I am ashamed!

I paid almost 10 dollars today for a box of Stove Top. It was my only purchase at the black market. I couldn't bring myself to pay those prices for anything else. We are talking MAJOOOOR highway robbery! A packet of taco seasoning (which is like what... a dollar, max?) was over 6 bucks! A can of cake frosting 9 bucks! Cheezits.... 12 bucks! A box of powder style mac and cheese... 7 bucks!!! I reallllly wanted some mac and cheese, but I couldn't talk myself into paying 14 times the price it is at home. I just can't do it!!!

Ok, enough ranting about the black market. Itaewon wasn't what I expected. You know how in San Fran and NYC they have China Town... Little Italy... stuff like that? Well, it's little America. Haha. Seriously. Most of the signs are in English, tons of foreign restaurants and shopping, and you can hear English all over the place! It was strange to see more foreign people than Koreans. I've grown so used to being the only white person walking down the street. I was almost uncomfortable, in a strange way. I can't really explain it.

We ended up deciding on Mexican food for dinner. I was really excited, it looked JUST like any Mexican joint back in the US. After some margaritas and corona the food showed up, it looked amazing.... I took a bite... and it was SOOO bad! I kind of expected it, but it looked so good! They put like spaghetti sauce on the burrito instead of enchilada sauce! Inside, they put ground beef type stuff that had korean flavors on it, and instead of mexican rice... it had like the chicken and herb rice-a-roni. FAIL!! Total bummer! I ate like at least half of it though, because it wasn't Korean food. Anything other than Korean was winning for me!




After Itaewon we took the subway back to Kondae to get some drinks. On the Subway I made some friends. This Korean police looking guy (maybe military) was staring at me HARDCORE, After getting chatted up/smiled at/goosed/ and crazy eye contact all day I was feeling a bit ballsy. So I smiled, stared, and made some funny faces. He smirked a few times, but never broke his serious stern face. Finally, after a 30 mins awkward subway ride (mind you I was squished between two other Korean dudes, one who put on his face mask after I looked at him) it was time to get off. I gave the man a HUGE smile and wave (which doesn't happen here) and I got a nod back! It's a breakthrough. I will will Korea over, I will I tell you!

Kondae was same as it every other time we've been there. Tons of crowds, street food, weird people, guys asking me where a bank is (in English) as an excuse to talk to me, and bars! Went to two bars, had some drinks and munchies... then called it a night.

All in all it was a good adventure. I'll go back to Itaewon when I'm in dire need for black market goods.... but other than that, I like my little corner of Seoul we call Gwangjin-Gu! :-)



Tomorrow.... maybe I'll be up for another adventure. Alicia and I are going to emart (food shopping) and I need to clean the apartment. Things are sooo dusty!!

Ni-ni