Alcoholism to the extreme!!! Its 4 o'clock ( not really but this is where my mis-adventure starts) and I just got off work. Other good news aside from school ending at 4 from now on, is that I have a day off tommorow (applause). So I decided to head to Busan to do a lil mosien' around. So I grab a bus and a subway and a hour and a half later I arrive in Busan around 6 o'clock.
They have these huge cartoon bottles of 'soju' walking around with people inside of them handing out alcohol all over the streets. I even saw a mother hand a lil' bottle to their child, it really warmed my heart. Once that little bottle entered the kids hand it set that childs life on a path of alcoholism, and that people is something you dont witness everyday.
So after I brushed that out of my mind I checked out some fake Nike's that they sell on the street, but who would of thought I have the biggest feet in Korea and they didn't have my size. I wasnt even thinking, I pretty much came to Korea in the first place just to buy fake shoes on the street, but I didnt take into consideration that they have never heard of the size "twelve" before. Its ok I will live and have to find other sweatshop products to buy for even cheaper than the market sells them for.
So this bummed me out a little so I decided to walk down some random alleys lookin' for a bite to eat. Welly welly well, I stumbled upon a little fashion district, every store had cool retro clothes or the latest trend. I walked into this vintage store and started talking to the owner, this 26 year old named Kim, who spoke pretty good english and the conversation was good. The store having only clothes to small for my rugged Canadian body didnt work out, but Kim was a really cool guy, I asked him if he wanted to go for some maekchu's (beers) later and I said I would be back around 10.
Lou & Kim- new best friends So I go to the shop next door and find some cool tie's and chat with the owner this 24 year old named Syon, pronounced "Shaun,Sean,Shawn", whose girlfriend was actually in Toronto studying English. This guy wanted me to teach him english and maybe go to this bar calle OL 55 where foreigners hang out. I told him I had already met another man and I am sorry even though he was really charming. No, the thing was that their stores close late and the subway stops running at 11ish and I couldnt get home in time for school the next day. So unfortunately he's out of luck since I will be heading to Seoul by the end of the week.
Lou & Syon- Tie shop So I purchased a tie 'watermelon-esqe' and left. I made my way back to the busy intersection where the 'soju' bottles walk around and checked out this street vendor who was from Peru and selling bracelets, necklaces, you know chachka's. We went over the same routine of where we are from and how long have we been in Korea. He was a really nice guy we took some pictures with the soju bottles and I ended up getting a little necklace as a gift for someone, but I lost it. So Rowan i'm sorry, I hope you liked it.
Rafeal- King of Kyungsung VendingI have gifts to get for like 20 people, but you wont be getting them until I come home.
As I was talking to the Peruvian vendor, this photographer came up behind me and asked me if he could take a picture of me for this magazine called streetstyle. He was digging my style, what can I say, im put myself together quite nicely. So I got his email and told me where I could cop the magazine and he went one way and I went the other.
I arrived back at the vintage shop at 10 to go grab a drink and Kim already ordered food and had a couple buddies coming with some soju and maekchu's to hang out in his shop. Honestly everyone was real cool, really good people. I tried a few dishes ive never heard of or ever thought of eating. There was this pig meat with bones in it, and you are supposed to eat the bone, just chew it up and swallow it. The meat was tasty and had a good spice to it, but the bone was not necessary thats how I felt, but really good. Then we had some dried squid that comes in packages like pepperoni sticks, just flatter. Not a huge fish fan I am, I had one piece and that was enough. Then there was this minced fish soup, also too fishy. Followed by some big kimchi pancake very tasty, and this tofu stuff which was good as well. The beer was the best part of the meal.
Kim was into photography and had like 3 cameras, this wicked strictly fisheye camera, a 1 shot two picture camera and this wicked digital single-lens-reflex. Pretty much just got along like we new each other for years, a great guy and he actually told me not to go to Seoul and get a job in Busan. Id love to guy, but I gotta follow my path.
So It was around 1130 and I had to grab the bus, because I didnt want to sleep in the subway like my last midadventure to Busan. So I buy my ticket and jump on the subway.
Sidetracked..... The subway was supposed to, and this was a big supposed too go to Seomyeon which is the transfer spot where I would get onto my train to go home. Well it got to one stop before that and said... end of the line. UHhhhhhh was my expression because I was still a long way from home and never been to this stop before and had 5 hours to kill. So I get out of the subway station and say 'hello' to a little city called Jeonpo.
I just start walking until I see a street with tons of lights down the way. So I hop on my left and rights and make my way like a deer caught in the headlights or bug in a bug-zapper you have heard the comparisons. This city actually seemed pretty cool, huge buildings, neon lights everywhere and I saw my first Mcdonalds which I would soon get kicked out of.
So I walk around the streets some more and they are filled with students and drunkards coming out of the bars or just entering. Bars here are open extremely late, some dont close until you leave. What a country! So I was getting a little hungry cause dinner didn't fill me up, so I thought lets see what the Korean Mcdonald's is like. I talked to the server and showed her my Mcdonald's gold card and said I worked for a Mcdonalds back home in Canada. I ordered a bigmac meal with a coke sat down to eat. Not to bad, but the same shit as in Canada. So I went back to order a 4 pack of nuggets for 1000 won,$1.25 cdn, and these have a distinctly different taste than in Canada. I think it has to do with the oil they cook it in, and the chicken tasted different too. Not bad, just different. So while I am eating this I am dozing off with my headphones on, and without noticing... I fell asleep. I woke like an hour later and the place was empty at around 2 in the morning, it was a 24 hour Mcd's though. So I went up to the server and told her that about the whole situation and that I had no clue what to do for 3 hours and I am so tired. She understood but said her manager was anrgy, so I picked up my stuff and left.
3 hours left in Jeonpo and all walked out. Basically I just baby stepped my way everywhere hoping it would take longer to walk around the town. But after an hour I was done. So now its 3 oclock and I decide to wake myself up by playing some hacky-sack. I find a nice spot right out infront of a Bar it looks like beside the Mcdonalds I got the boot from.
Im not even playing for 5 minutes before some workers come out for a smoke, and this guy named Lee from the bar starts playing.
Sidenote... As we were playing this old woman was walking by
and the hacky-sack went right to her and she kicked and kept
it in play. I just want to say ' You are awesome Old woman,
thank you for restoring my faith that some people never lose
there love for kicking things"
So while Lee and I are playing were talking and his manager comes out and explains the situation I am in, and asked me if I want to come into the bar to get warm. The bar real looked nice so I was like... yes definitely.
So it turned out to be a kareoke bar, but each group of people get their own room and a server. This room is filled a couple flatscreens a strobe light, tamboreens, couches, and book full of songs. So the manager brings us some coffee and Lee and I start singing. I chose Bohemiam Rhapsody, that quickly changed and I ended up putting on Dr. Dre "forget about Dre", and tore it up. Ha, it was fun. The manager said I could crash in the room for however long I needed, and I did. I fell asleep right away and woke up around 5:30 am. Lee came back and wanted to introduce me to his girlfriend upstairs working at a GS 25, a convenient store like 7-11. She was a really pretty girl, and was happy that I agreed. Ha... So I said my goodbyes and com-sa-ha-me-da's (thank you's) and walked back to the subway station and got home around 7 in the morning.
Anyways today on my day off I am heading back to Busan a bit earlier though. Just to go to the beach and enjoy the beautiful sun and go back to Kim's shop and say thanks.
till we speak again...
Heres to the mom and pops
