[Part 1] 102. Meetups in Bucheon and Seoul

I had…a long night again, as usual. It’s always like that whenever I sleep in a jjimjilbang.
The worst thing that happened that night was meeting a freaking weird ajumma who kept talking really loudly (to random people who came into the room) and then woke me up. She asked me to sleep in another corner near her and I didn’t get why I had to move?! I was the nearest by the doorway but I wasn’t blocking it or her or anything. And she wasn’t even a staff. What has my sleeping location got to do with her? But because I didn’t want to create a commotion especially when everyone else was sleeping, I meekly obeyed her orders and moved to where she directed and just after I put my stuff down, she asked me to move again… to a corner right at the opposite end of the room -.- Major WTH moment. It took me so long to fall asleep and then she had to wake me up and piss me off by asking me to move here and there when it was none of her business?! I was SO pissed off that I said “미쳤어” (yes, in 반말) to her and left the room to look for another sleeping spot. Why do I keep meeting weird people?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

After what seemed like eternity, it was finally 8am and I went to the 목욕탕 for awhile before bathing and setting off for Bucheon. I wanted to lock my hand luggage in the locker storage available in the train station but somehow, I just couldn’t clear the fingerprint procedure and gave up after trying at least 5 times. First the woman, second with not being able to contact someone at all after making at least 15 calls consecutively for 1 hour with my battery running flat, and then the locker problem. After finally arriving in Bucheon, I was too tired and cold to wait for the bus and I didn’t think I could manage with carrying my luggage up the bus anymore so I took the cab to Youngjin’s place.

I had a good lunch with Youngjin’s mum and ate a very delicious fish that was sent to her from Busan. I stay in Busan but I rarely get to eat fish. She gave me a very pretty hairband and a scarf too. We waited till my handphone was charged till about 90% before going to the phone shop to change the bank account used for my phone line to my name instead now that I have my Alien Registration Number. YJ’s family will be shifting to Incheon in a few weeks’ time so I won’t have any reason to go to Bucheon anymore. I’ve had many beautiful memories made there. I’ll miss you, Bucheon!

YJ’s dog likes to kiss me

There’s a new subway line from Bucheon to Seoul so I took the line down to the Express Bus Terminal for my Laduree fix :) There were only 14 flavours available and given the turn of events for the day, I couldn’t be bothered to think about the cost and just wanted to be happy so I bought all 14 flavours for 3,500원 each and a pretty box for 6,000원. After that, I rushed down to Lotte Hotel in Myeongdong to check in. My room’s in the new wing and it’s so much more spacious and nicer than the one in the old wing which I stayed in back in 2005. It’s been 7 years since I first fell in love with Korea.

Laduree purchases || Checking in on the 14th floor 

My room for 2 nights. No more jjimjilbang! 

There’s a separate shower area too

I spent the rest of the afternoon chilling and resting since I had had such a hectic day before rushing off to Myeongdong Station to meet Jaehyun and Jimmy. I managed to get from Lotte Hotel (Euljiro-1-ga Station) to Myeongdong Station in 8 minutes. Not bad right? I know Myeongdong so well, almost as well as Orchard Road. But unfortunately, Jaehyun was in a cafe which I had never seen in Myeongdong before so even though I reached Myeongdong Station punctually, I ended up being late by about 15 minutes because I couldn’t navigate the map that he sent me via Kakaotalk. The only map that I know’s in my head. In the end, he had to come to the station to get me. Oops. We went for 족발 for dinner at an eatery near Pacific Hotel. Food was good but I felt so guilty eating it. The guys convinced me that it’s not fats but collagen which is good for my skin, to which I replied “yes, Doctor”. Jaehyun’s my buddy from Korea University back in 2010. After graduating this year, he got into one of the top medical schools in Seoul so he’s a future doctor-to-be. In due time, my 1st Korean doctor friend! The guys paid so I wanted to buy them drinks but they paid for me again. So sweet of them!
We went for cupcakes in Myeongdong (cool guys) and talked till 9pm+. It’s pretty amazing how I can converse in Korean and understand most of the conversation now. We talked about everything, from politics to school life to girls/소개팅, etc. They even walked me back to the hotel. Miss these 2 guys!

Back in the hotel, I waited for my relatives to arrive. Miss them! The last time I met them was almost a year ago when we went to Taiwan together. 1 year passed so fast! 

Finally used these :)