Having had my hair and makeup done by the pros, it was time to continue my day of luxury and head off for a nighttime dinner cruise on the Han River. I boarded the C& ship at the Yeouido Ferry terminal, which was decked to the nines with Christmas tree lights. Windows overlooking the skyline of Seoul encased the restaurant. Filled with Koreans out for a night on the town, the tables were covered by crisp white table clothes just waiting for me to spill on.
What a beautiful and relaxing way to round out the day. The boat pushed away from the pier, the lights dimmed in an oh-so-romantical way, and an announcement was made in Korean. Suddenly, commotion overtook the crowd. People started running, and I mean running, to the buffet area. A woman tripped in her heels. A man elbowed a grandmother in order to snag the first piece of fresh sushi. I panicked. Where is the line? What is this swarm of human beings attacking every dish as if it will be their last? And then, she cut me off. A woman with dangling diamond earrings stepped right in front of me to snag the tongs for the caprese salad. Note to my readers: when it comes to mozzarella cheese, or any cheese for that matter, do not even think about messing with me. Cheese is heaven to the taste buds. I considered applying one of my newly acquired Tae Kwon Do skills in order to seize back the tongs. My ladylike manners won out and silenced my inner martial artist. Instead of attempting to form a queue, I threw out my elbows and grabbed whatever I could get my hands on. Be aggressive! Be-e-aggressive! My plate was a mountain of various foodstuffs by the time I returned to our table.
There is nothing like a nice glass of wine to round out a fancy river cruise. Menu in hand, I selected a bottle of Chilean merlot. It was chilled...and served in champagne flutes. Interesting. Not what I was anticipating, but the good news is that alcohol content remains the same regardless of serving temperature or vessel.
All loosened up from my massage, the alcohol hit me after a few sips. "Koreanlanguagekoreanlanguagekoreanlanguage...SANDY!" is what I heard blast from the microphone on stage. Before I knew what was going on, my fellow dinner guests were applauding as I was whisked on stage to be serenaded by the one-man band, Mr. Bummy. "What song would you like me to play?" he whispered to me in English as I sat on the piano bench, blushing from either the embarrassment or the wine. I don’t know what overtook my brain at this particular moment, but for some ridiculous reason I blurted out "Something romantic!". Within seconds, Mr. Bummy began crooning Now and Forever. Surrounded by couples in love, the lights dimmed just so, and the romantic skyline dancing before my eyes, it was an absolutely insane request to ask for someone to underscore that you are indeed alone whilst swimming in a sea of love. Sip your wine, Sandy. Might as well spread the love if you can. Thank you, Mr. Bummy, the serenade was beautiful.
For a nightcap, I headed to Café Rainbow. Situated smack dab in the Han Nam Bridge, the café overlooks the river and had a futuristic Jetson’s type décor. So cold from the outside air and just dying to get inside and warm up, I burrowed my head down into my coat and moved up the stairs as fast as possible. Warmth is just around the corner. SMACK! Head bash #2 of the trip. The only solution to numb the pain this time was to purchase the strongest drink on the menu. The traditional Korean liquor, mak ko ri, was available in either red, green, blue or ivory cocktail "flavors." Feeling in both an environmental and holiday spirit, I opted for the green. Once in my hand, I gulped it down as fast as I could. Served over ice, it tasted like a melted snow cone. Please numb the throbbing pain in my head. Mission accomplished.
Nursing myself back to health with the strength of mak ko ri, I peered out the Jetson’s living room and out onto the bustling highway that lines the Han River. Lights were flashing. The city sparkled. But then the flashing got more and more intense. Am I having a stroke? Did I really bash my head that hard? No, that’s just the Korean President’s motorcade! I counted over twenty cop cars surrounding his vehicle as they rushed beneath me. What better way to round out a classy evening then with a sighting of the highest-ranking government official? Cheers!
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