I'm On A Boat!!

I've neglected this thing for far too long. I guess I was worried that if I actually took the time to write something it would just turn into whining, but since I posted something complaining about how miserable the heat's been making me I feel confident enough to update my adventures now.


Somehow our Adventure Saturdays have turned into Adventure Sundays (I'm blaming the time difference and the whole being in the future thing) and this past Sunday we headed up to Seoul to ride speed boats on the Han River. Our latest trip was replacing the much anticipated trip to the water park which was rained out the day before. Damn you, Monsoon! So, we picked up two of our friends from the gate and made the trek to the Seoul. Once we parked the car we picked up some snacks and headed to the nearest train station to head to the pier. I'm not even going to lie, I was so nervous about this train thing because the last one we had to get on went UNDER the Han River. Um what? How can the subway go under the river? This thought had completely blown my mind. I mean I know there's one in New York, and there's tunnels and all in the states where you're actually driving under the water, but I just don't understand how it's possible. What happens if there's a leak? You're trapped and you die, that's what. Obviously we arrived at the pier safe and sound since I'm writing this, but still you never know.

Walking to the pier.

View from the pier.

So, once we made it to the pier we paid our 10,000 won each (which is roughly $8.48 thanks to my won to dollars app on the Bb for allowing to me calculate that so quickly) suited up in our little life vests and we were off on the boat. OhMyGoodness whipping around on that boat was so much fun. I wasn't worried about falling overboard and drowning one bit, that's probably more due to the fact that I'm a great swimmer. What I was worried about, though, was falling into that nasty ass water and heaven forbid that shit get in my mouth and on my face and whatever else. No ma'am, I was not feelin that. I'm not even sure how polluted the water is actually, but it's the fact that it's a river, I can't see the bottom of it, and it's in a city. I mean Korea has pollution from China rolling on in when the wind blows just right, so who knows. I'm just saying, I didn't avoid any and all contact with water from the Neuse River back home, to come to Korea and suddenly grow a third arm from a splash of water reaching me over the sides of the boat, and if said water got on my body, I was fully prepared to bathe in Bleach anywhere surface cleaner when I got home. Just kidding..or am I? On a similar note, I also managed to successfully avoid the Tar River in Greenville, during several Ecology labs back in the day.


So after our spin on the speed boat the guys that came with us decided they were going to go out on the jet skis. Obviously, I wasn't feeling that idea for myself since we just saw a girl return from her ride and she was soaked from head to toe. As it turns out, you couldn't actually drive the jest skis yourself, so you would be at the total mercy of the driver, and if he wanted to soak you he could. After waiting around for their turns, the driver (would they be called drivers, maybe operator?) of the jet ski set up another one at the end of the dock and just as one of our friends was about to hop on the back, the guy realizes he doesn't have the key. Unfortunately for him he was a little too late in his discovery as he started to drift further and further out into the river. 

Still searching for that key.

After a brief rescue mission by two of the guy's co-workers that was quite comical our friends finally got their rides and we headed to KFC. It definitely wasn't an American KFC, there was no mac and cheese, and no snacker. I did have a tasty bulgogi chicken sandwich, that reminded me of the bulgogi burger from Mcdonald's, except you know this was chicken.

Hot and Bothered

After walking around all day in the sweltering heat (maybe it wasn't all day) and coming home to this hot ass apartment, I've come the conclusion that my life somewhat resembles a Miss Goldilocks, from The Three Bears (I really hope that the name of that story). Only, there's no wildlife here, aside from Theodore, but there sure is a whole magnitude of weather that I feel I'm just not equipped to deal with. 


Remember, when I first got here and I complained about how freaking cold it was. And how being so cold is completely unnecessary and I don't know how people in Alaska deal with it on the regular. Oh wait, I do, apparently they hunt moose out of helicopters in order to avoid the cold just like that woman who was nominated to be Vice President (I refuse to to put her name on here). All I have to say is winter is too cold.


Fast forward to spring. Oh, spring, I used to love you. The weather was starting to warm up, cherry blossoms were in bloom, and yellow sand was in the air.  Ugh, yellow sand. I am not missing that insanity. I didn't think I was going to survive it. I thought for sure I was going to stop breathing in the middle of the night from how congested my nose, and even my lungs felt. I still don't think I'm breathing as clear as I used to now. All I'm saying now, is spring has too many allergens.


And now, here we are in summer. It's so unbearably hot. Korea needs to invest in cheaper forms of air conditioning, and that shit needs to be throughout the house. None of this single stand up unit mess. I need cold air in every room. And don't even get me started on monsoon season. It started raining last Thursday morning and finally tapered off around 2 am Sunday morning. I had never seen so much rain before, let alone that much rain without any thunder. It was so strange and so humid. The humidity was so bad, it felt like I was camping. Everything had an extra damp feel going on, and it was not pleasant. Let's just say our single ac unit has been getting a work out these past few days. I can't wait for summer to be over, I know back in the states I wouldn't be saying such things. My time would be spent lounging around the pool working on my tan and enjoying the sunshine. If it were ever completely sunny here I'm sure I could motivate myself to do take up this lovely activity, but alas that is hardly ever the case. Damn you, monsoon season! Can I just say, that summer is too hot, or would that be too redundant?


I'm really hoping that fall is going to be good. Here's to hoping for a cooler autumn, one that will be juuuussst right.