Ridin Seoul-o

I came into Seoul with a guy from the program this morning and around 3 he was ready to head back. I, of course, wanted to stay and explore-- why head back so early when I'd only end up bored?! Confident that I knew the area well enough to get around (uncanny sense of direction and all, haha) I told him to head back without me. Equipped with my bus number and a general idea of where I got off the bus I figured how difficult could it be to find my way back to the apartment? The afternoon went brilliantly I walked alllll around at my own pace doing my own thing. Then came time to catch the bus. As I'm looking puzzled for the stop-- it wasn't across from where we got off originally (standard London procedure)-- a man approaches me and asks if I need help. He tells me he used to live in DC and that he will help me find the bus stop since apparently there are no bus maps. Brilliant, I've got a Korean speaking dude who's going to help me to the bus. Of course it couldn't have been that simple. He insists on stopping in a store to buy ice cream-- he buys me one that is in the shape of a shark. Why? I'm not sure. I didn't want icecream. Mistakenly I had already told him what bus stop I needed to go to... Anyway takes us ages to find the stop and the entire time he is being WAY too complimentary. I tell him to please just leave and let me do it alone. Anyway my bus took like 20 mins to arrive-- I couldn't leave as I wanted to get on the bus ASAP. Eventually the bus came and the guy went on his way. He didn't mean to be a creep, just a cultural difference I guess. The older men here are overly excited it seems, but the younger men are very very polite. As well, when I see American men they honestly look like starved beasts who would just inhale me right there on the spot. Very very creepy feeling.

I had a great day wandering around the city though, and even had some delicious street meat :) Got some money exchanged, tried a delicious yogurt drink, and started figuring out some funny things that they do here. For example they will give you gifts to try to get you to enter a store. yesterday I got three packets of cotton, a face mask, and a soda all for free. Very random, but it's cute. At first I was so confused, but the Koreans really are such sweet sweet people.