Anyways, all I did was go into a particular entertainment district, Sinchon, with a few friends to grab dinner and a few drinks. There's only 2 notes of interest worth telling here.
1) Getting Off the Bus - The method of paying for public transport in the Seoul area is to swipe a card when you get begin your journey and then to swipe your card when you end your journey. Well, as I was getting off the bus, using the rear door, I was attempting to swipe my card. It was not working so I went ahead and got off the bus to let the line that was developing behind me get off. As I stepped off the bus I realized that I was using the wrong card. Not wanting to be charged the full amount, I decided to dart back in the bus after everyone got off and swipe my card.
I only half-stepped into the bus and reached in to swipe my card. While I was doing this the door closed on me quite suddenly and forcefully. While pushing the door back open, I was trying to squeeze out of the bus. I managed to escape the grasp of the door except for one problem: my left sandal got caught in the door and was now half-way hanging out. The bus began pulling away, but I did not want to spend my first night in Seoul with only one sandal. So I chased after it and began yanking it when I caught up with it. The driver finally saw me, stopped the bus, and opened the door for me so that I could have my sandal back. Success.
2) Uncomfortable Seating - We went to an English bar for drinks after dinner (not "English" as in fish'n'chips and pints and all..."English" as in everything was written in English and English music was played). For some reason, although many tables were available for use, my group chose the most uncomfortable, but granted, unique, place to set up camp...a bunk bed. The "table" we sat at was actually the bottom bunk of a bunkbed. Instead of a mattress, there was a platform with pillows and blankets. I guess, because I was the new guy and didn't know any better, I ended up with the most uncomfortable seat. There was a total of 7 of us. Well, 6 of us (3 on each side) sat at opposing ends of the bunkbed facing each other and having a back to lean against. I, unfortunately, had to sit in the middle. This was an inconvenient situation as, one, I had no back support, and two, I was in the middle of two groups of conversations but not actually in either one of them. Oh well.
That was it for my first Seoul experience. Almost losing a sandal and sitting on a bunkbed for many uncomfortable hours. A good time.
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