Five keys to my apartment, but only one key to my heart

This weekend was one hundred percent ROLLERCOASTER. First, I organized a little group of Mormons to go to the Hi! Seoul Festival. I couldn't miss a festival that promises me that there will be, "two types of pleasures, to see with your eyes or to feel with your body are vivid!" and asks the question "Would you fall into an ecstasy right now." Why, yes. Yes I would fall into an ecstasy, thank you for asking even though you chose not to use a question mark. The guidebook also notes that there will be "Pleasure for your eyes: To enjoy the programs with a shout of joy or a easy handclap!" Remember that ecstasy thing? It's happening.

This is the main stage at Yeouido. I know you don't know where Yeouido is, and you probably don't care, but I want to remember it so I can tell my grandchildren and since I'm sure this blog will be around forever...

This is the lighted Boat Parade located at the main stage on the Han River. The guidebook says, " The lighted Boat Parade to reveal its gorgeous appearance at the opening ceremony". I saw it and it was gorgeous. Actually quite breathtaking. We tried to jump the fence to get a closer look, but there were police everywhere protecting the gorgeousness.

What's a festival without food? A FESTIVAL I WILL NOT ATTEND. Luckily Hi Seoul had vendors with lots of korean food including, Bundaegi (mealworms). Steering clear of the worms, we thought we ordered chicken only to discover (thanks to our two Korean speaking girls...) that we actually ordered some kind of spicy intestines. That's what we get for just pointing and saying "nae" (which means "yes".) We didn't have to eat them luckily and instead opted for the chewy corn...imagine corn on the cob boiled for 1 hour. Korea and corn have an interesting relationship that I will have to delve into at another time.

This is the group...From left to right...Diana, Denice, Nate, KaRyn, RANDOM DRUNK AUSSIE LESBIAN WHO WANTED TO BUY ME A DRINK AND RAN AS FAST AS SHE COULD WHEN SHE FOUND OUT WE WERE ALL MORMON BUT NOT SO FAST THAT SHE ISN'T IN LIKE, EVERY GROUP PICTURE, Maureen and Nari.

I got interviewed by Arirang TV...And you won't believe this but this is my SECOND time on Korean television in the 2 short months that I have been here. The saddest part about this interview was that she asked what I thought of the festival's attempt to unite the old and the new in korea and I said something like this, "yeah, I think it's totally, like, really, you know, good and stuff. I mean, there's boats, and stuff and people and I think I almost ate chicken intestines and yeah." Dear America, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. NB

The evening ended with the most intense fireworks display I have ever witnessed. I am not kidding. It was so intense that it warranted Ooooos and Ahhhhhs from even the most hardened chicken intestine eating Koreans. And that is why I have chosen to post a gratuitous fireworks display on my blog. Perhaps it will help you understand.

It was so good, beautiful, awe-inspiring that we didn't want to miss anything even long enough to take a photo. That's why you should all come to Korea.
Saturday morning I headed to school for my last Saturday Art class (she says with a sigh of relief). I'm really glad to see it end even if making puppets and puppet theaters is great fun. It will be really nice to have my weekend back.

Now for the part about the keys. So I have ONE key to my dorm room and it's on a makeshift keychain because should you really have a whole chain for one key? At any rate, I've been thinking that I would have a real problem if ever I lost the key and since this is one of my great talents (losing things, especially of the metal door-opening variety) I thought that I should get a second key made. I didn't do it fast enough and even if I did, it wouldn't have helped me in this situation. I left my key at the school in Bundang, 1 hour by bus away from my house. Go back and get it? Aniyo. Andwiyo. (no. impossible.) the school is locked and I don't have a key because I lost that key too. (don't worry lumi, I found it, but man, I should not be allowed to touch keys). So I got home, realized my mistake minutes after my cell phone DIED containing most of the phone numbers of people who could help me. The front desk guy and I came to an impass of language pretty quickly and I turned around with tears in my eyes and said "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THIS? IT's IMPOSSIBLE."

I went upstairs, laid down my bags, sat in the hallway and let myself cry for one minute. Then I made a plan. I had one number that I had written on my korean flash cards for my friend JiHyun. I was meeting up with Brian R who had come up from Pusan and luckily we had connected before the phone died...so I called JiHyun from B's phone and she came all the way to my apartment and translated for me and bargained with the locksmith (who said that he only gave me a deal because she was pretty) and stayed until 60,000 won and five new door keys later, I had a new deadbolt. The moral of the story: Really, nothing is impossible if you have good friends. I am really lucky to have met some VERY COOL koreans who are so willing to help me. AND though things seem dramatically harder here sometimes, I am really actually happy! And I showed that happiness as one is supposed to by eating yummy Thai food and singing Alanis Morrisette in the VIP room at the Noraebang place in Hongdae.

Satisfied Noraebang Sigh. Sunday was nice. I made some very exciting contacts for the Sixteen Stones Foundation (my pet project has a name!!!) and we have district conference next week. Let's hope for more adventures! Lumina comes home this week!