Sunday, July 30, 2006

Camels and all that Jazz

After a fecking exhausting day at work - Little Concert, etc, I was so so happy to get a text from JD Whatever saying 'I know we're seeing each other tmr, and it's raining, and we're tired, but who cares. Let's have dinner.' Or something like that. Cos we're using Korean phones, we're limited to 80 characters. All messages have to be bloody short and sweet unless you know hangeul.
Anyways, we met at Sinchon, and were wandering about, hungry, when JD saw a spot and went to look at its menu... But I could hear something... "say it's only a paper moon" being sung across the way. How could I resist? I dragged JD across the street and told him we'd have to eat there. We thought we were really in luck when they gave us each a 'free' glass of red wine... But it was like the Georgian wine I used to get in Vilnius - so sweet it's really Ribena. Not to worry.
So we ate, then we walked, then we got Baskin Robbins ice-creams because I am Drew Barrymore and JD lerves BR ice-cream. The chocolate stuff that we both chose was clearly not made for the Korean climate and melted IMMEDIATELY all over us. Ah well. We walked to Hongdae, where I took JD on a tour of cool places that I pretend I have discovered but actually Ethan or Pix have taken me too. He was way impressed. We went to Seom first, then Brixx, where we were directed to a secluded love couch at the back of the joint, much to my horror. We moved seats and sat in the middle of the joint, watching all the American guys get it on with their Korean girls. Nice.
Suddenly realised it was time for the last subway, started running... Phone rings, it's Pix... "where are you?". She'd just got back from a day rocking out in the mud at the Pentaport Rock Festival and was ready to rock on. Nothing doing, we ditched the idea of being good kids, and sat with her and Korean friends to have a SECOND Korean BBQ of the evening, drink beer AND soju and start to get very silly.
Decided a cup of tea was in order - prolly about 2am - and Korean mate Jung-Sin lead us to a very quiet little upstairs joint - called Cafe & a Camel. Pix sold it to us as having no other customers and a door for a table. Ok. All true. But they were playing some terrible dancey music so I quick smart found a Bill Evans CD and get them to change it. Nice. The boys ordered tea and for some reason Pix and I thought a bottle of red was the go... Sorry Charlie, this was when I called you - 3.30am in Melbourne, of course you wanted to chat...
The Camel started to fill up, someone must have requested the Betty Blue CD, but it didn't last long... Made me pretty happy though. Pretty happy also watching Pix and Jung-Sin muck about, taking photos, being stoopid. Cute.
After a few hours we needed to leave, maybe to walk to the subway... But there was another cute place, maybe called Cafe Woods, so we stopped there and Pix and I headed for a wired-up laptop, where I showed her the YouTube post of Dave Mack's. Perhaps one of the best things ever. Do yourself a flavour and check it - I have 3 words for you - JamesBrown, MichaelJackson, Prince. Absolutely laughed my socks off. Again.

Anyways. Saw the lovers t-shit next door on way home.
As I slowly climbed the stairs out of the subway when I got to my home station, things felt good. The whole place was obscured by fog, it was beautiful, the temperature was just right, all was good.

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