Reunions and Coronas
Korea doesn't save daylight. There are approximately 70 countries who participate in this clock-changing excitement in April and October, but the one I'm in isn't one. (Did you know that DST actually reduces electricity expenditures, as well as reduces traffic accidents? Ben Franklin knew what he was doing!!) So for those of you in the Central time zone, you are now only a mere 14 hours behind me. And those of you in Eastern are only 13 behind. Either way, The bulk of my day is complete before some of you've had breakfast, but it's just a point to note!
I had friends from Louisiana in this week! Beau and Burns arrived last Friday and we met up on Saturday night. (I last saw Beau at my farewell party! He is engaged to my friend Alice, who I met freshman year via an organization and living in the same dorm. I just didn't think that the next time I saw him would be in Seoul-- how random!) My friend Amber was celebrating her 25th birthday and we all went out to Carne Station ($22 for all you can eat and drink! For a girl who usually eats $.75 worth of food at buffet-style restaurants and is therefore the reason for such a "deal," the drinks definitely get me my money's worth! Not that I'm a lush or anything...) in Hongdae for the extravaganza. The fellow LSUers spent some time checking out Seoul before napping for a bit and then coming to join us. Amber's boyfriend, Sean, had reserved a room for our party, that wound up being around 30 people. We grilled our own meat (a traditional Korean BBQ) and nibbled on salad and other fixins. After our stomachs and livers could hold no more, we walked over to Bricx in Sinchon (there's another one of these located in Itaewon, the foreign area of town, where the Europeans seem to congregate) where they let us in free since we were such a large group! It wasn't too loud and there weren't people grinding all over each other on the dance floor, so we had a nice time being able to talk to one another and cash in on drink special coupons. Sam spent the majority of his time at the bar talking to Burns, who was talking about his old job and how he hated doing what he had to do to get promoted, and how he randomly got himself into the window film business (tint for commercial buildings and cars and anything else that needs to block enough sunlight to improve electric bills while still letting the light in) and landed himself in Korea to negotiate with the manufacturer. Sam has Army-imposed curfew and has to be off the streets by 1am, so we left the birthday gang about 12:45. The next day, Sam admitted that he liked my Louisiana guys. I said that he sounded surprised, and he said that he didn't expect to like them. When I asked why, his California-born self couldn't produce a good reason, only a shrug. So I felt pretty good, like it was a victory for my home state! Yeah! Geaux tigers!
I managed to finagle my way out of a work bonding experience. My boss put together a hike that he wanted everyone to attend, from bus drivers and staff and admin to teachers and whomever they might want to bring. My co-workers aren't bad people, but the ones I can communicate with, I do so enough on the weekdays and hardly have a desire for it to overflow into my time off. The other people I'm linked to via our employer, I can't exactly speak to, anything of substance anyway. And honestly, without having a bad attitude or being rude, I don't really care. If the bus drivers want to get my students to class on time, great. If they don't, what am I supposed to do about it? I just don't see a need for me to "socialize" with them, especially when there are a million and one other things I should be doing (like blogging, for example, or studying for a test that's next month that I already feel like I'm cramming for!) So the pressure was put on me and so were the jokes, but they're out hiking and recovering from their soju-filled Fridays, and well, I'm not, and not missing it! I'm certain Monday's renditions of the trip will be interesting. And if they are or if they aren't, I don't really give a hoot.
I have a cousin working in Hong Kong! He used to practice law, but has gone abroad for one reason or another that would make for an interesting screenplay, and done a variety of jobs in this independent former British colony. (Did you know that there are airlines in China claiming they fly international? When you ask where they go, they say Hong Kong. Way to capitalize on your marketing skills! I mean, it's not like it's false advertising!) I also have a cousin in the Navy, who got in touch with me before his ship arrived in HK for 8 days. I looked into flights to meet these two critters, but nothing less than $700 could be found on such short notice. That money would go a lot further on a different trip, so I decided to save it. And now, the Navy cousin will be in Thailand, and the one working in HK is looking for a travel buddy, so there may be a family reunion in Asia yet! It is truly a small world.
May 5 is Children's Day in Korea. Just like we celebrate Mother's, Father's, birthdays and the like, Korea celebrates kids! (For the record, I think this is a great day! Dad, make a note-- there's still time to ship tokens of your appreciation and have it arrive in time!) Our school has chosen to celebrate them by moving their classes to a different day and giving the teachers that Friday off, making it a 3-day weekend. For those of you who haven't taken a closer look at the date, it's what Baton Rougeians use as a great excuse to indulge in Superior Grill vices more so than even people whose native country and their victory in the Battle of Puebla are the reason for said holiday. So, I say it looks like a great reason for some sort of short vacation (or intense study period) and hey, a margarita in honor of the kids? Why not!
Copyright 2005 Olivia R. Reed
I had friends from Louisiana in this week! Beau and Burns arrived last Friday and we met up on Saturday night. (I last saw Beau at my farewell party! He is engaged to my friend Alice, who I met freshman year via an organization and living in the same dorm. I just didn't think that the next time I saw him would be in Seoul-- how random!) My friend Amber was celebrating her 25th birthday and we all went out to Carne Station ($22 for all you can eat and drink! For a girl who usually eats $.75 worth of food at buffet-style restaurants and is therefore the reason for such a "deal," the drinks definitely get me my money's worth! Not that I'm a lush or anything...) in Hongdae for the extravaganza. The fellow LSUers spent some time checking out Seoul before napping for a bit and then coming to join us. Amber's boyfriend, Sean, had reserved a room for our party, that wound up being around 30 people. We grilled our own meat (a traditional Korean BBQ) and nibbled on salad and other fixins. After our stomachs and livers could hold no more, we walked over to Bricx in Sinchon (there's another one of these located in Itaewon, the foreign area of town, where the Europeans seem to congregate) where they let us in free since we were such a large group! It wasn't too loud and there weren't people grinding all over each other on the dance floor, so we had a nice time being able to talk to one another and cash in on drink special coupons. Sam spent the majority of his time at the bar talking to Burns, who was talking about his old job and how he hated doing what he had to do to get promoted, and how he randomly got himself into the window film business (tint for commercial buildings and cars and anything else that needs to block enough sunlight to improve electric bills while still letting the light in) and landed himself in Korea to negotiate with the manufacturer. Sam has Army-imposed curfew and has to be off the streets by 1am, so we left the birthday gang about 12:45. The next day, Sam admitted that he liked my Louisiana guys. I said that he sounded surprised, and he said that he didn't expect to like them. When I asked why, his California-born self couldn't produce a good reason, only a shrug. So I felt pretty good, like it was a victory for my home state! Yeah! Geaux tigers!
I managed to finagle my way out of a work bonding experience. My boss put together a hike that he wanted everyone to attend, from bus drivers and staff and admin to teachers and whomever they might want to bring. My co-workers aren't bad people, but the ones I can communicate with, I do so enough on the weekdays and hardly have a desire for it to overflow into my time off. The other people I'm linked to via our employer, I can't exactly speak to, anything of substance anyway. And honestly, without having a bad attitude or being rude, I don't really care. If the bus drivers want to get my students to class on time, great. If they don't, what am I supposed to do about it? I just don't see a need for me to "socialize" with them, especially when there are a million and one other things I should be doing (like blogging, for example, or studying for a test that's next month that I already feel like I'm cramming for!) So the pressure was put on me and so were the jokes, but they're out hiking and recovering from their soju-filled Fridays, and well, I'm not, and not missing it! I'm certain Monday's renditions of the trip will be interesting. And if they are or if they aren't, I don't really give a hoot.
I have a cousin working in Hong Kong! He used to practice law, but has gone abroad for one reason or another that would make for an interesting screenplay, and done a variety of jobs in this independent former British colony. (Did you know that there are airlines in China claiming they fly international? When you ask where they go, they say Hong Kong. Way to capitalize on your marketing skills! I mean, it's not like it's false advertising!) I also have a cousin in the Navy, who got in touch with me before his ship arrived in HK for 8 days. I looked into flights to meet these two critters, but nothing less than $700 could be found on such short notice. That money would go a lot further on a different trip, so I decided to save it. And now, the Navy cousin will be in Thailand, and the one working in HK is looking for a travel buddy, so there may be a family reunion in Asia yet! It is truly a small world.
May 5 is Children's Day in Korea. Just like we celebrate Mother's, Father's, birthdays and the like, Korea celebrates kids! (For the record, I think this is a great day! Dad, make a note-- there's still time to ship tokens of your appreciation and have it arrive in time!) Our school has chosen to celebrate them by moving their classes to a different day and giving the teachers that Friday off, making it a 3-day weekend. For those of you who haven't taken a closer look at the date, it's what Baton Rougeians use as a great excuse to indulge in Superior Grill vices more so than even people whose native country and their victory in the Battle of Puebla are the reason for said holiday. So, I say it looks like a great reason for some sort of short vacation (or intense study period) and hey, a margarita in honor of the kids? Why not!
Copyright 2005 Olivia R. Reed
posted by LSULiv | 2:30 PM
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