Ferrets and Five Floors of Pizza

Saturday was a great day.  Diane and I planned to meet in our new favorite neighborhood.  We're not sure what the neighborhood is actually called but we get off at a subway stop called Hyehwa, so that's what we call it.  It's a university type neighborhood, so it's really interesting and eclectic.  There are numerous places to eat, chill, people watch, relax and there are several little shops too.  We've decided that if we don't have any concrete plans, we'll just hang out in this area.  We. Love. It.

So, first, Diane had trouble catching a train that was headed for the right station (the trains on the outskirts of the city are complicated because they have different destinations despite leaving from common stations) so I hung out in a coffee shop, reading and sipping some Earl Gray, while I awaited her arrival.  I finished the book I was reading: Little Bee by Chris Cleave.  The synopsis on the back of the books says:

We don't want to tell you what happens in this book 
It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. 
Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we'll just say this:

This is the story of two women.  Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face.  Two years later, they meet again-the story starts there. . .  Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it.  When you do, please don't tell them what happens.  The magic is in how the story unfolds.

So, there you go.  I'm heeding the book's request and not telling you anymore about the book other than urging you to read it because it truly is a magical story.  It will make you think about things you've never considered before and will open your eyes to a whole world being lived right now, though oft overlooked.  For those of you who need more convincing or want something from which to base your choice to read this book, some of the praise that has been published for the book calls it the next Three Cups of Tea.  If that doesn't mean anything to you, you should also read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson.  Amazing.  True.  Inspiring.  The end.  While Little Bee is a novel, it is very well researched and based on real experiences.  Amazing.  Enough said.  Moving on...


Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed waiting for Diane and was grateful to myself (is that even possible?) for remembering to stash the book in my bag!  As I was walking to meet Diane, I was stopped by a college age guy holding a ferret.  He was trying to convince me to come to some stage production that was being put on that night, but I was so distracted (and weirded out!) by the ferret he held in his arms that I quickly waved him off, told him I'd see him later (yeah, right...) and basically ran away.  I'm still getting used to people stopping me on the street purely because I am clearly foreign and they can practice their English.  Flattering, yes.  Still, a bit weird, double yes. 

While wandering around looking for a restaurant that we read about in our Lonely Planet guide (that book has some great information, but Diane and I find their directions a bit lacking at times...) we grew tired of waiting.  These girls were hungry.  So, we settled on a cute pizza restaurant instead.  We walked in the front door (at street level) and five floors later, we were seated on a floor reserved for parties of two.  There were several trees adorning the room, arranged in such a way that they seems to be growing from the floor and through the ceiling.  The pizza was good. 

Next, we explored the neighborhood.  A few of the gems we spotted:

• A sign advertising free lessons.  We wondered what the free lessons were for, until, that is, we looked down and watched an overweight man working out on an elliptical machine.  It looked like he was working out in a cage, like he was being featured to bring people into this gym.  I am not adequately describing the sight and the picture I took is not worth posting.  Trust me when I say it was truly bizarre.
• Free Hugs were out in full force.  There was a line of three people in the middle of the street holding their Free Hugs signs.  They had a colleague off the side taking pictures of any takers.  I love the spectacle of free hugs.  It almost seems like a social demonstration of some kind, but when it comes down to it, it's really just an anonymous public display of affection.  I love how seemingly simple acts can be complicated at the same time.  Amazing.  And, mind boggling.
• We wandered into a delightful basement shop called Rainbow Stitch.  This shop had all sorts of beach wear, but also carried a nice selection of vintage inspired and ironic English sweatshirts.  One particular sweatshirt that caught my eye (and would have been mine had it not been for its unfortunate burnt orange color) had a novel written on the back.  As I took the time to read what it said in its terribly broken English, I was flabbergasted.  The sweatshirt was acknowledging that times are tough, especially with the recession, but that we should make the most of it and use the tough times to be inspired to achieve greatness.  It was soooo deep, especially for the back of a sweatshirt, and the English was laughably terrible.  If only it hadn't been that disgusting color.

As Diane and I wound down from our day of observing at a delightful little cafe with slices of tiramisu and a green tea latte (for Diane) and sweet potato cake and a white mocha (for me), we were greeted by a delightful little Korean man who spoke amazing English.  He was so outgoing and great to talk to.  This time, the random encounter was welcomed and quite enjoyable.  Maybe, because of the absence of a creature in his arms... and, it didn't hurt his plight that he told me I was beautiful :)

The final discovery of the day: line 4's train seats (at least the one on which I sat) are heated!  So weird, but surprisingly comfortable.  I could get used to that long before I will ever get used to the heated toilet seats (yes, you read that correctly) that you sometimes find here.  Such cultural differences!