We hung out at Dizzy's for some time, then she mentioned that she wanted to get Christian a present. This is one of the people she works with from the USA I think. He is leaving shortly. We go downstairs and three of her buddies are camped out in front of the corner store ... Amanda, Katya, and Kate. They are very nice and I am introduced as "my Father". I though my name was "my Dad". Oh well, I am sure I will get used to it. Dizzy keeps speaking about exit 8. There is conversation about the benefits of exit 8 over exit 5. I do not have a clue what they are talking about.
We head off to exit 8 to find a liquor store to buy some tequila for the small party going on for Christian tonight. We see an entirely different area of Seoul, reminiscent of pictures and movie shots I have seen of Hong Kong. The streets are narrower, and the signs abundant. We walk and walk and I find the scenery quite intriguing. We stop at a Family Mart for an ale which is very nice (the beer and company that is; the surroundings at the Mart are disgusting). We then stroll back to the more familiar area of Gangnam where I am staying and head into a store and she buys a 26 pounder of Jose Cuervo or something similar.
We went back to Dizzy's place and she ran around and computed while I grabbed 40,000 winks ... it's usually 40, but 1 USD = 1000 KRW so it's 40,000 with the exchange rate. The plan was to go to a BBQ restaurant for dinner. I was now an expert on what she meant by exit 8, so we headed that way again, now that I was a seasoned expert. As it turns out there are 8 ways to get out of the subway. Surprise surprise, they are numbered 1 through 8.
Dinner is lovely, and the table is covered with sides all the way from garlic cloves and a corn salad to kimchi, the sort of national dish of Korea. We cook our own meat and have a lovely visit. She then puts the SW (used to be "stupid ferenge" but now it's "stupid waygook" in a taxi. The driver misses the Renaissance so I ask him to pull a U-turn; I have been here 24 hours and I am directing cab drivers already!! Cool.
The next treat is my becoming-least-favourite hotel I have stayed in. I check with a woman working the lobby about whether I will be able to watch the World Cup final at 3:30 in my room. She confirms I will so I check with the front desk just to make sure. The guy there, the same one I enjoyed (not!) yesterday at check-in confirms that it will be on using the room TVs. I ask if there is any big screen apparatus in the hotel that will be available ... "no no no, closing time". World Cup! Final! Is this Asia or North America. I checked to ensure my Slingbox works which it does.
I suspect the two people I asked about watching in my room might have given me false information :). I am listening to Marc Bolan wail Lean Woman Blues. I sure like that band T. Rex and often listen to The Slider and Electric Warrior. Bolan died in a car crash in September 1977. Bang a Gong ... a rock anthem.
Here's the plan for Monday
3:30AM is Spain and Nederlands in the final
9:30AM is cab to Dizzy school
~11:00AM is cab to Itaewon's Hamilton Hotel
11:30AM is hop-on-hop-off tour
6:00PM'ish is hook up with Dizzy
Then I will enjoy that little dolly for the last night of my stay here. My flight (potentially debacle #703) commences at 10:35AM Tuesday, with touch down in Ottawa just after 6PM eastern.
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