The living fossils...goats

This weekend was full of firsts for me.  After work on Friday, we drank and then took the midnight bus to Seoul.  We arrived in Seoul at 4:00 am and decided it was best to just sleep in the bus terminal for we needed to be at Camp Kim at 8:30. 

We got to the bus terminal and we found all of these seating areas surrounded by various faux-foliage.  So we chose one area to be out campground.  Our clothes had gotten wet on the bus because the floor of the bus was wet and we put our bags down.  So we took out our wet clothes and hung them around our area to dry.  It looked so much like camping that it prompted Robby to say "ah, I love camping."  At that moment this weird music came on and we could hear birds chirping.  It was perfect timing.  Camping!

Later when we were looking around the bus terminal, we passed a true picturesque scene.  We walked by a McDonald's where they had a bench with a statue of Ronald McDonald sitting and next to Ronald was an old Korean man just hangin' out.  It was hilariously anachronistic.

We finally got to Camp Kim which is the USO base and where we began our DMZ tour.  First we went to one of the underground caves that North Koreans had build in attempt to infiltrate South Korea.  Before the tunnel we got to watch a movie about the DMZ and how beautiful it is and how many wonderful wild animals live in the DMZ including "the living fossils...goats."  Bahahahaha

In the tunnel everyone had to duck to walk through because the ceiling was so low.  Everyone...except for me.  I ducked not once, not once.  Take that tall people, no back pain for me!  So many advantages!

We went to a spot where you could look into North Korea and we went to the train station that connected Seoul to Pyongyang.  But the most exciting part was going to the Joint Security Area and getting to step into North Korea.  Bam!

Later that evening we met a friend in Gangnam.  He took us around for drinking and one bar carded us.  Now, not only was this the first time I have ever been carded or seen anyone be carded in Korea, it was the first time I've ever been carded outside of North America.  However, I suppose I'm grateful and I take it as a compliment,

The next day we went to Everland, home of the steepest wooden roller coaster in the world.  It is the best roller coaster I have ever been on in my life.  It was awesome. 

Everland was Halloween themed when we got there (in the beginning of September) and everyone kept singing "Happy Halloween" and we were just like....not Halloween.  But it was cool because we got to go into this terrifying haunted house.  I love haunted houses; I go everywhere to get to the best ones.  This one was unexpectedly the best haunted house I've ever been in.  It was so scary.  I was genuinely terrified.  They did such a good job.

But the bext and most unexpected part about Everland and the whole trip was that we got to see a Liger!  I didn't know they were real.  But they are!  They are so bizarre looking.  Much bigger than a lion or a tiger.  They have tiger stripes and lion color.  So mythical-looking...wow, fantastic.

바 보

I was walking Benes today when I came across a couple with a dog.  (This is pretty rare, most people are terrified of dogs). 


The couple came up and started talking to Benes and they tried to get her to do some tricks.  Benes only knows "sit" in Korean, so "anja."  But Benes ain't the brightest crayon so the guy is going "anja!  anja!" and she was just staring at him with a look of sheer confusion on her face.  Then they tried "hand" or "som" and that wasn't happening either. 

So I patted Benes on the head and said "babo" which means "stupid" in Korean.  I was trying to make a joke like "she's dumb so she can't do tricks."  But the couple thought I meant that her name is "babo."

The guy then starts asking me "where are you from?" and all that.  Then he points to his girlfriend.  "My...girlfriend."  Then, he points to her again but looks directly at me.  "I love you," meaning "I love her."  Pronouns are tough...



So anyway,  I walked away but turns out they were going in the same direction as me so they started after me yelling "BABO!!!!  BAABOO!!!"in attempt to call Benes and get her attention.  I just laughed and laughed.


When we both crossed the street they called to Benes again, convinced she was going the wrong way although I had her on a leash, "Babo!!"



God this was so funny, SO funny.