It's early evening in Seoul, and as it was quite chilly today, I am bundled up at home in front of the computer and TV.  My face and hair are still covered in gold glitter (if it all washes out by Wednesday, I'll be surprised), my back still has a half-faded Greek tattoo drawn on it, my eyes are dry from the fog machine from last night, and my apartment is pretty much a disaster.  I'm just grateful that my Monday classes are a week behind the other days, meaning that I don't have to lesson plan tonight.

Since it was Halloween weekend, a million parties were going on in Seoul.  Halloween may not really be celebrated my the average Korean, but every club and bar in Hongdae, Gangnam, and Apgujeong seemed to have some kind of party.  On Friday, we went to an OnStyle launch party at the Intercontinental Hotel.  The dress code was supposed to be black and pink, but it was too hard to try to find or make a cheap costume that happened to be pink.  I ended up making a mini-dress out of yellow caution tape.  A few weeks ago, I found a roll of the tape at a shop near one of my favorite bars, and bought it, figuring I could find some cool use for it.  Earlier this week, I started thinking I would use it to make a dress, but wasn't quite sure how it would turn out.  At first, I just wanted to tape it to my body but it's like...how do you use the bathroom???  I came home from school on Friday and immediately started to try to put the outfit together.

First, I found an electric, metallic violet mini-skirt from American Apparel that I wore once about half a year ago and never wore again.  It was short and stretchy--the perfect material.  For the top, I chose a comfortable corset top from the Korean lingerie brand, Eblin.  I did the skirt first, then the top, and finally connected them together.  There were some alarming moments where I would pause and go, "Oh my god, I won't be able to sit down in this at all", but in the end, it worked out alright.  Sitting was definitely awkward, but it was fine for just one night.  The dress was so LOUD, though.  With every step, you could hear the plastic scratching of all the tape rubbing up against each other.  I thought it was a fun dress and was happy that it actually came together well, but it got more attention than I was expecting.  OnStyle took some really awkward pictures of me in front of their promo board, took down my name, age, "inspiration", etc and I got to do an interview with a British fashion reporter. 

All in all, it was a chill night.  After the launch party, we went to a party next door.  It was HUGE.  They had rented out two ballrooms and set up one with hip-hop and the other with trance/techno.  We went home around four, slept all day, and then got ready for Saturday's party.  Dean and three of his friends have been growing freaking mustaches for a month so they could dress up as the three Musketeers.  They went to a huge costume shop earlier last week and rented these ridiculously loud wigs, hats, boots, jackets, pants, and swords.  He went to a party with them in Gangnam first, while I stayed back to get ready.

My Saturday costume was much more comfortable, but it also had its complications.  I had wanted to draw Greek writings all over my arms, shoulders, and back, but I just didn't have enough time.  I was also stupid because I put on lotion after my shower, and the residue from the lotion made my pens go to crap.  I also had to try to write things backwards in the mirror and with my left hand, so that was...interesting.  For the toga, I had bought a sheet, ripped it up, and just needed to pin it carefully.  There were no real wardrobe malfuctions, so it was a relief.

Michael and I met up at a relaxing, pretty little restaurant bar in Hongdae for dinner and drinks.  We then hung out with our adorably crazy friend (who speaks little to no English, making things really, really interesting) at a Japanese bar.  Between shots of soju, she fed us, gave us random things off her body (I woke up and realized I was wearing one of her earrings and that she must have gone home with my new gold chandelier earring), decorated our faces and costumes with sparkly nail decals, shimmied around in her silver belly dancing costume, and took pictures with us.  Honestly, I've never met anyone like her.  She's like an anime character who's come to life or an exuberant hurricane (within five seconds of being seated at the bar, she knocked a ceramic glass off the table and shattered it).  Even though she is loud, loves drinking, and is just plain wild, she is never rude and never comes off as snobby or mean-spirited.  I don't understand how she has grown up with her amazing cheerfulness and innocence in tact.  It's mind-boggling.  Oh, she also told us that she is in Episode 6 of the Korean drama "Iris" and one of the dancing girls in a club scene.  I just checked it and yup...there she is--short hair, tiny, cropped shirt, drinking a beer and dancing on the main steps.  Fanastico.

Around 11:30, we left the Japanese place to head to Mansion, where our friends would be.  We had to get there at midnight for the guestlist and I definitely didn't want to pay, so we tried our best to hurry, got lost, ran into Dean and a few other friends, and then traveled to the club together as a big group.  Inside, the party was just beginning to swell.  We nabbed one of the last tables, ordered a vodka set, and had a moderately chill (but not boring) night.  We ended it pretty early--around three.  I wasn't even tired, just content and fine to go home.  I didn't even fall asleep in the taxi!  Lately, I sit down in the taxi and immediately pass out. 

Speaking of taxis, I took one by myself to Hongdae last night, since Dean was with our other friends.  I was wearing this long toga, my body was doused in gold glitter, and I had black eyeshadow up to my eyebrows.  I attracted a LOT of weird looks on my five minute walk to the main street by my apartment.  When I got in, I told the driver to take me to Hongdae Station, and he nodded pleasantly.  Eventually, I could sense he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he should, so I just went, "Um...ohneul bam...Halloween eeyehyo...um, na neun athena eeyeyoh" in my crappy Korean.  He just smiled and said, "I know."  Nice guy.  Much better than the jerk whose taxi we rode in for about one minute last night, before we decided he was so much of a douche that we had to change taxis. 

You know what I realized? PEPERO DAY is coming soon.  I noticed all these Pepero displays at 7-11 last night and was confused, since we're nowhere near Valentine's Day or White Day.  But then Michael pointed out...Pepero Day.  If you guys don't know what it is, Pepero is that snack that resembles Japanese Pocky--thin, long biscuits covered in a thin coat of chocolate or other flavors.  November 11th is Pepero Day in Korea, since the 11.11 resemble four sticks of Pepero (lame, I know).  The weeks leading up to it, you can see huge baskets of it being sold in any kind of store, along with special stuffed animals with boxes of Pepero like, stuffed to their chests.  Students give it to teacher, some teachers give it to students, friends exchange it, boyfriends give it to girlfriends, etc.  I got so many boxes of it last year I still have some extra ones in my cabinet. 

PHOTOS

1. OnStyle Launch Party at Blush/The Haunted Festival

The boys looking dapper. 


Love Sarah's kangaroo costume.  So cute.


My dress, by the way, is currently in a giant, sticky ball in the trash.

2. Japanese bar/Mansion

Michael, Hosoon, and me.  Hosoon's expression in the third picture...amazing.  She looks like she's about to eat Michael.


Great costumes from Jacinta and Sarah.  All of us had to have two costumes.  Intense.


Dean uses the crackberry in costume (sans wig).  Our friend, Felix, was the DJ and he wore this crazy mask the entire time.


Just watch Michael in this series.  He was clearly very concerned about his freaky green baby, Bjork.




Alright, that's a LOT of pictures.  I need to go do the dishes and take out the trash.  I'm a messy girl, but this apartment is TOO messy, even for me.  D:

Hope you guys all had awesome Halloweens!  Tell me about your costumes!


This title is Bad Romance by Lady Gaga


I want your love and
all your lover's revenge.
You and me could write
a bad romance.