Parental (Outta)Control

From last week’s Word of the Week Wednesdays and Fun Fact Friday, you’ve probably already guessed that Brandon’s 엄마 and 아빠 were able to pay a much anticipated visit to South Korea.

As the arrival of his parents quickly approached, my co-teachers began asking “Do you know them?” and “Are you nervous to meet them?”  Little did they know, I’ve known the Bailas since the womb, so suffice it to say that, no I was not nervous to meet them.  In fact, we were counting down the days, cleaning the apartment, buying extra food; you know the usual routine when your parents come to visit. 

The brave souls that they were, hopped on a bus straight from Incheon and made their way to Korea’s Americanized sector of Seoul, Itaewon (where we dominated Halloween).  Groggy from the 1 hour plane flight and slightly car sick from the reckless foreign transportation, we decided to designate Friday night as a “mild” night. 

But anyone who has ever visited Itaewon knows that these things just don’t exist.  “Mild” refers to not booting your brains out on the streets of Seoul, while Ajoshi sips his soju and points and laughs.  In other words, yes, we stilled headed out to the bars, stayed up till circa 2 am and no, we did not black out, nor did anyone vom. 

And again, as you read last week, we paid a visit to the DMZ.  To our dismay, the weather was rather crappy and visibility was lacking.  However, we did get to travel (at a 90°, ajimma style angle) through one of the four tunnels that the North Koreans built following the armistice.  Assuming that you’ve read the last couple of blogs, I’ll keep the DMZ short and move onto the next shenanigans.

Following a much needed nap, Bear and Joyce were ready to party… and that we did.  With a 100,000 won tab in hand (thank you Halloween), things got pretty wild.  In fact, Bear and Brandon stayed out till nearly 4, despite the laundry list of tourist attractions to be visited the next day.

The next morning, slightly… drained, our laundry list was cut in half.  Changdeokgung Palace, in the center of Seoul, houses a secret garden and is a lovers’ lane.  The scenery is beyond gorgeous and a couple’s photography heaven.  From here we ventured to the largest fish market in Seoul.

Although several times I thought I was going to breakout in hives and have the worst allergic reaction thus far in my 3 year fish allergy escapade, we were AMAZED at the enormity of the fish, the market, the variety of fish, and the on-the-spot slaying.  Talk about fresh.

Following the whirlwind of a weekend, I was off to school, while Bear, Joyce, and Brandon headed down SE to a city known as the “outdoor museum” due to the rich history that has been preserved through the hundreds of years.

Upon their return, the former teacher, Joyce got to put her skills to use.  After teaching “Music” to my first graders, the 3 stooges joined me in teaching my afterschool class.  With a “never-ending” story and Joyce’s magical drawing skills, the kids were glued to the board and probably the best behaved I’ve ever seen them.  Joyce, you should probably come back and help me with all my classes?

Our time began winding down, but the fun continued to flood the streets, like Kimchi and Soju in a Korean restaurant.  Which, speaking of, come Saturday came Itaewon, which obviously means more antics.  Sight seeing during the day and frolicking at night.

A visit to the Seoul Tower allowed for cultural awareness with a traditional Korean performance, but also allotted for dismal moods, as Brandon and I noticed that our love lock was no where to be found.  Someone had moved it, and I was not happy about it.  Hmmph.

And remember the Cheonggyecheon stream that was once a trashcan for the entirety of Seoul’s populace?  Well, this just so happened to be the place of the Lantern Festival (pictures have already been posted).  Although once a symbol of filth and grime, this festival showed off Seoul’s true colors.  It was absolutely gorgeous and I couldn’t think of a better way to send Bear and Joyce off.

Well obviously other than another visit to Itaewon’s night life.  With one last night in order, drinks were shared and memories were once again made.  We’ve missed them since their departure, but it was enjoyable to have them visit and join in on the outta control Korean lifestyle.