Theme Cafés 1

 Small Coffee places are like insects in Korea: you can walk up one street many times, and notice one that you never had seen before, and even if you think there are none in a sport, you just need to look a bit more, and you'll find one in a matter of seconds. I'll be uploading a few posts throughout the year about those, because I intend on trying many different ones. 

This small coffee place is on the main street I walk along to get to work. I found it mainly because I was looking for a place to get a quick coffee on my way back from the hospital (general test to get my Korean Alien Registration Card). What attracted my attention was the fact that they sold their coffee $1.50. Usually, coffee shops sell them $3-$6 so this was really cheap. I remember telling myself that I'd just try it, and if they'd good coffee I'd go again. Korean coffee shops are usually very small, and I have no idea how they can keep going because they mostly have space for 10-15 people only. They are rarely crowded (or I was just lucky) so either the rent is very cheap, or they have millions of take-outs. I liked the coffee there but oddly, I never got to try it again. I should just go :P

Another thing about coffe places, but also most of the restaurants and buildings in Korea is that they don't have their own bathrooms. They usually give you toilet paper and a key and if you are lucky, you go out in the corridor and get to a non-heated bathroom. If you are not lucky, you have to get out of the building completely and walk around a corner to get in the building through another entrance and use the toilet there. I suppose that might help with lowering the rent: having only one toilet per floor per building, but it's really inconvenient, especially since the toilet, in winter is freezing, and I suppose that in the summer it must be unbearably hot. There is also the happy moment when you realize you forgot to bring the toilet paper on your way and you are sitting with your pants down...

I went to a sort of theme café by the Sanbon metro station and when you get there, they place you in your own small room, with pink wallpapers and old- style frilly furniture. You order a drink, and between 1 and 6 pm, you get a free cake. The coffee is quite expensive but it's a fun place. It was a bit awkward to go there alone to be honest, but I suppose I'll be awkward often since I need to go around by myself, people I know not being that interested by random cute coffee places...