Latin Fire in Frozen Seoul

Sometimes it's best to just say 'yes'. Don't think, just do. As soon as you start thinking, you'll just do what you always do, and that's boring!

So, I'm on the train to Seoul early one Sunday afternoon in January; the thick morning frost still hasn't faded from the railway ties. And as I'm still quite tired from my previous day's sojourn to Itaewon (and subsequent shennanigans with Jeremy & Co.), not thinking is remarkably easy... I'm on my way to meet up with Ronda, one of my partners-in-crazy in the English Village teacher trainer programme.

Twenty minutes late for our rendezvous, I stepped off of the train at Shinchong Station (NOT to be confused with Shinchung Station which is on the opposite side of town...), and we went to have lunch with Ronda's friend, Sung Yi, at one of Ronda's favorite Mexican restaurants in the area (of which there are several).

Yeah, Mexican food in Seoul. Go figure...

But I didn't start this entry to tell you about beef and bean enchiladas. And while there are many risks involved with eating Mexican food with new aquaintances, eating Mexican food in Asia, and eating Mexican food in general, it's hardly the kind of brazen comfort-zone-be-damned act that would warrant the opening to this blog entry.

Wow, was the opening that far back? Did you have to re-read it, too? Ok, I'll get to the point.

So on Friday, two days prior, when Ronda was asking our team if anyone would be interested in getting some salsa lessons from her friend in Seoul and then going to a club Katherine and Brian both showed interest, and since I'm looking for new experiences, I said "Sure, sounds fun!"

Fun?!?

Did I mention that I took the train to Seoul by myself? Yeah, about that: Katherine came down with a nasty (non-Mexican-food related) stomach bug, and Brian vanished sometime between Friday's "I'm in." and Sunday's actually being in...

So, it's me, Ronda and Sung Yi in a frigid, sub-terrainian dance studio. Did I also mention that Ronda is half Hispanic and started dancing the cha-cha when she was 7? And for those of you who don't know: my feet haven't stepped to music with any degree of accuracy since I was in A Chorus Line back in highschool (and even then, the accuracy was debatable!).

Song Yi was a great teacher-- encouraging and patient, but still firm with corrections. I had to say, it was a bit of a head trip to be listening to a mixed CD of great salsa music in the land of kimchi with my Korean dance instructor. Even more bewildering was the fact that I was actually picking up the moves!

And then it happened... (No, this has nothing to do with the Mexican food either)

The song changed, and as the first few bars of the new song unfolded, my mind went completely blank. For the first time since Rene Hugo first taught me how to play this song six and a half years ago, I had completely lost the rhythm of Moliendo Cafe--the first song we'd ever played together. Memories of six years of festivals, tours, studios and weekly rehearsals came careening through my mind, and all I could do was stand there dumbfounded and a little homesick.

But I soon excused myself for my mental leave of absence and pressed on with the lesson, and before I knew it, our time was up, and we were headed for a salsa club--just five minutes away on foot. In the Hongdae district of Seoul, there are about 8 salsa clubs, and apparently there are many more in the adjacent neighbourhoods!

We arrived at the club, and one thing immediately struck me: this club is all dance floor!! There were no tables, there was no food being served, no alcohol, there was no one there trying to be seen... just music, dancers, a cooler of soda and fitness drinks, and a mirrored wall to help you see how you're doing. There were dancers at all levels, from beginner to professional, and the music was fantastic!

So, with a little help from my friend Ronda, I survived my first night of salsa dancing, and learned all about Seoul's flourishing salsa community. I might have even enjoyed myself a little. (At least, I hope I did, because I've already agreed to go again next week!)

I'm looking forward to seeing what other surprises are in store here in the heart of Korea...