Finally a quiet moment...

Sorry for the blog absence, it's been a whirlwind since Nick got here. Getting him unpacked, settled, and everything he needed from various stores has been a full time job. I didn't expect us to go right back to normal as quickly as we did. It's like no time passed in some ways, but a lot of time in other ways. I got really used to my little routine. I got used to having everything clean and put away where I like it. I got used to living alone. I'm adjusting to having another body (and all the luggage that comes along with another body) in the apartment, but it's hard not to have my house clean and orderly.... to my standards. Considering he hasn't even been here a week I think we have things pretty well unpacked and stuff, it's just a matter of finding a little more storage space so things are lying around.

Anyway, the weekend was wonderrrrful. I attended my first Korean wedding on Saturday. I feel badly for Korean brides. I felt more like I was watching some crazy Asian reality TV show than a wedding. First of all ,you invite EVERYONE you've ever met to you wedding, which results in half of your guests standing out in the doorway. The wedding, from start to everyone finishing the meal and leaving takes well under 2 hours. You pretty much HAVE to rent out a wedding hall, Koreans don't see it as optional... which costs at a bare minimum 40,000 dollars. So the ceremony starts, there are lighting effects and music going. After the quick vows we hear singing.... yes, the groom was SINGING (very poorly) to the bride. It was painful to watch. The sining stops and we hear cheering...... the groom was doing pushups with the bride sitting on his back!!! WTF! Meanwhile, people are coming and going from the wedding hall, everyone is talking and socializing, and half the guests are on cell phones. I felt like there was nothing sacred or special about the day. If I were a bride I would feel a little shafted as far as having that "special day.

After the mess they call a wedding, we (Nick, Alicia, and myself) took a cab over to Technomart. Technomart is any geeks HEAVEN. It's a huge building.... 8 floors of nothing but electronics. Each floor has a theme... 8th floor computers, 3rd floor cameras, 2nd floor cell phones, 5th floor navigation and other car electronics.... and other floors full of other electronics. It was a little overwhelming.... it's hard to tell where to start! I found some GREAT cameras, and now I can't decide if I want thing amazing little camera called the Mirror, it has a touch screen, HD video recording, and a screen on the front so you can take pictures of yourself. :-) I found some DSLR's for a great price as well. I'm really torn between a nice smaller camera, and the DSLR of my dreams! Eeep! I have some bills I want to pay off first, but maybe I can leave Korea with both in the end.

Once we finished the madness of Technomart we stopped at a few street vendors (it was sooo cold out, well below freezing) then hopped on a bus to Kondae. I couldn't wait to show nick Kondae, and I'm happy he was impressed. First we went and got some dalk galbi for dinner, which is probably my favorite Korean food. That's the dish I put pictures up of a few entries ago. He loved it as well! After dinner we decided to head down to the hookah bar, since it had been a long time since Nick and I got to smoke hookah together. He loved the hookah bar as well, and we all agreed it was delicious. A few beers and a cashed hookah later we ventured back out into the freezing and did a little bar hopping. We walked into Bar Yuki (my fav bar) right as they were starting the fire show. This is comprised of bottle of booze being tossed and juggled, table being set on fire, and fire breathing. All this while they turn up the music and turn on the strobe lights and such. Nick liked it all, but I think it was a bit much to absorb for one day haha.

By this time we had been out and about for like 7 hours, and we wanted to call it a night..... but not before going to emart, my korean favorite! What started out as a quick trip turned into almost 3 hours of shopping. There was so much to show nick! He bought a dapper new winter coat, and various other things. I was happy finding some new western foods... they tend to rotate things in and out. I didn't pick up the peanut butter pretzels, so I hope they have them next time!

Yesterday (sunday) Alicia and I took nick down to the open air market, which if you've been following you know is my favorite Korean place so far (well.... maybe a tie with emart). It was really cold, so we only stayed out maybe an hour... but he got to see a lot of the vendors and shops. We bought a few other things we needed for the house, then spent the rest of the day cleaning and relaxing around the house. It was a wonderful weekend indeed. I have big plans already brewing for next weekend, so hopefully it isn't as FREEZING as this weekend so we can venture further from home!

Mwah.