Sled Fest 2011

This weekend was super busy, and of course, super fun. Actually, the weekend started off a bit early on Thursday. Every other Thursday we get together and attempt to do the bi-weekly Trivia night at the local bar. For the past handful of months we have successfully came in last place. Always. Dead. Last. Fortunately the promise of booze and a bit of a break from the weekly monotony has kept us coming twice a month. This last Thursday I had hope though. For once our team was complete, we had all 5 members and an equal shot at the grand prize. Actually, I don't even know what the prize is, because I'm so sure that we'll never be first. Either way, we played hard, and we played well. My strengths at trivia are few and far between but I always seem to come in handy in the music/movies round. They also mixed it up with some more female friendly questions this week. All together, when the team names were called, and we weren't last, and we weren't second to last, but third to last, I almost shat my pants! Which is a bit funny because our bitter streak of losing prompted us to name our team, "Winners take all, Losers have a life." So I guess we're only half-nerds now.

Friday was spent in an exhausted haze. I managed to get out of my house to have some delicious dinner at night, but other than that I stayed home and rested up for my Saturday shenanigans. By around 1pm on Saturday Fliss and I were shuffling to meet at the bus station and head to Family Land. I had been there once before to visit the sad zoo, but this time we had a different agenda: Birthday Party Sledding. My original thoughts of sledding were lots of wet snow, walking up and down through more snow, and generally being cold. But this was different, it was organized and mildy warm. There was just one area to slide down on a tube. You only went when the announcer said "Go" and there was even a slow ass escalator along the side so you didn't walk back up the snow hill.

Family land also had a handful of other things to do, which would have been nice if we would have arrived earlier. They had rides, an arcade, and well.. more rides. But the only ride we got to do was on a mini train from the entrance of family land to the park. That seemed to impress all of us enough though.

After a few hours going up and down a hill our attention spans shortened and we were on our way to Part Two of Dom's Birthday party: The Duck Restaurant. I'm sure I've spoke of this amazing place before, but every time I go it's just so delicious. I really should go to other duck restaurants, but I can't stop going to this one. We only had one problem: Getting there. We literally had to go from the top of bum fuck Gwangju, where there were no Taxi's to catch, to the very bottom, in around 15 minutes. So we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for a cab. It got to the point where my rain boots (which was a terrible choice to begin with) had caused my toes to go numb and the ever so gracious Dom traded her boots with me.

After what felt like days, we made it to The Duck Restaurant and started consuming duck in the many forms it came in. Three courses of delicious goodness, surrounded with beer, soju, and never ending banter.

By the time we were finished, Dom, Fliss and I retreated back to my apartment to get ready for the nights fun. Dom got dressed up in one of my new dresses, I did her hair up cute, and she looked so pretty for her birthday. She looked in the mirror the tears started to swell up. Maybe it was the wine, or the day of fun, or whatever the reason was, Dom had a bit of cry. It's totally understandable though, she's leaving soon, she's one of the best friends I've ever had, and all of this is going to end soon. I tried to get her to stop but seeing her like that only pushed Fliss and I to start crying too. Before we knew it we had three girls, who were supposed to be getting cute and happy for the night, balling their little eyes out. I know leaving Gwangju is hard, so I'm going to try to be supportive and not cry next time she starts. I obviously love it here, but losing friends all year long really does suck. It's not losing though, I know I'll see her again and it will be like nothing ever changed.

The details of the rest of the night are a haze. I know it involved lots of dancing, Dom consistently falling on the floor, a birthday fire show, some same-sex kissing, and probably a shot or two. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

By Sunday Fliss and I had one plan, and one plan only: Watching almost an entire season of Community. Damn that show is funny. Highly recommended. Also the latest episode of Modern Family was a riot. I plan to be good for the next 10 days or so, because I will be leaving on a jet plane to Hong Kong on the 2nd!! Yay!

Pictures coming as soon as I can figure out how to save them off of the new facebook.