After an afternoon of rafting, we went to Seoul and walked around the underground mall, which is huge and houses a kimchi museum, and aquarium, and the largest theater in Seoul, possibly Korea.

We were walked around by Cristina's cousin, who will prove to be the nicest person in Korea, and after window shopping for a couple hours we met up with the rest of her family for a feast. We went to this gigantic international buffet which must have been outrageously expensive, but SOOO GOOOD!!

You know you've grown accustomed to the food though, when you have a buffet from around the world, and you head straight for the kimchi. Before we ate though The Uncle(as we all call him) gave us this speech about how lucky we are, how Koreans are so nice and open to foreigners interested in their culture, how we should listen to our parents and specifically told me I had eyes that revealed kindness and trustworthiness like Abe Lincoln. I was extremely flattered and told him my dilemma of wanting to do what my mom tells me by coming home, but Koreans like him are so accommodating and welcoming that I might want to stay here. He told me I had a hard choice to make, but invited me back to Seoul when she comes to visit.

He then gave us his business card and told us to call him for anything... did I mention this guy is a councilman in Seoul? The guy just kept doting compliments and gifts upon us, and when we left dinner, he had given his son and daughter lots of cash and told us to do whatever we wanted. So we went to a jjimjilbang(bathhouse) and put our stuff down before a full night and dawn of clubbing.

The area we went to was packed with servicemen and their girlfriends, it was pretty disgusting. I had no idea how disgraceful they would make me feel for being the US. They were loud, obnoxious, tasteles, and rude to Koreans. But we found a place not to popular with that crowd and had a grand ol' time.

We were told by a co-teacher from one of the schools we send Fulbrighters to, that there are typically three rounds in the drinking culture here. He told us never to go to the third round, but we had no idea what that meant... til Saturday.
After the club, which was considered the first round, the girls went home and the boys had a second and third go round. We went out for more drinks and some food(typically you eat at bars too, some won't let you order drinks without food).
By the time we were done with that it was 4:30am. Then we went back to the jjimjilbang for the third round and baths. Basically, the third round is defined by not sleeping at all before going to work the next day. It's pretty common among businessmen who are trying to impress each other.

But the entire weekend I tried to pay for things... and couldn't. The family felt obligated to take us out and do everything for us. I don't know why, but it's just Korean I suppose. If someone says they will pay for the night, they seriously will pay for EVERYTHING. He even paid for me to get a scrub at the jjimjilbang, which leads me to my conclusion.

I had a very Korean experience. I had a man scrub me down completely naked. Let me just say that only a few special women and my doctor have touched me in the same way this strange man did. But I have a "new skin" everywhere, literally... yes, even there.


The Morning After