I managed to survive the first week here in Korea. It’s Saturday and we have free time in weekend. I’m feeling so good, I think I’m going to do a SPA day with Sarah. It is what we need after the party from last night. Time off  is a welcomed variation from our crazy program. This week passed quickly – a lot of new faces, all kinds of challenges at the dance studio. I’m doing pretty well for a person who doesn’t have a job in a foreign country.

“Ma Ri! Wake up is Saturday and we have nothing to do!!!” I heard Sarah scream from the other side of the door.

“I am already up, I’m just staying in bed and I’m thinking.”

“You are thinking? Do you use your brain?” She said while she was coming in.

“Yeah it happens from time to time.” I joked.

“Let’s stay all day in bed.”

“I wanted to do a SPA day, do you wanna  join me?”

“Sounds good. Sure, I love Spa says. Back home it was SPA day every day at my hose remember?”

“Yeah I remember, how could somebody forget about your SPA day every day.” I said and I smiled to her.

“Do you miss home?” She asked me while she was covering with my pillow.

“Me, not really, I like it here, plus I didn’t had time to think about home.

“Right, how is it with the dance practice?”

“Not that good Kai is a pain in the .”

“Why, what is doing?”

“Nothing special, he is trying to be a good teacher I guess. He is nagging me about everything I do, is like I can’t do right a single think.”

“Oh I don’t think that is a bad thing, to be honest.”

“Well is not, by the way, what’s happening between you and him?”

“What do you mean what’s happening?”

“Tell me everything, I saw you yesterday at the event.”

“I’m hungry, I’m going to order something from room service, do you want something?”

“Don’t try to change the subject miss!” I said while I was pointing at her.

“You don’t want to tell me? Okay then I will order a coffee for you!”

“Yah Sarah! you know I hate to drink coffee!”

“So what do you want to eat  then?”

“Pancakes please!”

“I’m going to eat an omlette and a coffee.”

After we ate we decided to go to a Korean spa cause that was on our to do list. So we packed our things and went to the closest one.

Once arrived there we were really shocked. I stood in front of my locker in my standard-issue, loose-fitting t-shirt and shorts, paralyzed. I looked at Sarah she was adapting quite well.

“Just do it”. I whispered to myself. “Ignore the girl sitting behind you, reaching through your legs to get to her belongings. Forget about the over-exposed grandmothers running after toddlers, skin flapping in every direction.”

“Oh come on! Just do it already! Sarah said. We promised Amy that we will do this once we will get here. Plus you had this idea any way.”

“Yeah what a wonderful idea I had” I said while I was rolling my eyes at her.

“You have to do it too, you know?!”

“If they don’t care, why should you? I will do it if you will do it!”

Instead, I fiddled with my locker, checked my phone for a few minutes and finally collected my belongings. On my free day, in the heart of Seoul, after traveling miles with this experience at the top of my must-do list, because I promised to Amy that I will do it, I could not bring myself to join in the jimjilbang (or Korean bathhouse) state of undress. 

I left Dragonhill Spa, an enormous facility that is basically an amusement park for nudists, complete with a food court and arcade games, with a sense of resignation and failure. And because of me Sarah left the Spa too. She was so looking forward for the, detoxifying, life-changing Korean spa experience she thought we would have here in Seoul. Since I consider myself fairly free-spirited I thought I would be totally on-board for the whole group ness thing. But I wasn’t. So we decided to go back at the hotel and go at spa there. It was a normal spa it has everything you wanted and we don’t have to be .

“We could have been doing this from the start you know?” Sarah told me.

“Sorry I didn’t know that the spa is this way ok?”

“Well now you know.”

“We are here already so let’s enjoy the moment shall we?” I told myself that I have to have fun and relax myself a bit after the -people-everywhere-around-me experience.

"Ahhh, we’re getting the royal treatment today!" I heard Sarah said

“Damn right, we have!” I simply smiled and let the staff take us around what seemed like a labyrinth to the locker area, equipped with lockers, showers, towels, robes, slippers, and everything that we could possibly need to get into relaxation mode.

When everything was over, my skin was baby soft, and I felt purer than a on her wedding day. I was toxin free baby! All in all, I truly enjoyed my day at Spa and Sarah enjoyed it  too for sure. After the spa day we went in our hotel room.

“We should call Amy to tell her about your fail Ma Ri!”

“Yeah let’s call her but let’s not tell her about that!”

I’m just going to bring my laptop and call her on Skype.

“Okay.’

“Hey what’s up mermaid?” We were calling her like that cause she has a mermaid hair style and makeup. Most of mermaids are portrayed to have long, wavy hair and she is always wearing light, sparkly makeup and a light shade of lip gloss.

“Hey girls! What are you doing?”

“We have so much thins to talk to you about!” Sara said so excided.

“Did you find some hot guys?”

“A lot of them actually.”

“Seriously?””

“Yes, but first let us strart from the beginning.” Sarah said.

“Yesterday we were at a party!” I said while I interrupt Sarah from speaking.

“No way!”

“Yeah and there were like a lot of hot guys!”

“Whaatt tell me everything about it!”

“Girls!” Sarah was trying to speak with us.4

“Well I didn’t want to go but I had to because of Sarah!”

“Girls!” She shouted again.

“Sarah why?” Amy ignored her.

“Yeah she told to this guy that we will come and he came to pick us up.”

“What guy?”

“She will tell us about it when she will be ready, to be honest I don’t know too  much about it!” I said and giggled.

“Finally you stopped talking! It is always the same when we are all together!” Sarah said annoyed.

“Are going to tell us about the guy?” Amy asked.

“Yeah well I wanted to tell you about it today.”

“So I am right it is something between you and Kai!” I Said.

“Well he is texting me a lot, but II don’t think I will be able to like him that way you know.”

“I think you should give him a chance!” Amy said.

“What about you Ma  Ri? Are you talking with a guy?”

“No, I can’t find one, same old problem.” I said with a bitter smile.

“Se is a liar, don’t believe her Amy.”

“What?, Why?” I said.

“Well yesterday she disappeared, with a guy.”

“How he look like?”

“I didn’t see cause I found them on a balcony and it was dark.”

“Ooooo so romantic, Balcony, night, city…”She started with I-have-so-much-ideas-that-could-happened-on-that-balcony voice.

“Yah!” I interrupted Amy. “Is not like that, we just talked, actually I was talking, he was the one who was asking questions, and when the “interview” was over Sarah came and we went to dance.”

“Do you have his number?” Amy asked.

“No, I don’t know anything about him, I know that he is super hot and taller then me and...”

“Ma Ri let’s be serious anyone is taller than you.” Amy interrupted me.

“Lol, yeah true.” Sarah giggled

“Anyway how have you been?”

“Everything is same here in London, I’m fine, I yesterday I took my final exam.” A smile from ear to ear sits on her face. ”I finished my studies girls, It’s wonderful!”

“Yeah wonderful, fantastic.” I said

“Hahahah yeah, and I already I found I vacant post of translator herein London, they need someone who knows German, It’s perfect for me.” (She went to London Metropolitan University at English Literature and Foreign Languages.)

“This is great! We are so happy for you!” Sarah said

“Yeah well everything is wonderful, fantastic!” She said and we all laughed.

“I have a surprise for you girls! I miss you so much! And we have to celebrate, so as you know the Christmas is coming and I have an early gift for you!” She said with her super excited voice.

“What is it?”

“Plane tickets!”

“Are you coming here?”

“No, you are coming here!”

“But we just arrived!” Sarah said

“Oh come on is just for two days! I thought that you will be happy!”

“We are, is great!” I said.

“I think it will be great to see you and we will be all of us together for the holydays.”

“We will feel the Christmas spirit!!” I said super excited. “It’s a great idea I can’t believe you did this! Thank you!”

“I can’t wait to see you!”

“Well in two weeks from now we will be together again!”

“Amy, I’m know this is rude, but we will hang up now, cause is really late here, I know you are 9 hours behind, but we really have to sleep.” Sarah said.

“Right I know about your sleeping habits too well.” Amy said and laughed. “What’s the time there?”

“12:12 a.m.” I said.

“Oh LOL is pretty late, ok then, sleep tight and take care!”

“We miss you! Bye!”

“Bye!”

After we talked with Amy we decided to eat dinner here at the hotel restaurant. We went at the 5^th floor of the Club and guess what? It was closed, the program was from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

We went back in our room, I was so pissed off, Sarah made an order to make an in-room-dining. Anything can work, I am really hungry, but I’m always hungry so is nothing new. To be honest I have never travelled beyond a 3 hours time zone change so I’m still adapting with the changed-time-zone-thing.

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It’s Sunday and we decided to go out, to visit Seoul. Seoul is a place where old meets new. It is really nice and we didn’t had the time to have a look around. It has the famous Gyeongbokgung Palace, and traditional markets around the corner from Forever 21. This vibrant city has it all — shopping, food, culture and  nightlife but we didn’t had the chance to see a thing.

Korea is known for themed coffee shops. From bikes and board games, to KPOP, and even sheep - you're bound to find one that appeals to your interests. Cat cafes are undoubtedly the most popular and Sarah is a cat lover so we decided to start our day there.

After that we went to Bukchon Village I didn’t want to but Kai told Sarah that we shoul go there and so we did. Wandering down the streets of Bukchon Village made us feel as if we've stepped back in time. As we pass by traditional homes we didn't believe we wre still in the center of Seoul. It was a unique feeling indeed.

And just visiting this took us forever so at the end of the tour we went home, it was great, we were like tourists, It was really nice experience, we started to know better and better Seoul.It was a hectic week, I‘m glad we had such a relaxed weekend.