Ultra Kora and 2 year anniversary!

It is the month of July! That means we only have three months left in Korea! It's a melancholy feeling that our adventure in this country will come to a close very soon, but we are very excited to go back to the USA. On to a recap of June! We experienced our first EDM concert outside of America, and it was pretty awesome! Here is a brief summary and some pros and cons that we noted.

Location: Seoul 

Venue: Olympic stadium

The location for Ultra Korea was smack dab in the middle of Seoul, the capital of Korea. It was set up at the Olympic Stadium which was a great venue. It was huge with four stages all spread out through out the stadium. A big difference from the concerts we've been to in America is that there are way more vendors in Korea. Not just food vendors but all sorts of sponsored vendors. Speaking of food, there were many options ranging from Korean food to Mexican, Turkish kebabs, and hot dogs. Drinks were mainly beer, vodka, and red bull, who were the official sponsors. Another plus for the concert goers was that a bottle of water didn't cost an arm and a leg (1000 won or $1). The venue was also on concrete and green grass, which were protected by these egg crate plastic things. No more kicking up dirt and having black gunk in your nose! That was a definite pro. 

Some cons right off the bat were the some what disorganized entrance lines. We had express GA passes which meant that we were able to go in the VIP line which was significantly shorter. Finding that line however was a different story. After asking three different team members, following two to end up right where we started, we finally found the entrance which was located in the middle of the GA lines. What?! I know, that was a nightmare.

Another con we soon figured out, was that there were no cash transactions. All transactions were made through Tmoney cards. If you're not familiar, Tmoney cards are like pre paid cash cards which are reloadable. Basically having a debit card without the hassle, and it can be used for several things (at convenience stores and public transportation to name a few). Well, no one told us that, nor was it advertised anywhere outside of the venue. We got through the gates, waited in line for drinks only to be turned away because we couldn't pay! Asking around, again no one knew where to get one. We finally found the reload station, but they don't sell the cards there, so we had to go next door and purchase the card, then go back in line to reload our card. Holy mama! That was a long ass process! After that, everything was easy, no cash to handle, just make sure you don't loose your card!

The one con that both Alan and I agreed that was at the top of our list was the atmosphere. Even though everyone was having a great time dancing and enjoying the music, there was no sense of community that we loved at all the other concerts. Everyone was in their own world, the lack of PLUR was slightly disappointing and a major set back. If you live in Korea, you will know what I'm talking about. Even though there were come disappointments, overall we had a blast! Jumping with the crowd at every possible drop (jumping is the only dance style known in this country to EDM). 

On the second day before heading to Ultra we went to the Galleria, one of our go to spots when we are in Seoul. Not only does it offer plenty of stores for some serious eye shopping, it has one of the best food courts ever! We had burgers and margaritas and then came back on Sunday to have another meal. Alan had the burger again and I opted for some sushi, but not just any sushi! I had salmon, tuna, uni and toro! Take that American food courts!

The Monday after Ultra was our two year anniversary! Omg it's been two years already? Time is flying fast. We celebrated by going to VIPs, a steakhouse chain in Korea after work. Alan also got me two dozen roses and a mint nano purse! I hope this is becoming a trend, he got me a green purse for our anniversary last year too, please see pictures below ;) Our meal was good, I had the tenderloin special, while Alan got the hot stone tenderloin that came with a safety paper fence, that almost caught on fire! Here's to many more adventures ;)