This past weekend I participated in a wild ETA get-together in Daegu, fondly referred to as DDP (Daegu Dance Party). It was very fun, but now I am wiped out and missing 2.5 earrings plus most of my dignity. However, I think I gained about ten pounds, so it all evens out in the end.
On Friday I had to teach second and sixth grades. Second grade was a nightmare—I forgot how energetic they are!—but both of my sixth grade classes were spectacular. It was nice to end the week on a good note like that.
I started out to Gumi to stay with my friend Janaki after lunch. It was a long afternoon of travel—two buses, an hour’s walk, and another train—but I finally arrived at dinnertime after only a few mishaps. First, I was unable to transfer money fom my Korean account to my American one because I forgot to bring my bank book to Buyeo, so that will have to wait another week. Meanwhile, I am racking up credit card debit. Ugh. Second, my walk from the Daejeon bus station to the train station was much longer than planned and this significantly lengthened my travel time. I like to walk, so it was fine for me, but poor Janaki, waiting on me…my phone nearly ran out of batteries, so I couldn’t call her. But I finally did arrive, bearing strawberries and books. I was given a tour of scenic downtown Gumi (nothing too spectacular, but we didn’t spend much time on this and I’m sure there’s a lot more here I’d like to see). She took me out for Japanese-Korean fusion food, which was an interesting experience because I knew none of the names of the dishes so ordering something vegetarian was somewhat of an adventure. I also met her host family—a very nice English-speaking family of four, with a ninth-grade boy and a fifth-grade girl. They lived in Utah at one point, so they are very good at English. It was so strange for me to be in a situation where Koreans actually spoke English! I am so accustomed to muddling my way through in Korean…I am reminded that my friends are all having very different Korean experiences than I. We ate a LOT of food at her house—first a second dinner of make-your-down kimbap (delicious, of course!) and then fruit and crackers for snack. It was basically like a slumber party, complete with snacks, pajamas, games, gossip, and fun. We probably really annoyed her family with our late-night giggles!
The next morning, we slept in and relaxed at Janaki’s house. We finally took a mid-afternoon train the half hour to Daegu, the third largest city in Korea in terms of population but the largest in size, to meet the crew. Not anxious for group activity quite yet, Janaki and I headed to Kyobo bookstore and the adjoining Starbucks first and happened to run into three of our friends there. First, though, we were sitting at this table next to this blond girl who just started chatting to us, presumably because we were whiteys. I actually really hate it when fellow Caucasians assume friendship and comradery on the simple basis of skin color. I mean, just ‘cause you’re white doesn’t mean I will like you. And plus, why are you so eager to reach out only to members of your own race? This girl was all right, I suppose, but kind of a ditsy Valley girl complete with highlights and immaculate makeup. A stark contrast to our rumpled twosome. I have to admit I was a bit peeved when I found out she’d been here only two months, didn’t know a single word of Korean, but already had a hot Korean boyfriend. Is there no justice?!? Luckily, we didn’t have to talk to her for long, though, before she left and Bianca, Dana, Susie, and Christina’s friend Taylor mysteriously materialized. This guy Taylor knew Christina in high school and was visiting for a bit on his world tour back home from his Peace Corps stint in the South Pacific. I was reminded again of just how much I’d like to do the Peace Corps…I must not let that opportunity slip away! I am constantly afraid I will suddenly be overcome with baby fever and that will be the end of my travels for the time being.
Anyway…we just walked around for a while that afternoon and then went to our hotel (a REAL hotel this time!!) I stayed with Bianca, Dana, and Janaki and I was really happy about that because they are perhaps my three favorite people in this country. They’re all just hysterical. Dana is a constant surprise—a Florida farmer accustomed to fighting gators/cultured metrosexual European/chain-smoking Iron Man athlete. And enormously funny to boot. And Bianca and Janaki, of course, have been my good friends for months now. Dana is in somewhat of a similar situation in that he’s very rural and isolated and he was trying to give me a pep talk after I mentioned how the start of this semester had been less than ideal. He had a horrible first semester, but is now loving Korea and we are all very happy he’s had this change of heart. I’m not too worried about my loneliness and drooping spirits, really—I’m content to ride it through because I am certain it’s only temporary and will soon pass. It was nice to be reassured and reminded of how much support I do have here, however. The whole crew ended up in our room somehow, bullshitting and gossiping and, in Dana and Susie’s case, doing facials, before we all headed out for the evening. And boy, was it a wild one! We went to two bars before hitting up a club, constantly adding people until there must have been thirty all together, counting Jen Sohn’s EPIK friends. They led us to the second bar, a Chinese place featuring strong, cheap, and disgusting liquor. Needless to say, we purchased quite a bit of that! And then we essentially closed down the club…Dana, Janaki, Bianca, Laura, Taylor, and I were there until past five! It was a really fun place. I’m sure all the alcohol I consumed had something to do with it, but it was packed and they played good music and it was nice to dance once more. I haven’t really done much of that since Cape Town, when it was at least a weekly event! I ended up dancing a lot with this Korean guy, surprisingly, but at one point he randomly told me I was mean for no apparent reason, so I of course had to stalk off. I have no idea where this came from, but I was quite upset at the time. While I am willing to admit that I am a mean person at times, I certainly was not to him! At least, not yet…But all in all, it was a fun night, and capping it off with street food and McDonald’s breakfast was just icing on the cake. We must have been quite a sight, staggering back to our hotel as everyone else was waking up…
There were some touristy things I wanted to do in Daegu—find some temples, go on some hikes, etc.—but when I woke up this morning after three hours of sleep I really didn’t feel up to it, so I just headed home. It’s a good thing I did, too, because what with the travel time, waiting for trains and buses, walking across Daejeon, and Costco, I still didn’t get home until almost seven! This is why I haven’t seen much in Korea…traveling is so difficult! Laura told me she managed to get Fridays off this semester and I’m so jealous. I guess I could have, should have, asked for this, but I don’t really feel comfortable asking for more when I’m given so much already. I might see if we can rearrange my Friday afternoon class, but other than that, I am happy enough with my situation.
And now, it’s time to prepare for another loooong week of screamin’ brats….