Sunday, October 28, 2012

Seoul International Fireworks

Where do I begin?

At the point where extraordinary fireworks including those flying through the air and shaped like birds and then exploding happens? Maybe the cool colored flood lights on the smoke for added effect? Or the part where we couldn't fit 8 people onto a subway train because it was so full? Or maybe I should begin with the part where our party of 10 walked with literally thousands (probably millions in all) down the middle of streets to find a venue near the river to watch? I could start at the part where 70 people shoved past that poor security guard to get to another street and then started climbing a fence with barbed wire on top.

Maybe I should start at the end and go back.  In that case I'd begin with the part where 4 adults and 4 children walked the bridge across the Han River and then some for an hour trying to reach our hotel but still making it back at 1 AM. Better yet I could begin with the lovely story of realizing we'd miss the last subway train followed by the 1-hour wait in the taxi line and then shoving 4 adults, 4 kids and a stroller into a taxi sedan, to the great surprise of the driver.

No, it is probably best to begin with the beauty of the fireworks: 4 different shows by teams of 4 different countries including the US.  And that reminds me of the part where we all were singing the star-spangled banner to the American Fireworks show only to realize later it was actually the Korean show.  That was funny (and a bit humiliating). I guess anywhere I begin will be fine as the whole affair, even the part about getting supper at a chicken and beer joint and then being turned away because we had children with us, was interesting.

Seeing the International Fireworks Festival was somewhat of an epic event, I'd say.

Too bad Brent missed it!