Needless to say, the world cup was a HUGE deal here in Korea. Banners were up on the streets and in store and restaurant windows. Grocery stores and convenience stores all sold United Korea shirts and other memorabilia. Many stores also changed their employee uniforms to United Korea shirts or jerseys. It was awesome!
A banner we passed on the way to the bus stop
Some amazing sandals we saw on the street.It's hard to see in the picture, but the blue, plastic looking grapes are water/soap bubbles and there are rubber ducks and shampoo bottles among the bubbles. We're not sure if sandals like these are becoming popular here or not, but since we saw this pair, we've started noticing them more and more on the streets and in stores.
While we were waiting to meet some friends,we took a stroll through Ulsan grand park.
It may have been couples day at the park and we just didn't know it because there were a lot of couples out walking, bike riding and picnicking that afternoon.
We watched this couple's photo shoot for quite some time
Then we tried to recreate it...
These are like bad senior portraits 
Tandem bike coupleGame Time!
Beginning the hunt for a bar to watch the game at. Our criteria was: crowded, both beer and soju, and no other foreigners. This was Korea's first game, so it was a big decision... 
After a little wandering, and being kicked out of places for not being Korean, we settled on a bar we call, Pirate Bar (There is a mannequin dressed as a pirate swinging on a rope inside the bar.) (It's not bad now that we can read Korean, but for the first couple of months, all we could do to remember places was to name them by something distinct on the outside or on the inside if they didn't have a sign in English.)
D&T
Korey, Andrew & Judy
The fans in Pirate Bar
The screen they projected the game onto
Dirty snacks during the game!*Koreans are really amazing fans to watch a sporting event with. None of us have ever seen a room full of people get so excited and animated over the smallest things. Basically each time Korea kicked the ball (shooting or passing, didn't matter) while inside Greece's half, the crowd would scream. The amount of inappropriate shouting and gasping that went on during the game was incredible. It was awesome! After Korea won, we expected it to turn into a raging party because everyone was so into the game. We were wrong. Shortly after the game ended, a lot of the bar cleared out. It was strange.
In the bathroom after the game, Andrew became friends with a group of young military men. They were nice, but a little on the intense side. 
For a while, our tables mixed
male bonding captured on film
대한민국!!!Dae Han Min Guk!
(Repulic of Korea in Korean)
Andrew propped up the camera on a table and used the self timer
Korea Fighting!
Wish we knew what was so funny
Judy's soju ad
They look so serious...
More bonding
More friends
And still more friends...These were the best of the evening. Judy actually got the girls' digits and we ended up meeting them for the all the rest of Korea's games. They were great!
Judy & -------(just because we hung out with them repeatedly,
doesn't mean we know their names!)
The cutest couple ever
The one in the neon and gray was her actual boyfriend, but she referred to these two as her boyfriends as well.
Did they bump their heads?
He is so adorable...
Then she started calling Korey and Andrew her boyfriends too...
We both really liked his shirt, so Andrew negotiated a trade!
Lookin' good!
Awwww
Awwww
Love Shot!
Alcohol exponentially increases Andrew's love for the self timer...
ticklefest!?!
Teresa talking to a friend in Canada.
Korey talking to Teresa's friend in Canada.
It started raining for a little while 
This next series of pictures capture Dave Frappier at his finest...
(not dead)On our way to the taxi stand to head home, we came across a lone Korean guy passed out in his own vomit on the sidewalk.
Dave woke him up, and talked him through his troubles! 
It looks like he got through to him...
...then sent him on his way!
No comments:
Post a Comment