After school on Thursday, Jeong Mi and her dad picked me up at the school and we went to the airport to meet my parents. Jeong Mi and I waited by the gate and were thrilled to see them walk out looking good, even if they were exhausted.
We took some pictures, made some introductions and headed back to Yeonsu-dong.
In Yeonsu-dong, we got dinner at a galbi place. I figured the best first meal for my parents might as well be the best marinated, grilled pork that this country has to offer. They loved the uniqueness of Korea's side-dish culture that filled the table to capacity.
After dinner, we went over to Touchdown to finish watching the South Korea-Argentina game. Is part of me happy that South Korea didn't win? Yes, a big part. But don't tell Jeong Mi or anyong else. Haha. I promised Jeong Mi I would cheer for South Korea with her.
On Friday, we had parents open class at the school. That's good timing. My parents came along, too. They sat in on my classes, met the principal and took a tour of the school. The principal kindly gave them a couple of presents, and wanted to take a ton of pictures with them. That was pretty cool.
Friday evening, we ate at a typical Korean place so they could try the common fare. We got some pork cutlet, ramyeon, tuna kimbap and dumplings. My parents aren't big on spicy food, so even stuff that's pretty weak isn't enjoyable for them. Of course, as we all know, the only flavor in South Korea is red pepper. So it's tough finding stuff that's good for them. They like the taste of the food, just not the heat.
They turned in kind of early Friday night, as I went to Touchdown with the boys to watch the US get a jam job in a 2-2 tie with Slovakia. At least the US only needs to win their third game to go through.
Saturday was awesome. Jeong Mi looked up tours for us and came upon the Seoul City Tour. It's a bus tour that costs just 10,000 won and takes you around the entire city to see all the big sites.
We stopped at a Deoksugung Palace, Namdaemun, Itaewon (unfortunately), the Korea War Memorial and Insadong. We also drove by all the other big sites, including the N Tower on Namsan. It was a long day, but my parents got to see everything I wanted to show them. It was great to spend the day with them and Jeong Mi.
On Sunday, we rested a bit. It was Father's Day, of course, so we celebrated that by having a nice meal at Outback Steakhouse. That sounds like a joke, but if you want some good food in Korea, Outback is a solid place to go.
On Sunday night, we went to the park where I played some basketball with Josh, Schwaby and Geoff. My parents watched and took some pics. If you're curious -- Yes, we are still undefeated against Korean competition.
After playing basketball, we took a little stroll and went to Garten Bier. My buddies and I do not go there enough. It's one of the few Korean-style bars that is actually enjoyable. I'm more than willing to get a little food there to hang out. The beer prices are good, and the tables have refrigerated cup holders to keep your beer nice and frosty.
So I'm a bit tired as I sit here on this Monday morning. But there's no time to rest. Tonight, Jeong Mi and her dad will take us to Freedom Park (to see MacArthur), Chinatown and Wolmido, so we can check out the boardwalk.
A busy week lay ahead which includes a baseball game, dance class, Bupyeong, Guworldong and my birthday on Saturday. It's going to be fun.
Mom and dad started there own blog, so look here to get their take on everything. I'll post some pics as soon as I get them from mom's camera.
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