Itaewon: Why I love it

It seems to be a very common theme among foreigners in Korea, to believe that those who spend time in Itaewon, simply do not appreciate Korea or Korean culture. This is due to the influx of Western restaurants and bars and the percentage of the foreign population. I have been told on numerous occasions that places like Hongdae and Gangnam are far superior, and here is my rebuttal.

Forget the fact that I can finally find jeans that fit my butt, the fact that there is a Nike outlet, shoes in my size, a Ben's cookie tempting me so close to the station, forget it's central location, the friendly buskers, the endless rows of clothing and accessory stalls, the man playing church music with the giant 666 sign, the gold country prints, the flags, the crowded sidewalks...forget all this. But why? And should we?

Being raised in a multicultural and diverse family, both racially and religiously, has made me appreciate and even crave multiculturalism in all forms. I grew up eating food from all over the world, with a group of friends more diverse than a crayola special edition pack. When I arrived in Korea, I had my first real culture shock at seeing how  homogeneous everything was. To say I stood out in my neighborhood, would be an understatement. Sure, it has it's advantages (the attention), but it can also feel a bit isolating at times. Particularly in weeks where I'm not hanging out with the other Waygook teachers.

Then, with a little help from my rugby team, I discovered Itaewon. From the second I set foot in that place, I knew I wanted to spend a considerable amount of time there. Sure, it has had it's share of bad press in the past few years (military and general drunken foreigner shenanary) but we must understand that any area so populated with people from all over the world is going to have it's conflicts and misunderstandings. In the past few months, I have made  friends with some wonderful folks in the military and can honestly say that I feel bad for a reputation that quite often (unfairly) follows them wherever they go. But I digress.

Many people say that Itaewon is used as an escape for teachers who want to get away with learning minimal Korean and nothing substantial about the culture.While it is true that you will be hard pressed to find a person who cannot speak English in Itaewon, it also lends itself to an opportunity to experience a wonderful fusion of language and culture. There are a considerable amount of Koreans who spend time in Itaewon, many of whom I have befriended and learned much about. I find that they are just as eager as I am to learn about other cultures and this begins a glorious exchange. I love passing an Irish bar, followed by a Middle eastern restaurant and a Brazilian steakhouse. I feel proud when I look up at the mosque, just feet from traditional Korean dining and around the corner from an African restaurant that boasts the most delicious plantains. This mismatch, this melting pot, this collection of cultural anomalies stuck smack dab in the middle of such a  homogeneous country is pure brilliance; it's beautiful even. Seeing so many unidentifiable people from all over the world sharing one space is harmonious. Meeting people from India, Pakistan, Russia, America, Japan,Korea,Egypt, Turkey, Thailand, Canada (the list goes on) is inspiring.

While Itaewon is not without it's own problems and it can be a bit strange. I am so proud to be part of that bizarre collection of people that make Itaewon just what it is.

Dinner at Marakech Nights

BSSK get together at African Heritage Restuarant

Rugby Social at Dickens

Election day in Wolfhound's Irish Pub

The Glory That is Chuseok

Sonpyeon!!

Last Friday went by so quickly for me! In classes we talked about food and world holiday's, all while eating candy and eventually watching music videos. What is to attribute to this sudden lack of work and teacher apathy? Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) and all of the delicious Songpyeon my student's made for me. Chuseok celebrates the harvest season and is a 3 day holiday full of amazing food, cute children in Hanboks and some pretty interesting party games. The kids  were so excited to finally have a break that teaching became much harder to do and lesson planning pretty much went out the window. Yet, somehow this was one of my most productive classes and it got the students using English without even realizing it.  My teacher informed me that I would have off until Thursday and then the kids would have midterms for the next few days, so no teaching again until next Tuesday.

Woo Hoo!  At 4:30 I ran to the subway station, started my long and arduous journey to pick up my suitcase from FedEx (got lost 3 times) and fast tracked it back home to clean for Angelique's arrival and get ready for a night out in Gangnam!

My first strange encounter was with a guy drinking a bottle of extra stout Guinness, making faces at a small dog on the subway. I should have known such weirdness had to come my way and he ended up going out with me and my friends for the evening, one of the best nights I've had in Seoul, but I shall spare all of the details.

At 7:00 AM I lost to Gangnam! I made my way home, staggering like the last survivor in a Zombie apocalypse film. The streets were empty because everyone had already left for Chuseouk, it was eerily beautiful.I made it back to my apartment in time to buy a bed for Angelique, clean my apartment and make it to the airport before her flight landed.

We headed out with the Epik folks to get some beer and chicken, meeting the craziest taxi driver I have ever encountered on the way. His name was Sam and his English was absolutely perfect. He danced, joked, sang and at one point pulled over the taxi so he could play Gangnam style for us on his Ipad and do the dance. We invited Sam to dinner and thanked him for his kindness. In return he gave us a free taxi ride to our next bar-The Ho Bar.

2 bottles of Soju and an endless amount of beer later, we ended up at a club called Cocoon where the giant pipes blew out air-conditioning at huge hoards of dancers fighting for prime space. The second I found one, I was there for the night! So far, Cocoon has had my favorite music in all of Seoul and the drink prices were pretty reasonable for a Hongdae based night club. Most clubs are filled with K-Pop and EDM or strange house music, which is alright after much Soju...but Cocoon had an excellent DJ who actually played more old school hip hop than I hear at a lot of clubs in the U.S. When I heard "Love Like This" and "Gravel Pit" I knew I was in good hands!

The next few days Angelique and I went to church, celebrated Chuseok with her pastor,bummed around a bit, did some shopping and then went on a Seoul City (hop on and off) bus tour to attempt to take in some culture and work off my Soju hangover. This city is absolutely stunning. It's so crazy to see traditional architecture to a cityscape backdrop.

The little cutie to the left managed to make it into the shot

Angel's last night in Seoul we headed to Itaewon for a night cap with the Irish boys. My plan to remain sober  was demolished the second we started playing beer twister.

All in all it was an excellent break and with only two days until my next huge weekend (a rugby tournament and end of the year party as well as our first away game)I think it's time to do some detoxing.