Seoul Style!

"Just got paid, Friday night
Party hoppin', feelin' right
Booties shakin', all around
Pump that jam, while I'm gettin' down"

Nysncs "Just Got Paid" song pretty much descibed my first payday, Friday March 25th. We had planned a trip to Seoul the weekend after we got paid. We had bought our tickets in advance for the KTX (bullet train) to leave Saturday and return Sunday night. The Seoul haha) purpose of this trip was to go shopping and party. No sightseeing, no touring, just shopping and going out, for MONICAS BIRTHDAY WEEKEND. Period. Sophia came into town Friday night from Busan. It was her first (but not last) trip to Daegu, we met up with a few friends, had dinner and then went out for a bit. We were orginally planning on not going out, just dinner and getting home early because our KTX tickets where for 7:31 am. We actually ended up hanging out with a few more EPIK teachers, whom we haven't seen for a while which was alot of fun.

The next morning, after sleeping through our alarms. Sophia and I are headed out to the train station, where we were all to meet at 6:45-7 am. On the way to the subway we get multiple calls that people are running late and cabbing to the train station. Atleast we weren't the only ones late. We make the train on time, all 8 of us are headed up to Seoul, we will be there in less than 2 hours. 

We arrive in Seoul and the first thing we want to do is eat and drop our stuff off at the hostel, Kim's Myungdong Hostel. Which was a very nice hostel, centrally located but there was "hill" (I say mountain) we had to walk up to get to it. Down the "hill" was the largest open air market in Korea. We divided and conquered. John has a few friends who are EPIK teachers but in Seoul who arrived in August so we met up with them and went to Myungdong. The fashion street of Seoul. The first store we went in was A-land which is Koreas Urban Outfitters, I bought a pair of green TOMS shoes. We then went to Forever 21 and H&M. Daegu only has boutiques, so going to stores where you can try on the clothes was refreshing. We spend most of the day in Myongdong, we meet up with Monicas Korean friend Ji Hye, eat dinner #1 and then shop some more.  

After more shopping, we head back to the hostel to nap and start pre-gaming. For Monicas birthday festivities. Ji Hye came back with us and then Helen and Janet (Johns friends) met us at the hostel for some "circle of death." This brought be back to my college days. We head out to Hongdae (which is near a universities) area of Seoul, its known for its bars and clubs. We eat Korean barbaque before going out to S club. We actually where in line for another club which is 10,000 won to get in (around $10) but once we got to the bouncer is magically changed to 20,000 won so we left and went to S club which is free for foreigners :)

After leaving S club, we went to a nooribang! It was my first time going to a Nooribang in Korea. I have wanted to go to a nooribang since coming to Korea. A nooribang is Korean karaoke, but instead of singing for strangers you are in an individual room with just your friends. They also have nooribangs with video games and you can play Wii or sing. So we all sang karaoke, about 15 of us(Sophia and Mari went back early from S club). 

We leave the nooribang, eat kebabs and head back to the hostel. to find Sophia with her finger bandaged up. After her and Mari arrived back to the hostel, they where talking to Mr. Kim and something happened and her finger was dislocated to the side (I saw the pictures). Mr. Kim called the ambulance, she went to the hospital and returned back to the hostel, all before we got back. She was fine, we are all glad our insurance works. It cost less than $200 to ride in a ambulance and see a doctor. Hello healthcare!

The next day, the only things planned where a trip to Itaewon, which is where most foreigners live to get some Mexican food and shop in Dongdaemun,which is an indoor clothing market for trendy cheap clothes. After both, we headed back to catch our train which left at 6:15 pm, which was not KTX. It was the slow train so we arrived back in Daegu after 10 pm. Overall, it was a great first trip to Seoul. The next time, I want to sightsee, do tours and actually see the city not the inside of all the stores. I also want to start planning things to do with my parents when (if) they come to Seoul.