Mud festival

So this weekend was based around the the 3 D's; dirt, drinking and monsoon rain.

I had a weekend to remember, quite wisely and in tune with my usual sound judgement I decided to go out drinking the night before my morning train to the mud festival, this involved beers and soju with two of my students Hyang Jin and Jacob, along with my co-teacher Maya. It was a funny evening but too drunken to be had before a full weekend of partying.

The Saturday kicked off with a train journey dominated my bad jokes and card games, it flew past and before we knew it we were at the festival a little drunk and very excited.

First we found a place to put up the tents, this was easier than I had first thought and the sunny weather made me think that maybe we were the smartest people in the world to simply turn up with tents. The festival consisted of mud wresting, around a million photos, dodgy music and fun times. We spent the majority of our time messing around and mud wrestling, until Hyewon got hurt, inevitable I guess when you have 100 drunken people jumping on each other is a 10 metre paddling pool. This warranted going to hospital whilst covered in mud. This was great as I got to go in an ambulance. Hyewon seemed OK though a little sore, and after a couple of hours waiting, dodgy looks and even stranger conversations, we were out of the hospital, with the all clear from x-ray results and in a taxi on our way back to the festival. By this point the rain and depleted interest in mud meant that things were winding down a little getting ready for the nights antics. We made our way to James' room for a shower and to hook up with the group. By this point we were all starving hungry and in need of a bit of a chill out.

We made our way out for some food, on the way we got wet from the rain, and I won a frog teddy from a stall where you have to knock down blocks with a baseball, I am too cool. I had a pizza, well some pizza, and then we made out way to the fair ground, after spinney rides, sick feelings, and about a tonne of rain we decided to go looking for a bar to shelter (and drink) in. We found one and literally took over, also seeing Dylan the Welsh guy, he seems to crop up everywhere. It was a funny night with Gareth doing his usual hilarious leading of the banter, he is a funny bugger I have to say. I had a cool time and a funny conversation with a group of Korean girls and some young American soldiers who had taken a shine to them but needed a translator. I did my best and it was very funny, it was nice to meet some soldiers who I actually liked, a very rare occasion.

Around 4:30 am as the bar shut we decided it a good idea to forget camping (good idea as Eunyoung's tent had 3 inches of water inside, mine was dry), we made our way to the Jjim chil bang, which was surprisingly quiet and not a jjim chil bang at all, just a shower room and a sleeping area, still it was good to get a couple of hours sleep.

The morning consisted of goodbyes and packing away tents in Gail force winds, but it was an adventure and Kurt was a champion for helping me out. We took the train home, felling blue, (and for Hyewon, sore).. In all good times.

We arrived back around 4 and had some food and coffee, this helped though I was almost too tired to talk or eat.

In all I had a great weekend.

At the moment I'm felling pretty positive about Korea, I'm having fun, I have great friends and all is going well. But we will see which way the wind blows.

Peace out..