Mokpo University Flower Festival

So, I was supposed to start my Korean lessons this week with Sunny. However, on Monday, I was feeling so sick (combination of post-weekend fatigue, dreaded yellow dust from China and a real live cold) that I put it off to Thursday. Rena and Sunny both texted me repeatedly on Thursday to tell me to come to Mokpo Dae Hakkyo (University) for a "flower show". I was like... meh... okay... whatever.

After a 40 minute bus ride to the middle of nowhere, I met up with Sunny (who held my hand as we walked through the University campus - completely normal here in Korea) and she brought me to a HUGE stage which looked like it had been set up for the Rolling Stones or something, and featuring four scantily-clad women (and a crowd of cheering students) dancing up a storm. Okay... this was going to be an interesting "flower show".

These are not flowers, but they sure can dance.

At one point, Sunny grabbed me and said "water balloon", and we went running off to a target where we got to throw water balloons at university boys. It was so nice to be in such a youthful crowd - just brimming with that university energy. Everyone was dressed in hip Korean casual, couples were holding hands (which is somewhat rare here), and act after act graced the stage - singing, dancing, etc.

These are not flowers either, but you can throw water at them. Sunny is in the lower right. Guess which one is me.

The other cool thing was not having the "point and stare" waygook effect. I mean, they did look at me, but then just said "Hi" or whatever. It wasn't like elementary or middle school (or even high school) kids who point, stare, wave, scream "HELLO HELLO HELLO", then run away giggling when you answer back. Rena and a group of her friends joined us at one point, and I was overwhelmed with how friendly, happy and relaxed everyone was.

At one point, a mish-mash of people got on stage, featuring a woman with an afro, the world's tallest, fittest Korean man, 2 male dancers who looked like time-traveling cowboys, and a girl wearing as few clothes as she possibly could. They sang techno, and danced around. Every time the girl wearing shorts the size of a belt came to the center of the stage, the boys in the crowd went ballistic... then again... who could blame them?

Once again, not flowers.... but nobody seems to mind

Finally, I was just too cold to stay longer - although I really wanted to - and I headed home early from the flower show, without having seen a single flower....