So today I woke up (at 10:30, I didn't leave my room until 11:00 haha) and had breakfast. I chilled with the fam in front of the tv for a little bit and then walked to the subway station. I was in workout shorts, a baggy tshirt, and flip flops since I was going to a water gun fight, but no one in Seoul dresses like that so I looked really out of place. Me and the other nsliy kids were talking a few days ago about how everyone in Korea always looks so nice and clean and neat. It's not that Koreans are naturally prettier than other people (although they are very pretty) but they also just take care of themselves better. Skin care (for men and women) is really emphasized here, and no one really goes out of the house looking unkempt. Korean fashion is also very classy, modest, and neat/clean looking so that definitely helps everyone look more put together. But another interesting thing is that there isn't a double standard surrounding looks like there is in the US. I feel like in the US girls are held to certain standards for how they look when they leave the house while guys aren't- guys can go out if the house unshowered, looking like they just got out if bed, and no one will look twice. Here both guys and girls are expected to look put together (but keep in mind this is just what I've noticed in Seoul, I'm sure the countryside is a little different). I haven't seen a Korean person with wet hair on the subway. I go out with wet hair in the US all the time!
Anyways, I arrived in Sinchon and met up with two other friends there and we went to Mr. Pizza. We didn't get any weird pizza flavors, just vegetarian, so it was pretty good!
After pizza we met up with a friend from the Korean high school camp! It was really fun to see her again, and I was happy she came because the other two friends I met up with weren't feeling up to the water festival/didn't bring extra clothes.
We bought water guns and walked around for a little while before meeting up with a few other NSLIY friends. That's when the real fun began- we got super into the water fight. So how it was set up was that the street was blocked off by firetrucks, which periodically sprayed (cold) water into the crowd, and then there was a main stage in the middle which had sprite showers? The entire thing was run by sprite so the logo was everywhere and I think they filmed a commercial or two there as well. There were water gun refilling stations every block or so and then the entire big street was basically a free for all. Of course they had bass heavy music to set the mood haha. We were targeted a lot because we were a group of foreigners, and it was so much fun to engage in random water battles with complete strangers. The best part was the random English they would yell at you as they sprayed you in the face haha. "Where are you from?!?" "Nice!" "Excuse me!!!!" And my personal favorite (which I heard sooooo many times it was hilarious" "WELCOME TO KOREAAAA". Also, not going to lie, this festival attracted every nice looking male in Seoul. I would have totally come just for the eye candy haha.
But seriously the water gun festival was definitely one of my favorite moments in Seoul and I'm so glad that I came back to join. It's stuff like this that really makes you feel how communal and collective Korean culture is at times, and it just made me feel so connected to the people and the city I have been staying in. After the festival we took some pictures after changing clothes and then left back to the subway station (not after stopping for ice cream, of course).
When I got home my host mom made me dinner, but then about an hour after that we went out to eat again? We got pizza and brought it back home, but even though I wasn't hungry I ate some because they basically just bought it for me.... Awkward. But now I'm exhausted and ready to go to sleep, but I'm really thankful for such an awesome day in Seoul. I love Korea so much sometimes <3
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