Who is this girl?

Tonight was such an amazing night, I just must blog about it. In fact, the whole day has been fabulous (considering I got to speak to Trailer Park Boy on Skype and eat ramyun--not entirely equal happenstance).

But tonight: tonight began with going out to dinner with my co-teachers at a Japanese restaurant (of all places), eating near-live Octopus (which means the octo-shavings and legs were STILL MOVING as I was eating them), drinking soju and soaking up local culture. The evening progressed into a full-blown "celebration" in Bupyeong (less than $4 taxi ride away and a little bit of wandering). We ended up at the foreigner bar, Goose Goose. While enjoyable, the real fun was yet to come.

We traversed our way to  Hobar (that's right, ladies and gents, ho-bar) where my entire perception of the world changed. Alas, I am being melodramatic again, but I can't help myself. Never before have I been the source of attention not of my own forcible making. I mean to say that while I have been the center of attention before, it was because I worked very hard so that I could earn it (i.e. theater) or I elbowed and shoved my way to the front. Tonight was not like that.

Immediately upon entering the bar, I knew this is not my "kind of place." There were many lasers and a blacklight making my neon pink shirt that my ma bought me at Michael's 24 hours before I left the states for $3 glow like a glowstick and the music is what I like to call "bumpin," nearly too loud to hear each other. And so I make friends with the bartender, a VERY nice girl. And then three girls playing darts. And then two shy girls interested in my co-teacher. And on and on and on. Everyone, so nice, so complimentary, and so enamored with ME--I can only presume because I am "waygookin," or foreigner.

Me, the girl without rhythm, tore up the dance floor, entire groups of Koreans forming circles around me as I kicked it like I would alone in my bedroom. Some of the best dancers made way for me, some geek from Arizona, with no idea of what she is doing. How surreal, right? An entirely out-of-body experience, to be sure. I convinced my attachés that I was making it up as I went along. Fake it 'til you make it, that I convinced myself that I would never see these people again. So I played wingman, my favorite role, enhancing the awesomeness within the people around me so that other people notice.

And there is so much awesomeness to notice. What kind people the Koreans are. Sometimes they are timid, but they nothing but kind. I am glad for tonight. It made me fall in love with this place.