Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Halloween)
Yes, I stole that from a horrible New York Indie Band name, but its oddly appropriate. Last week saw a two parter in the way of Halloween - asian style. First up was the adult version... (no not THAT kind of adult). Saturday night, October 26th a few of us went over to Lotte Mart and bought ourselves the cheapest easiest costumes we could find. I personally spent 11,000W (or rather $13 b/c i used my credit card) to purchase a pair of blinking red devil horns, some batteries, and a pitchfork. I always like a costume that stands out, and even if I wasn't the least bit creative this year at least I had something people would see in a crowd.
The evening started off early with a house party somewhere near Itaewon that I can neither remember nor pronounce. It wasn't so bad - great place - interesting people. Two random guys were dressed up as a "Good Ajima" and a "Bad Ajima" (ajima meaning very old korean woman) which was kind of hilarious. Stayed there for a few hours and headed towards Hongdae to go to a club called Funky Funky. Well after the world's longest car ride sandwiched between a drunk brit and a mermaid I had not known before this experience we found ourselves in one of my favorite areas of Seou only it was being ravaged by drunk westernizers in insane costumes and the bar we wanted to go to cost 25,000W to get in and have an open bar. I just wasn't up for it so my friends, as great as they are decided to go with me to find another bar, Tin Pan, even though I just really wanted to walk around. So we go to a bar that was free to get into, but it was insanely hot and crowded, and the complete antithesis of my kind of place. Wasn't exactly my favorite Halloween, that's for sure.
However that was all made up for by celebrating with my kids on the 31st. The teachers at SLP spend most of Tuesday evening decorating our school almost beyond recognition. We each had our respective rooms - Tarot Card, Story Telling, Crafts, and the Haunted House (which yours truly was co-incharge of). It was very much a success considering we made 5 kids cry, and about 10-15 not even want to attempt to stay in there longer than a minute or two. I even reused my makeshift devil's costume and found some fake hands to make it more authentic.
All in all it was an entertaining day. Did it feel like Halloween? Oddly no. BUT I believe that to be because outside of entertaining the children at work the outside world didn't really seem to notice. There's no trick or treaters at night, no big parade like in New York, not many decorations up in public, and the stores don't have big displays of Halloween candy to be given out. The real weird thing was on November 1st, there was no thought that there was only 3 weeks until Thanksgiving as it doesn't exist here. I'll just have to make it to Christmas.
The evening started off early with a house party somewhere near Itaewon that I can neither remember nor pronounce. It wasn't so bad - great place - interesting people. Two random guys were dressed up as a "Good Ajima" and a "Bad Ajima" (ajima meaning very old korean woman) which was kind of hilarious. Stayed there for a few hours and headed towards Hongdae to go to a club called Funky Funky. Well after the world's longest car ride sandwiched between a drunk brit and a mermaid I had not known before this experience we found ourselves in one of my favorite areas of Seou only it was being ravaged by drunk westernizers in insane costumes and the bar we wanted to go to cost 25,000W to get in and have an open bar. I just wasn't up for it so my friends, as great as they are decided to go with me to find another bar, Tin Pan, even though I just really wanted to walk around. So we go to a bar that was free to get into, but it was insanely hot and crowded, and the complete antithesis of my kind of place. Wasn't exactly my favorite Halloween, that's for sure.
However that was all made up for by celebrating with my kids on the 31st. The teachers at SLP spend most of Tuesday evening decorating our school almost beyond recognition. We each had our respective rooms - Tarot Card, Story Telling, Crafts, and the Haunted House (which yours truly was co-incharge of). It was very much a success considering we made 5 kids cry, and about 10-15 not even want to attempt to stay in there longer than a minute or two. I even reused my makeshift devil's costume and found some fake hands to make it more authentic.
All in all it was an entertaining day. Did it feel like Halloween? Oddly no. BUT I believe that to be because outside of entertaining the children at work the outside world didn't really seem to notice. There's no trick or treaters at night, no big parade like in New York, not many decorations up in public, and the stores don't have big displays of Halloween candy to be given out. The real weird thing was on November 1st, there was no thought that there was only 3 weeks until Thanksgiving as it doesn't exist here. I'll just have to make it to Christmas.