One thing that is hard to be comfortable with about Korean culture is that people do not generally have guests at the house. It's maybe because people tend to live with extended families, or something more subtle. Regardless, if you're going to go to someone's birthday shin-dig, more often than not, it's at a bar or a restaurant somewhere. Now that's fine on occasion, but I'm a woman of balance. Where are my house parties?
I decided to be a little bold and skip the bar and have a cooking party at my house. I'd made mandu before with my Chinese class the year before, and I really thought it was an easy and great food to make at a party. In addition to the yummy pork dumpling morsels, we also made Vietnamese spring rolls. They were a great hit.
A comfortable number of people came, and James even bought some tequila. I broke out my new dresses I'd bought in Bali and we lived it up.
Of course, any good party night is not complete without a round of singing! To noraebang we went. Noraebang is the best because there really aren't any rules or expectations of anyone participating, just sing until your voice goes hoarse. Which I believe mine eventually did. It always tends to, but not before I broke the mold of Elvis and Guns and Roses with some Metallica and I think Linkin Park XD Rock on!
People drifted away and we finished the night off playing on the swings in the park back in the neighbourhood. It was a perfect night. Happy Birthday me!
