Fare Thee Well

In Korea, foreigners come and go. Our contracts are only 12 months long, and often we find no reason to stay longer than that. Some come back to Korea, to work at different schools or academies. Others never do. I have been here for almost a year and six months and I have seen many friends come and go. This is a tribute to all the foreign friends I've made here. I wish you all luck as I bid thee farewell!

One of my first farewells was Clinton's and it was also one of the saddest. He chose to celebrate his return home at Music Bar. It was really hard to say goodbye so soon after meeting him, but there was the hope and possibility that he would come back to Korea again. And as you all know, he did come back five months later. Thankfully!

 

My Scottish pal, Allan stayed in Icheon for about three years. He liked to think of himself as the king of the Chon, and we obliged. His farewell was a messy affair, of which I have no photos. But I do have blackmail evidence of our escapade the night before he left, where we celebrated at World Mart...

It all started off innocently enough. We were just hanging out on a Sunday evening, drinking beer and soju, reminiscing about the past.

Stu was playing with his new toy.

And when Jess and I ran out of soju, we went to the Family Mart to get some wine. That's when we decided to buy Allan a going away present, a typical Family Mart gift that he would never forget. Something that would always remind him of Korea. We saw a picture in a magazine that kind of looked like him. But, Allan can't read Korean.

We got distracted by the hunk on the cover of this magazine.

But when Jess bought it, thinking it would have "chocolate men" (the term in Korean for men with six-packs) inside, we discovered that it was a fitness mag of how to get a six-pack. Fail!

In the end, we chose these Pierre Cardin briefs. We thought they'd look mighty good on our Scottish friend's bottom.

And indeed they did.

I blame this cheap bottle of Petit Bistre French wine for what happened next.

Stu's initial look of disgust would fade soon enough.

When, much to Holly's dismay, he jumped on the bandwagon and tried on the briefs himself.

Ninja style.

Jess' farewell was at Jenny's bar in Icheon.

She wasted no time getting behind the bar and making some cocktails. Back home in Detroit, Jess' dad owns a bar, where she has worked since she was a teenager. So she's no stranger to mixing up a potent storm.

Even though we were all really sad to see her go, it was pretty easy to say goodbye to Jess because she'd be back in Korea in just a few months. She decided not to come back to Icheon, and now lives in Asan, Seoul.

We partied up a storm, but often Jess was the only one dancing.

But she definitely wasn't the last one standing.

Jo lived in Icheon for nearly two years so her farewell was epic and lasted a few days. She had her farewells at Music bar and RX.

Ernesto was just as shocked as Jo was that she was really, actually, definitely leaving. For real.

Holly, on the other hand, is skeptical and thinks Jo will be back.

The debauchery continued a few days later.

After finding the cheesy puffs, Jessica was behind the bar again.

Much to Dean's shock and horror.

Jo wasn't the last (wo)man standing at her farewell, either, but at least she found a softer spot than the floor.

Q's farwell was crazy. Things got mental before we even left the hostel we were all staying for Club Vera in Hongdae.

 Jess and I decided it was time to bring out the wigs. I decided to go completely overboard and wear a red jacket and red contacts to match.

We weren't the only ones going mental though. I just love this guy's expression!

Travis, who has been in Icheon at the same elementary school for ages, left last month. It has been three years since he has been home to America. His farewell was quiet and subdued, but it was one of the best I have experienced. A small group of us took a ride out into the country, where Travis' friend, Scarlet has a small piece of land. She brought her two crazy dogs, we all brought meat to braai and in true Travis style, he brought a boatload of fireworks.

While Clinton helped Margaret pitch her tent, one of the dogs found the clover field. It never stood a chance - the patch of clovers were flattened within an hour.

 

We started to braai the meat and vegetables as the sun set and the moon appeared.

And for dessert, we had fireworks.

 And a bonfire.

Along with a handful of others, Clinton and I stayed the night. We slept in a tent, rather uncomfortably with a tiny blanket and no pillows, and woke to the sounds of birds chirping and a woodpecker tapping away at a tree. It was glorious to wake up surrounded by nature and I said goodbye to Travis wondering why we hadn't gone camping before.

To all the friends I have made here in Korea, I hope you find greener pastures on the other side. Take care, good luck, keep well, and may you always remember the Chon.