Chuseok

It’s the last day before the 5 day Chuseok holiday and the students and teachers are all equally excited to have a few days off – including myself.

Chuseok is the Korean Thanksgiving. Traditionally giving thanks for a good harvest, it is more common now that Chuseok is chance for families to get together and return to their home towns and spend time with each other and friends.

Climbing

PEAKING

Hongdae LIVE

Since I have no family here **sobs** I decided to head over the water to Tokyo, Japan. I booked this trip way back in June when I found out about Chuseok and that we’d have the 3 days off as a National Holiday. I've got recommendations from friends and my Lonely Plant guide - I’m SO ready to go.

I’ll arrive in Tokyo on Wednesday evening where I’ll meet my friend Sam and we’ll go and have lots of adventures that I’m sure I’ll tell you all about once I’m back. Teachers at school can't seem to understand that I'm going to Japan with a guy who isn't my boyfriend... If only they knew the truth!!........

There are a few things that I definitely want to fit in and whole load more that I’d love to do if we have the time. I’m only going to be there for 3 full days really, leaving early on Sunday to catch my 2 hour flight back to Seoul so I’m going to have to go some to get the most out of the trip. I’m going to be exhausted...but, I'M GOING TO TOKYO. Mental. My life right now... hilarious.

I’m still catching up on sleep from this weekend. I made the most of it, fitting in a dinner down in southern Seoul, Korean class on Friday (that went particularly badly!), chicken and beer with a friend, Dana (chicken and beer is a popular combo here), daytime wandering, nighttime Hongdae, Yongmasan mountain climbing and watching the LG Twins lose a baseball match with Katie.

Mt. Yongmasan

Jamsil Stadium

Back at school, Monday and Tuesday this week flew by so quickly – 7 classes and Teachers’ Conversation Classes DONE. I was outta that school early doors at 4.25pm.

Seafood Sidewalk

Fixie

Tonight, I headed up to Banghak for a trip to a bicycle shop where Katie bought a superb bike and we had a dinner of mostly muscles, egg, beer and soju on the side of the road.
We wandered into what we thought was a pool hall but turned out to look like a serious pool club. We moved away fairly quickly. Further into the building we saw a sign for a gym and both of us had been looking for one for weeks so even thought the lights were off we walked on, down the corridor. This corridor started to look more and more creepy when we saw an elderly man with a walking frame hobble past us in the opposite direction. Eventually we saw the door for what we had assumed was the entrance to the gym...

Turns out we were in some weird little hospital and had wandered ONTO A WARD WITH PATIENTS SLEEPING/..............

There are no words. It was hilarious and totally awful all at the same time. I really don't know how we end up in these situations. Korea is weird and crazy and I never have any idea what the hell is going on!

An excellently odd start to the Chuseok break.

Next stop: Tokyo!!

Until next time,
Bren.

PS, So... I went to Hongdae to watch the performers in the park. I was dancing along. I danced into a bush.

Possibly funnier if you were there.