Misadventures at M2

Hongdae is not for the shy or weary of feet.  During the day, vendors hawk their wares, which range from fluffy sweaters to Russian style faux-fur hats to the latest in Korean fashion.  At night, the grimy streets and shuttered doors are transformed into an electric, pulsing haven for dancers, drinkers, and merrymakers alike.  Personal space becomes a notion of the past, bass thrums through every bone, and an air of excitement and expectation abounds.  

One fine evening, some friends and I arrived on the scene.  We wandered to M2, a swank techno club, and were quickly swept up by the beat.  After surveying the scene, Wink, a dear friend, boldly ventured onto the stage.  Wink is something of a physically imposing fella.  At a beefy 6'7", he towers over most people, Koreans and foreigners alike, and certainly stands out in a crowd.  His moves on the stage were a hit and in short time he was working the crowd like a master puppeteer.  He held his audience rapt for some time but eventually the allure wore off and he decided to leave his post.  Thus began our misadventure at M2.  Being quite intoxicated, Wink failed at dismounting gracefully and tumbled off of the stage which, in itself, was quite dramatic.  Much to our chagrin, he also fell on top of two small Korean girls.  Needless to say, they were severely unamused by this mishap and Wink wisely decided to slink away.  

However, his hasty escape proved to be too slow.  The girls decided that they needed to be checked at the hospital and notified a bouncer who quickly found Wink and the rest of our group.  A heated debate ensued outside of the club with the bouncers insisting that Wink pay for the visit and our Korean  friends insisting that it was not his responsibility; all while the two girls clutched various parts of their bodies.  At this point, I should point out that the bouncers at swank clubs are not to be disrespected.  They are often the employees (read:  minions) of unsavory characters that are not to be crossed.  However, this also means that they like to fly under the radar.  So, the debate was cut short when one friend, tired of the argument, said "We will just call the cops and have them sort it out".  With those simple words, we were quickly asked to leave with the implied request that Wink not return.  Ever.  It was, to say the least, a shocking and memorable first night in Hongdae.