Just for you Cousin

When I talked to my dear cousin earlier this week, she really got on me about not updating my blog. I tried to explain to her that (to me) Korea is not that interesting or exciting.... Well, not so much anymore. I have lived here for a little over 4 months now, and it has set in that I am not on some long, extravagant vacation: I actually live here and all the glitz and glamor has kind of fizzled out! I still try to make it out on the weekends for some adventures, but am also pretty content to just stay home and chill out.

So I thought I would share some of my disastrous adventures...
Having a real job, with real work hours, and real responsibilities (well, kind of) is a reality shock - compared to slinging spaghetti at the Riz. Getting up early and working with kids does not go well with all night benders, so I do not go out drinking (much) anymore. Every time I have, it has not ended well.
Not being able to talk to taxi drivers and tell them where exactly they need to take you is not the best scenario when you have been drinking soju (Korean rice liquor, similar to vodka) all night with a bunch of strangers. I could see my apartment building, but couldn't figure out how to get to it; I wandered around (at 2am) trying to get there.
Going to Itaewon - where all the foreigners hang out - always ends in disaster! Just a bunch of foreigners trying to hook up with whoever and whatever they can... I always try and make it a point to leave before it gets dark. Enough said.
I am always try to plan my evenings around the subway - for some reason, the subway closes earlier on the weekend than on the weekdays. No one, not even the Koreans, seem to know exactly when the subway closes. The bars stay open all night, the problem is trying to find your way home. Taking a taxi is the best bet, but I have been told 'NO' many times. Because my destination is not a big enough fare, they refuse to take me. Unreal!

And now, for my latest adventures...
I tried to go on a Han River ferry/cruise - the Han River runs through the middle of Seoul - but I missed the last boat by 8 minutes! My friend Amanda and I decided to walk around and take some pictures. We thought it would be really cool if we went up on to one of the bridges and took a few pics. We ended up walking across the whole bridge and when we got to the other side, we got lost. It may not sound very exciting, but we had a blast! I mean, how many people in Seoul have walked across the Han River??

I also went to my first Korean baseball game! It was shockingly similar to an American baseball game. The fans are all super-pumped and cheering the whole game. Everyone had the balloons you bang together and there was a 'spirit captain' jumping all over the place instructing us what to do with them! People had sparklers and fireworks galore! The biggest difference, beer and snacks are really cheap - you aren't charged much more than you would be at a regular convince store (around 3,000 won = $2). We had a hard time trying to figure out which team to root for - we had Bear hats, but Lion balloons! Your ticket is not for a particular seat, but rather for a section. You just have to find a seat in your designated section. Strange to go to the bathroom and come back to find someone sitting in what you thought to be your seat...

Well Cousin, I hope you're happy; guess that's about it for now.... Thanks for reading!