High1 Part II

So, after our ridiculously late arrival we stumbled out of bed the next day at 1pm and made our way to a ski shop (after much arm-waving and grunting at the hotel receptionist). They were uber excited to see us, and really seemed to enjoy having us. Apparently our elementary Korean sent them into waves of ecstasy. Anyway, the stuff was ridiulously cheap.....I rented skis, pants, googles (for two days), and BOUGHT gloves and a toque for 45,000w ($38). That and they gave us coffee and oranges and shuttled us back and forth to the mountain whenver we wanted. New favorite store right there. 

The ski resort was crowded and very new, and we were very much the only foreigners. You'd even be noticed under your winter clothes, toques and googles....you can catch their double take when they see the foreign eyes staring back from behind the goggles. I was trying blade skiis (the short ones) and they were a lot of fun - after the first two runs that is, when I had got the falling out of my system. 

After a couple runs it was time for a visit to "top of the top" restaurant. Which, you guessed it, was at the top of the top. It was a swanky place, all glass and revolving as you can see in the photo (just look closely, it will spin...really) Check out the heart eh? Only in Korea. I may have mentioned before their obsession with cuteness.  I posted a photo of the cutesy heart couple photo-op from my trip to Sokcho...but this has that one beat. Only in Korea. 

Anyhoo....in the vicinity of this restuarant, three humourous happenings happened. 

 

Humourous Happening #1 

Moments after taking these pictures, I went inside to join Phil and Andrew in the resturaunt...unbeknownst to me, unlike intelligent designers of most ski resorts, this one was designed by morons. The floor was marble, and the only safe place to walk with icy ski/snowboard boots would have been on the provided thin carpet....I partially grasped this concept as 1 1/2 of my feet made it to the red carpet...but the remaining 25% sent me crashing to the floor of the lobby into a pile of snowboards that fell like gargantuan dominoes. Needless to say, if being a foreigner doesn't get them to stare (it does) spectacular wipeouts in the lobby of the swanky restaurant will definitely do it for you. I slunk into the elevator in shame. My hip is now purple. 

Humourous Happening #2 At the same time as I was wiping out, Phil and Andrew were upstairs ordering beer. I think it was the only sub $50 menu item. They were told there was a rule against drinking and skiing....so Andrew told him we were professionals....and it worked (?!?!) The manager agreed to one beer. I think the other people found out too (either that or they were present for the show downstairs) cause they all kept muttering and staring....probably trying to recognize us from the skiing magazines.  

Humourous Happening #3 This one is my personal favorite. #1 wasn't funny (ouch) and I wasn't there for #2...so yea. Getting off the lift, the elastic of my jacket caught on Phil's pants. I skied merrily in one direction, and Phil the other. We unwittingly clotheslined a Korean girl who couldn't figure out for the life of her what was going on. Admittedly, getting engulfed by a elastic-induced foreigner sandwhich was not likely to jump to the forefront of anyones mind.  Though potentially awkward, I can highly recommend this method to those wanting to get close to a girl but just not knowing how. She was kinda cute too. 

I have done it up in diagram form for those of you who are visual people.