Saturday night started out lazy, but ended up epic. It always turns out the nights where you make no plans and go with the flow yield the best surprises.
We started in Itaewon with some rooftop drinks and languid conversation, then the texts started to come in. Yeujin, a new lady friend, requested our presence in Hongdae. Relying on the interpretive powers of all three of us to decipher the directions scribed in Hangeul, we made it there none the worse for wear.
Over beers we discovered that Yeujin and her roommate had been waiting on their reservation to enter a basement club for the last two hours, and we were more than welcome to join them. However, they informed of us of the catch: this place did not cater to top 40 radio, electronic or house music, or really any western styleings at all. No, they played only Korean 80s hits, from romantic ballads to pop operas. Yeujin was worried that we’d drop out, but Tad and I were intrigued…
And with the decision made, I proceeded to have one of my best nights in Seoul since I’ve gotten here. Yeujin and I danced up a storm, I was involved in more than one dance throw down with various Koreans, and even though I understood next to none of the lyrics, the music was fantastic. We stayed until the sun came up.
The kicker? All of this was right across the street from a live music bar I’ve been going to for months. It makes me wonder how many other hidden gems there are just waiting to be discovered. I wish I had pictures, but I’ll be sure to grab some on my next visit. The morning after:
I will Yeujin, I will.
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Finding a gem among the tried and true is too good. Trying something new is good for the soul.
This experience is just a lesson that there is more to life than knowing a language!! If you are willing to accept the joy of what life has to offer, you can make the best of any given situation!! It sure seems that you guys had a real rocking time and I am sure that this will be an unforgettable experience!! Reading about all this, I can’t wait for my turn to go out and have a great time travelling around the world which I plan to do in a couple of years!!
When I go on vacation I always look for those hidden gems. I tend to avoid the “official” tourist cafes and bars, and try to find out where the locals go. It makes going on vacation a little more exciting and a bit unpredictable. Plus the official spots rip you off big time, because they know that tourists will pay their inflated prices.
Looking forward to reading about your other adventures!
Interesting story you got there. Entertaining and I can imagine you just going in and let it all out. I definitely have an idea now on what I’m going to do. How was it? It must have been real fun out there.
This is an excellent stress reliever for me and hopefully I can experience that too. But I don’t know where to start though.
-Gary @ the accounting firms Chicago blog
Cool story. Just goes to show that it pays to have an open mind about things sometimes. I mean sure, you could’ve just gone to the live music bar you always go to but this time you decided to try something new… and it sounds like it paid off!
Man! The 80′s! greed was good! It seems like this fairly new experiment called America swings from one extreme to the next, only to find out that it’s not about extremes but a central, moderate approach. I guess it’s just human nature to go as far as you can go with an idea, this is why it is so important to know history so that we can repeat the good and avoid the bad. That said, it ain’t happening anytime soon.However, it is possible!
‘Throughout the 1980′s, we did hear too much about individual gain and the ethos of selfishness and greed.
We did not hear enough about how to be a good member of a community, to define the common good and to repair the social contract.
And we also found that while prosperity does not trickle down from the most powerful to the rest of us, all too often indifference and even intolerance do.’
-Hillary Rodham Clinton