(no subject)
MIA but not missing any action.
Had a very nondescriptboy'ish moment on Saturday.
I spent the afternoon in my shorts sitting around the house trying to kill off the sniffles all day and took my time getting ready in the early afternoon; I was ready by 5 and met my friend John down the block and we caught the subway to Apgujung, and originally, I am neither a Seoul subway nor Apgujung kind of person. In any case, we took our time from Apgujung station up the street to the Galleria, and prepared to wait 5 minutes for another friend to roll up.
I see a flash of brown hair with the long bangs, a light sweater twinset and miniskirt and then some Barbie legs, and I don't think much but to give her a second look. That second look proved to be very worth it, since I caught her side profile and realized it was Fumiko, the girl who sat across from me in class three years ago at Ewha when we were doing level 2 Korean? Level 3? I did a quick hop up to the crosswalk and double checked, and it was indeed her, as she reached out her hand to mine and we proceeded to exchange only a few lines a piece as we stood there in shock;
The first lines were obviously the "what are you doing back in Seoul?" types, and she explained that she was just here for a week and I explained the kindergarten, and then it proceeded to making a time to meet again and getting digits. By the time the third line came I was satisfied since I already had a possible date lined up, but she threw in the "oh, that boyfriend I had, I broke up with him" kicker that didn't even cross my mind but sealed the deal.
The surprising part of all this though is that because of all of the Osaka thoughts I had early in the week, and because she is the only person I know from Osaka still there, she crossed my mind often and I found it hard to stop thinking about her just a few days ago. Running into her face to face after all of the mere thinking blew me away at how flukish it all was.
Also fitting because I need someone special to kill my weekends with, and I've heard through the grapevine since Saturday that she spends her weeks working in Osaka and her weekends coming to Seoul to wallow in some sort of post-breakup pity and stagnation, which sounds horribly familiar and I could either use a partner in that or a partner in something else. When we first met 3 years ago, and took this bus ride out to some countryside ski resort for the Ewha exchange student indoctrination primer weekend trip, she plunked herself down next to me on one of the 3 buses available and seemed to have unhealthy interest in me. She wore a pumpkin orange scarf that day, so I always thought of her as that overly-friendly orange-scarf girl. She somehow convinced me to go out with her to dinner, where she pulled some wild card out of her sleeve and introduced me to her Korean boyfriend whose existence I had not heard about, and who was eerily too similar to me at that time, and I think that was last I noticed of her, despite the fact that she sat across from me in class for the 3 months after that.
I guess there's time for the second go, huh? If I feel generous I will update with status on overly-friendly orange-scarf Osaka girl later. I dunno, really. The way we met there on the street, and the way she had come to mind just days before, it seems like something fateful. But then again, she is rather cute, and to be honest, I think I have realized I like my Japanese girls homely and poor. What ever happened to the nice and sweet bucktoothed pigeon-toed Japanese girl with rock star clothes and the little handbag that hangs off the elbow, with the little terry handcloth sticking out the top? That's all I really asked for.
Anyway, in another nondescriptboy type move, I present my perpetually updated shopping list/greed's return, October 2005 (aka toys I must buy to stave off maturity and adulthood) since payday is this week and the dilemma of having money is about to rear it's ugly head again.
These are just the basics, really. Just stuff to help me survive in Seoul. I would've included good cheese and bread in the list but couldn't find any suitable white-background jpegs on the net, so imagine them in here someplace.
Paul Smith sneakers, with punched detail toes; 19,600 yen
Honda Benly 50S, in Shasta White with tan long seat; 260,000 yen
Rhodia Bloc 8 vellum pads by Paul Smith Japan x Rhodia;
Alessi by Karim Rashid wristwatch; $85
Rolex Air-King with pink bronze 3-6-9 dial; 265,000 yen
Premiata Flip sandals by Premiata X BEAMS Japan, 8400 yen
12" wallet chain, $7.50
Paul Smith wallet with pinup girl print interior;
Imperia pasta machine with ravioli set;
George Karelias Superior Virginia Lights; $18/carton
Flathead jeans, Flathead Japan
iPod Nano in black
I haven't bought anything interesting for myself since the last time I was in Seoul really, so I think it's about time to go a little wild and go toy shopping.
Had a very nondescriptboy'ish moment on Saturday.
I spent the afternoon in my shorts sitting around the house trying to kill off the sniffles all day and took my time getting ready in the early afternoon; I was ready by 5 and met my friend John down the block and we caught the subway to Apgujung, and originally, I am neither a Seoul subway nor Apgujung kind of person. In any case, we took our time from Apgujung station up the street to the Galleria, and prepared to wait 5 minutes for another friend to roll up.
I see a flash of brown hair with the long bangs, a light sweater twinset and miniskirt and then some Barbie legs, and I don't think much but to give her a second look. That second look proved to be very worth it, since I caught her side profile and realized it was Fumiko, the girl who sat across from me in class three years ago at Ewha when we were doing level 2 Korean? Level 3? I did a quick hop up to the crosswalk and double checked, and it was indeed her, as she reached out her hand to mine and we proceeded to exchange only a few lines a piece as we stood there in shock;
The first lines were obviously the "what are you doing back in Seoul?" types, and she explained that she was just here for a week and I explained the kindergarten, and then it proceeded to making a time to meet again and getting digits. By the time the third line came I was satisfied since I already had a possible date lined up, but she threw in the "oh, that boyfriend I had, I broke up with him" kicker that didn't even cross my mind but sealed the deal.
The surprising part of all this though is that because of all of the Osaka thoughts I had early in the week, and because she is the only person I know from Osaka still there, she crossed my mind often and I found it hard to stop thinking about her just a few days ago. Running into her face to face after all of the mere thinking blew me away at how flukish it all was.
Also fitting because I need someone special to kill my weekends with, and I've heard through the grapevine since Saturday that she spends her weeks working in Osaka and her weekends coming to Seoul to wallow in some sort of post-breakup pity and stagnation, which sounds horribly familiar and I could either use a partner in that or a partner in something else. When we first met 3 years ago, and took this bus ride out to some countryside ski resort for the Ewha exchange student indoctrination primer weekend trip, she plunked herself down next to me on one of the 3 buses available and seemed to have unhealthy interest in me. She wore a pumpkin orange scarf that day, so I always thought of her as that overly-friendly orange-scarf girl. She somehow convinced me to go out with her to dinner, where she pulled some wild card out of her sleeve and introduced me to her Korean boyfriend whose existence I had not heard about, and who was eerily too similar to me at that time, and I think that was last I noticed of her, despite the fact that she sat across from me in class for the 3 months after that.
I guess there's time for the second go, huh? If I feel generous I will update with status on overly-friendly orange-scarf Osaka girl later. I dunno, really. The way we met there on the street, and the way she had come to mind just days before, it seems like something fateful. But then again, she is rather cute, and to be honest, I think I have realized I like my Japanese girls homely and poor. What ever happened to the nice and sweet bucktoothed pigeon-toed Japanese girl with rock star clothes and the little handbag that hangs off the elbow, with the little terry handcloth sticking out the top? That's all I really asked for.
Anyway, in another nondescriptboy type move, I present my perpetually updated shopping list/greed's return, October 2005 (aka toys I must buy to stave off maturity and adulthood) since payday is this week and the dilemma of having money is about to rear it's ugly head again.
These are just the basics, really. Just stuff to help me survive in Seoul. I would've included good cheese and bread in the list but couldn't find any suitable white-background jpegs on the net, so imagine them in here someplace.
Paul Smith sneakers, with punched detail toes; 19,600 yen
Honda Benly 50S, in Shasta White with tan long seat; 260,000 yen
Rhodia Bloc 8 vellum pads by Paul Smith Japan x Rhodia;
Alessi by Karim Rashid wristwatch; $85
Rolex Air-King with pink bronze 3-6-9 dial; 265,000 yen
Premiata Flip sandals by Premiata X BEAMS Japan, 8400 yen
12" wallet chain, $7.50
Paul Smith wallet with pinup girl print interior;
Imperia pasta machine with ravioli set;
George Karelias Superior Virginia Lights; $18/carton
Flathead jeans, Flathead Japan
iPod Nano in black
I haven't bought anything interesting for myself since the last time I was in Seoul really, so I think it's about time to go a little wild and go toy shopping.