Friday was nice, got an invitation to judge a talent show on the Army Garrison nearby. It was pretty cool. That being said, some people need a reality check when it comes to their ability to sing. There were, out of 12 contestants, 2 people who had decent voices. The girl who won was absolutely amazing, she sang a Whitney Houston song and did it justice, which is not an easy thing to do. My coworker who was judging with me, said it almost brought him to tears.
Having sat through it, I can honestly say it gave me an even bigger appreciation for good music, and I think I already appreciate good music a great deal.
Friday night, after the talent show, I hopped the train and headed north to Suwon for a little fun. I had, easily, the funnest night I've had since I arrived in Korea. We began the night by buying a bottle of Soju and dominating it before the train arrived in Suwon. Having properly lubricated, being a social butterfly became easy! We met up with my friend's lady and headed out to the bars. Drinking and socializing is always fun, but to do it in another country is waaaaaay more fun. I mean, everything is different and interesting.
We stopped and ate a little later on and had the spiciest chicken I've ever had in my life. We could barely eat it. We also had some lemon soju, which is amazing. After a few hours of drinks and food, we found some Koreans playing guitar on the sidewalk. I noticed they were playing Jason Mraz, so I stopped and sang for them (they didn't seem to know the words too well). Afterwards, one of them began talking to me and my friend about music. We hung around and drank some more, played some music, and plenty of people stopped to listen. It was a lot of fun!
Eden (the Korean who spoke English) is a really cool dude. He has an old soul, and is a really laid back, interesting person. He invited us to his mother's restaurant, which wasn't too far away. So, we went, enjoyed more good food and Soju, and played some more music. Mike, my friend, has a really good voice, and sang some tunes while Eden played guitar.
It all reminded me of being in Charleston, just with different faces. That's why I love music. It really is a language that everyone speaks. It connects people. I felt so at peace that morning. I hope to see Eden again, and hopefully we can jam out some more.
I've started to find a sense of settling here, and it makes me happy. I thoroughly enjoy this feeling of adventure. There is so much to do, so much to find, and I can't wait to tackle all of it. I am almost dreading coming back to the States!... almost ;)
Speaking of music, I've been listening to a lot of Greg Laswell this weekend. What a peaceful sound he has. It is perhaps the most reflective, happy, relaxing music I've ever listened to. That's where I'll leave you... listen to the lyrics in this song. Think of the journey of life. Close your eyes, sit back, relax, and let it roll over you.
-Brayton
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