Korea Day 23

It's the last work day of the week!! We went skating again today but it wasn't as much fun. The rink here has a free skate at the same time as practices for speed skating and figure skating. The ice surface gets broken up into areas for different events. The practices get the ends of the rinks and the centre. The free skate gets to make circles around the centre but not in the ends. Because it was Saturday, there were tons of free skaters, many people taking lessons and our group. It was almost impossible to get around the rink without hitting someone and if you did, you were constantly worrying about hitting someone. Joann and I did a few laps and stopped to watch.

Joann, looking fine in her skating attire.

This is Joann's CC, Paul and a few students.

Here is Joann's little monkey, Chris (wearing the green hat over his skating helmet) and another student (whose name escapes me, maybe Dark).

At the end of the day, we found out that we had to write final reports for our classes. Joann was especially annoyed. I suggested ice cream on the way home and this did help. Joann was upset that she would have to work on Sunday. I suggested that she use my computer and get her test and other work done that night before dinner. I offered to help but she said it wasn't necessary. She sat and got all caught up and I took a nap.

She did feel better afterwards and we met most of the gang for Korean barbeque. Joann also thoroughly enjoyed it this time. I had loved it the first time and this time was just as good. It is great, we each paid $8, had a large beer each, rice, all the meat we could BBQ and all the garnishes we could eat (kimchi, lettuce, cucumbers, radish, sauce). It is healthy, cheap and delicious - what a combo!!

After dinner, some of the group wanted to drink, do karaoke and then go clubbing. Surprisingly, Joann and I were not part of this group. We went to Itaewon with Molly, Hailey and Bailey for a few drinks. At that time, is was 1am and the subways had stopped running. We came back to Anam ($10 for a taxi and that was split 5 ways) and Molly enticed us to go for one more drink at a little place she and Hailey knew about in our neighbourhood. I'm so glad that we went. It is amazing here, there are places that look scary to enter and then you find out that they are really great. This bar is one of these places - you sit on the floor on cushions with cushions behind your back. You are in a small place that is partitioned from the rest of the room by curtains that are just pieces of coloured string hanging down. It had mellow music and it was a great place to sit and chat.

Bailey (our boss), Molly and Hailey at the local bar.

We were in bed by 2:30am, unbelievably late for us, having agreed to relax until 10am.