Kim's Birthday Weekend

Kim's Birthday weekend in Seoul was quite the debacle. It started early as Jake and I sprinted up 15 flights of subway stairs to the KTX speed train station just minutes before our train departed. After pushing our way past reams of travelers we spotted the rest of the crew on the tracks. Phew, sometimes trying to save a few by taking the subway instead of a taxi just isn't worth it.

Aboard the train, Jesse started the day lavishly with champagne. We popped the bottle and played some rummy which granted us plenty of stares from the other patrons. It was 11:00 am - give us a break. In just under an hour, we arrived in Seoul.

The first stop was Itaewon. We dined at the Ecume wine bar for lunch. Jake was in a state of bliss as he savored a rare, blue cheese steak. Generally, steak doesn't come with a temperature request here and is served well-done if served at all. Kim was less lucky in her meal selection and ended up with an anchovie laden bowl of olives that was deemed pasta. Then, things got worse when she put her long-sleeve white shirt in a pool of red wine that the chef slash sommelier left as a parting gift on the table. That coupled with a few dropped olives on the chest resulted in some raucous laughing. Hey, when stuff goes wrong you might as well stay up beat.

The day continued with a stop at Bill and Robyn's luxury apartment. They are friends of Kim and Jesse from back home, but Bill works for an automotive company and is hooked up. The surprises continued with a delectable, chocolate birthday cake and more champagne.

An hour or so later, we made our way to the Samseong area to catch what was supposed to be the highlight of the day - the Hedwig Musical. While the show was visually enticing, the entire script was one man singing his story. Lack of acting and visuals left us perplexed in a sea of Korean. Good thing there was lots of rock music and spastic melt downs on the stage to wake us from our champagne induced naps. Maybe the theatre should wait until it's in English - ha, ha.

After catching back up with Jake, the only wise one who refused to spend 60,000 won on a musical, we headed to Apgujeong. This is a posh dining area full of trendy shops. We went to a aesthetically impressive Thai-Italian restaurant called, "Zen Living Space." Naturally, we had a humongous corner with three plush red couches the size of beds arranged around a large wooden family style table. Bamboo screens kept us hidden from the other restauranters. I think this may have been intentional ; ). Jake and I were winding down on our budget, but shared some tom yum soup, pad see yu, and sangria. It was lovely.

Of course, the night would not have been complete without more drinks and fun so the shenanigans continued to the Wa Bar which boasts an island of beers in a built in bar which we moseyed up to. After a few drinks, people parted ways. Jake and Michael were too sleepy to continue. Reluctant to end the Seoul journey early, I met up with Sabrina and a bunch of her friends. We tried our feet at salsa and then headed to a funk dance club until way too late. All in all, a good trip.