The Goldfish" which was apparently one of Grahams regular haunts. It being only my second time in Itaewon ever, I was easy when it came to plans. We got a table and a pitcher and started drinking some Jaeger bombs to keep ourselves awake. The Redbull in the Jaeger bombs is dangerous when you're going out for a quiet night, but when you are starting things off for a big night, it is perfect. We had some good conversation and some good entertainment in the form of an amateur singer. Poor Gareth was stuck in between me and the singer while I was wailing right along with her. I could see that he was trying to be courteous and not say "dude, shut the hell up," but once I get alcohol in me and there is a song playing that I know, I can't help but sing along. I really can't. Anyways, we have some drinks, sing some songs, then Grahams friend Chico shows up. Wonhyung Lee is his real name, but he picked Chico cause it means "boy" in Spanish. He has quite the fashion sense, and when he rolled in he was wearing a furry hat with knee high socks. We finished up that pitcher and headed over to the Irish pub which was sure to be packed.
Wolfhound is the name of the Irish pub, and as soon as we got there we got a couple of beers and shots. They were playing the Ireland England rugby game that had started at 2:00 A.M. so we couldn't find any room downstairs. Chico happened upon a guy who was passed out on the floor. Face down on the floor. Face down on the dirty, St. Patricks day floor in an Irish pub in Korea. Chico got a picture with him before we helped him up off the floor and onto a seat where he passed out all over again. First good deed. It quickly got waaaaay too smokey for Chico and we had to go outside. Out front Chico produced a massive cigar that would not have been allowed inside most likely so we lit it and smoked it. It was nice. Drinking a beer, smoking a cigar, talking about Graham and how much he sucked. Just kidding Graham. The next couple of hours were pretty uneventful, being filled with hazy heart to hearts and whatnot, but what I do remember is this. While sitting out front of the bar, a guy stumbles out and up to the store across the street. Here they have a lot of these outdoor fish tanks so you can see how fresh the crab or eel or fish is that you will be eating. This drunk guy is pissing next to one of these fish tanks that is covered in a straw mat being held down by a brick. When leaning against the fish tank he put his hand on the mat and I guess didnt like the way it felt, because he grabbed it and thew it backwards into the middle of the street. He finished his piss then stumbled off drunkenly. I walked over, put the mat back on the tank, and set the brick on top of it. "Jeff, you don't have to do that." Were Graham and Chico's response, but if I didn't, who would? Second good deed :) I think I mentioned this before, but I think I get awesome when I'm drunk. Not always obviously. What I think sets me apart from a lot of people is that I like to make other people feel good. Help them out. So when I get drunk, and see a dude who cant find his hat, I will help him find his friggin' hat. Anyways, Chico goes off to give his jacket to his girlfriend or something and about thirty seconds after he leaves we here him yell "Graham! Jeff! Help me out with this guy!" We look over and sure enough it is the same drunk pisser from earlier in the middle of the street, arms wide, yelling something at Chico like "What are you gonna do?" and walking towards him. Chico circles back around to where me and Graham are, who probably put together have the guy outweighed six to one, and it looks like Graham and Chico are ready to go. I make sure and get there first. "What's the matter man? What can I help you with? Are you ok? Whats the matter?" The dude almost instantly goes from threatening to almost crying. "Can you help me find (some African name)? She was in the Wolfhound and now I cant find her! Can you help me find her?" "Yeah, of course man. Let me just go look for her." He ended up walking away not too long after that, and from what I saw, the girl who he was talking about was long gone. She probably left earlier in the night. Probably a lot earlier. Either way, I was feeling good because nobody had to get their ass kicked that night. We go back into the Wolfhound about twenty minutes before closing time, and Gareth was passed out, granted it was about five in the morning. Graham was invited to stay at Chico's house, so they head that way, and Gareth and I head into the bar next door until the subway opened at about 5:30. We could have just taken a cab, but Gareth had locked his bag up in a locker down in the station. Geoff had somehow magically disappeared, but seeing as how he is thirty something and wasn't fall down drunk we weren't too worried about him.
Gareth and I waited around at the bar for about a half hour or more, then took off to go get his bag. After getting it out of the automated lockers, we got the first subway that came, and were pretty much two thirds of the way towards the exact opposite side of Seoul from the terminal. Luckily it was the most deserted I had ever seen the green line or the brown line, which is what Itaewon is on. We got to Dong Seoul station at about 6:20 something and got our tickets. 6:55 was the first bus to Gamgok, and 7:00 was the first bus to Cheongju where Gareth lives, so after standing around for a couple of minutes we parted ways and got on our respective buses. I remember getting on the bus, sitting down, then all of a sudden I am in Gamgok. I had a horrible case of dry mouth from sleeping on a bus with it wide open the entire time. "Gamgokeyayo!!!" The bus driver shouted. I am pretty sure it was only for me, because there was no one else on the bus and it had already been stopped for who knows how long. I gave him a big thank you and walked home, where I passed out for the next six or so hours. Phillipa ran her race with no trouble, and even got a medal for doing it! A little over an hour to run 10 Kilometers. Good work fox! Way to channel your spirit animal. :) Of course the last couple of days she has been walking around like an ajumma because her legs are stiffer than boards from all the running.
I have to admit, I really love the Seoul Subway. It is clean, it is on time, and it is very technologically advanced. The people move quickly and it is easy to pay for and to get around on. I love it. That song in the video is the song they play every time you get to a transfer station. Anyway, you got to hear from me twice in one month, so I hope you feel privileged. I will probably not get into anything spectacular anytime soon, so have a good month!
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