Patrice the Explorer and the Far East

So, as you all know, this year's Presidential Errection (as the Koreans would say), is a huge one.  This errection is so big, it makes all others seem frail and insignificant.  The sheer magnitude of this errection makes simple talk irrelevant.  In other countries, like my home country CANADA, we choose our politicians based on a combination of what they say and how drunk/high we are.  However, the Koreans have realized what human beings will sooner or later all come to see.  Something this important can only be settled by...DANCE BATTLE!

So, i'm finally in a place where I can write about the last few days.  Had I written this maybe 48 hours ago, it would've been total gush-fest, going on and on about how horrible it is to be so much more alone in this distant land.  Certainly, the departure of each successive chingoo was a blow.  How can you say goodbye to a group of people that have become completely interchangeable with the amazing experience and overall happiness i've had here?  Walking around Sinchon after leaving the airport to drop off Ryo, Gelly and Amy (suffering from acute sleep deprivation of course) was like some 28 days later nightmare except instead of a zombie virus it was airplanes that snatched away my life.  Nothing had changed, but everything was different.  Leaving PC bang without going on and on about how hot PC bang girl is with james, ryo and seth was like some hollow imitation of the life i've become used to here.  Previous accounts of me at my most 정신이 없어 were like totally shattered. 

However, I feel as though the shock of this drawn-out experience has somewhat subsided and i've been able to contemplate the new course of my life here and of the friendships i've made.  Silver, James, Ryo, Gelly, Amy, Katharina, Sylvia, soon to be Alex...overall i've just come to realize how lucky i am to have had you in my life at all.  I mean, seriously, you're all so fucking cool!  I really can't stress enough how amazing you all are, i've learned so much with and from you all and will always remember the awesome time we've had together... i feel like i've been to war or something with you (if this was WWII, I would totally be that alcoholic guy from office space thats in band of brothers).  Although it's sad as balls that our friendships will never exist in the forms that they have here, i have no doubt that they will weather both time and distance (cut to me like 50 years in the future drinking and making obscene jokes with you guys in future-sinchon...complete with drunken 어저씨-bots hitting on future seth)   If anything, the sadness of your departure just reaffirms your impact on me.  Now it's time to explore new dimensions of these friendships and of my time in Korea. I mean, i'm starting the year with a two month pan-asian adventure with Hannah and Peter, what the fuck do i have to be depressed about? I know i'll see you again.  To cut through the long-windedness, I truly love you guys. 
Fuck, this totally did turn into a gush-fest...i'm such a pussy.

So in the leadup to the chingoos leaving, this was definitely one of the more fun nights.  It started chillin at the 상상마당, or Sang Sang Madang.  It was really good to have this time to just this time to meld with ppl and act fucking stupid.

lazing it up

The Sang Sang Madang is essentially a ridiculous building, paid for by KT&G, which I assume is Korean Tobacco and Guns, they probably operate puppy-killing factories too.  This place contains everything from a gallery, to a cafe to a concert venue (where Seth's "elevator friend" informed him of a hardcore show going on that night).  Plus there's like a fucking rotating wall-door and cylindrical toilet stalls. 

Attempts to study korean prove futile and the incredibly cute anime-eyed waitress definitely proved distracting... i blame her for my less-than-mediocre test results.

Yeah, thats Astro Boy, so fuckin what?!

Circle-smoke

친구unit

Finally, everyone made it Just Red "Fusion-Pub" wtvr the fuck that's supposed to mean, for Evelyn's birthday.  Like anyone who's anyone from the exchange crew showed up, it was cool seeing everyone together.  Evelyn had to get carried out...Derek's doing.

How come every time Nina takes a picture she looks so fucking sassy?!

Gelly looks bummed.

James' Ska2 photo

Next stop was Ska 2, which played everything but ska music.  Pretty much it was its free-ness and absence of having-to-payness that drew us. 





Such a random place, which fittingly was followed by a reunion with...wait for it..

Return of VJ Lady (aka Sarah)

NICE VJ LADY!  Nice VJ lady, which you will remember back from my first post (spektra) was there with her whole entourage.  I should correct my earlier post, she's not British, but has seamlessly adopted the lude hand gestures.

Partying in the Sub-basement

Okay, so this is what I'm gonna do.  Rather than go back give you all a point by point blow of what I've been doing the last 3 months, I've decided to start blogging from this point on.  If you don't like it, check my facebook pics for a general idea of what i've been up to since i got here, if that's still not enough I'll probly refer back to older instances with pics and shit.  If that's still not enough, don't be so fucking lazy and stalk me like a real person!