Sweaters & Scarves

Autumn is my favorite season. The air is crisp. The foliage is beautiful. The fashion is great. I get to layer shirts and sweaters and top off with a huge scarf over my pea coat. Seoul got cold quickly. One week it was t-shirt weather, and the next week I was already pulling out my UGG boots.

For me, fall starts in October, my favorite month. Here are some highlights from the start of Fall.

Dave's Birthday Gifts & Dinner at Mercado Brazilian Steak House

My birthday is October 4th. This year I turned 24. Does that mean I'm in my mid-twenties now? Getting closer to 25 or even worse, 30, was a little shocking, but I'm glad I got to spend it with some great friends and great food. I woke up to find 4 presents from Dave. One of the best gift-givers, he had a very clever set-up of presents. My first present was nail polish & nail decals from Skin Food. This can be found only in Korea. I've used so many different nail polishes, and I find that Skin Food has the best non-chipping polish. He got me 2 MAC (my favorite makeup) eyeshadow pots. The third present was a very "Korean" wallet. He noticed I still use my tattered beer-sponged Coach wristlets from university, so he got my a stylish leather wallet from a company called Lovcat (ironic b/c I hate cats, but he wasn't aware of the brand). My last present was big. It was a white binder used from Chungdahm training filled with colored pages of my blog. It is one of the most sentimental gifts I've ever received. He spent probably 100,000 ($75) at the PC Bang (Internet Cafe) to spring colored pages of my blog. I can't wait to fill up the pages with more of my entries. That evening, after a mass text to everyone I know in Seoul, we ate dinner at Mercado. This restaurant is a treat in Seoul because it serves limitless Brazilian steak with the best sides of mashed potatoes, garlic rice, and coleslaw. After dinner we enjoyed soju cocktails. Although I spent another birthday away from home, it was spent with my "family" in Seoul.

Junggye October Babies Birthday at Ho Bar in Hongdae
Mierie, Me, Ben, & John

A week later I had my second birthday party with the rest of my co-workers celebrating all October birthdays. This is the second time I've had a birthday party at Ho Bar III in Hongdae.

Initiating New Co-Workers to the Nowon Bar Scene
Norma, Me, Dave, Hannah, John, & Jenn

Mid-October is the best time to see the foliage. We went to Seoraksan, the most famous site in Korean to see that magical transformation.

Seoraksan National Park Entrance
Me & Hannah



Buddha the Base & the Steep Mountain Above



Beautiful Foliage & Mountain Top View

Drinking Mokkoli (Rice Wine) & the Ravine

After hours of hiking and crying at the top (I'm afraid of heights), we took a 30 minute bus back to Sokcho, a famous port to Russia. Sokcho is also famous for seafood. We ordered a fish and had half of it sashimi style and the other half fried. To fill our bellies, we added some scallops.

Hardworking Seafood Preparation & Result

Clams to Choose From & Sokcho Port

Since the weather is so nice during Autumn, it becomes a great time to walk around and enjoy the neighborhood. Since golf ranges are too far away, we went to the next best thing: screen golf. This is a phenomenon in Korea. We paid 20,000 won ($15) to play for an hour, rent shoes and glove, play with a full set of clubs, and display all of our shame on a screen. The room is very big with turf. You step on a button and an arm swings out placing the ball on the tee. After swinging, a laser reads your drive and assesses distance and curve of the swing. Unfortunately, the receptionist witnessed this on the CCTV and came in telling us, "It's like swinging a bat, just lower." Yeah right.

Screen Golf: Bad Driving Form

Fall also marks Texas Moon's (bar in Apgujeong) Battle of the Bands. Of course Juliann and I had to go since our boyfriends are lead guitarist and bassist. We brought along co-workers for moral support. They got 3rd!

Battle of the Bands
Hannah, Me, Juliann, & Mierie

To end the best month of the year is to of course celebrate Halloween. Underfunded, lack of imagination, lack of time -whatever you call it- I was a sexy pumpkin. I got the idea from How I Met Your Mother when the main character is infatuated with a "sexy pumpkin" he met at a roof top Halloween party a year ago and vows to find her again. I already had the scarf and hat. I found the orange top at a donation store and cut out felt for the face. Voila! Sexy Pumpkin!

Sexy Pumpkin

Hilarious Panda & "Hannah-nim"-Korean for "God"
Me, Mikey & Hannah

Jem, Super Villain, Maria, & Little Bo Peep
Me with Norm, John, Maria & Rachel

These last pictures are of my very creative friends. Norma is Jem who is a cartoon rock singer from the 80s. John loves comic books and created this costume also from a donation store. Maria is too cool for dressing up for Halloween. Rachel is from New Zealand were there are lots of sheep, so why not be Little Bo Peep?

This October was so eventful. I hope next Fall will be just as eventful. Sadly, I won't see many of these people because I only have one month left till I leave for 3 months backpacking to Canada, US, & South East Asia. Very needed break and very excited!