The week started with the fond farewell of two of Korea's expat longtimers.... Annie & Fletch. A very sad loss, mostly because Annie was one of my first real friends in Korea, but also because Norabangs will never be the same without Fletch singing classics (cough) like R Kelly Gotham City. Anyway, we saw them off the same way as we saw them begin.....in VonTees and a Siheung Norabang until 5am. On a school night. Tsh Tsh!
You have two choices when teaching hungover (and it doesn't happen often I promise): either wish you were dead, hate all children and the unfairly loud noises that come from them, OR throw yourself into it fully and make it an extra fun day so that it passes more quickly. After a quick weigh up of the options I went for option two, and made it Simon Says, Pictionary & Countdown day.
After the horror of the hangover we vowed it would be a non-drinking weekend. A weekend of adventure! Water Adventure to be precise. And after squeezing myself into a bikini, meeting people and facing the drama of explaining directions to taxi drivers, we were there, Bucheon Tiger World, Korea's Biggest Indoor Waterpark! And it was closed. Why? Because it's winter. BUT IT'S INDOORS. Well, there's no point in questioning why, we can't understand the stream of Korean and they don't understand our questions, and as so frequently happens when being an alien abroad, there is nothing for it but to leave beffudled.
So with nothing to do and a group of people to socialise, there was nothing for it.......the pub was calling. Our attempts at not drinking just made us drink earlier. Actually, it was a beautiful day with sunlight streaming through the windows, a pool table, darts board, and good people to spend time with....it felt like we were back in England on a Sunday afternoon. Good conversation and pitchers of beer were flowing.... and kept flowing.... until we stumbled across the road to where Dodge N The Bullitz were playing at a live music bar, Santana.
Santana is run by Yongsoo Yoon, the saxophonist in Dodge N The Bulltiz, and the owner of a music academy in Bucheon. He showed amazing hospitality with food and drink, and a great night of live music. Where potentially anybody could get up and perform. Hmmmmm...... interesting. With beers inside me and a hum in my head I decided....it was time to take the stage!
I had expected to put in my request and be straight up. But as over an hour passed my beer confidence ran out the door. Oh. No. Why had I aksed to sing on a stage with actual muscicians, who had done crazy things like.....rehearse? I wanted to say that I'd changed my mind, but nothing looks worse than someone who confidently asks to perfrom, then gets scared, and then says they can't do it because they feel like they might be sick.
On stage and I belted out a rather drunken Dock of the Bay, after requesting 'You Can Call Me Al' and they didn't have it (thank god for that...imagine). And was happily sitting down with pure relief that the whole thing was over when it seemed that drunk girl number 1 (me) had set off drunk girls number 2 & 3 (no names mentioned, cough...Lisa & Emma) and suddenly my name was being called to sing with them. I don't remember what song. I think I'm blocking it out...... because all I remember is that 3 drunk girls on stage sound like...well....3 drunk girls on stage. Thankfully one of the guitarists stepped in to drown out our screaching.
So another Sunday was awakened with that 'Oh no.....did I?' feeling. But it's OK, ....because doing things that scare you is good for you. So despite the sweaty palms and embarrassment, I win. Apparently.
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