What constitutes a fun night?

The few times that I had been to Hongdae (a clubbing/bar area in Korea), I wouldn’t exactly have called it fun. It is far away from where I live, and I had to share a cab home with at least 4 people or wait for the subway to start again at 6 am. The amount of foreigners in that area is somewhat off-putting and entry fee is generally quite pricey. People are extremely sleazy and girls are very overdressed and make me feel underdressed. However, the previous weekend, I was in Hongdae again. At first I somewhat dreaded it because I am not exactly fond of that place. But it was far from what I had expected because I actually had a really fun time. So that got me thinking, what constitutes a fun night? According to my experiences, it wouldn’t have to do so much with the places you go…

Here are a few ideas that I have…

1. Your mood.
This is probably the most important. That Saturday night was when my bf came to Korea to see me. Maybe I was already drunk and high on happiness that whatever or wherever I went would have been fun. However, your mood is also something that fluctuates and can easily be influenced.

2. The people.
The people you are out with is a huge decision-maker in whether I have a fun time or not. There are certain types of people to party with and certain types to avoid. You generally would want to be with people who would drink, who are willing to spend money, who are generous and would take turns in buying rounds. The people that you would want to avoid going out with are those that complain, that keep saying they have no money (or those that don’t even carry cash out), those that get tired easily, or those that are just party-poopers. Depending on how many people you go out with (usually the more the better), but you probably wont want to be stuck with someone what was extremely skanky or just looking to hook-up (because then you’d be left by yourself).

3. The alcohol.
The amount you drink will also make a difference. You wouldn’t want to be so drunk that you don’t remember things, throw up in cars or just downright collapse in some dark alley. You wouldn’t want to be the only sober person in any given place either. A happy tipsy is best.

4. Feeling safe.
I think if I felt safe, I can relax and party. What I mean is, knowing that I have enough money, having my ID and bank card on me just in case. Knowing that I have a way home. Knowing that the people you are with won’t leave without you. Knowing that you can get drunk and someone will look after you. After all, you wouldn’t want to be the baby-sitter of a drunken pack, or be the one dialling for a taxi or be the one paying for unpaid tabs.

So this is my list, and on that eventful Saturday night, all was checked and I definitely had a great night out. Any other opinions?