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Thursday, January 26, 2012

My Christmas present from my boyfriend: Chattanooga

My last day in the States before coming back to Korea, I got to go to Chattanooga with my three best friends in the world: Millie, Sweeny, and Caleb (who also acts as boyfriend).  Chattanooga is one of my top two favorite cities in the world, and, while we were there, we loaded our time up with some other of my favorites.  We made an unplanned stop at a flea market on the Georgia/Tennessee border, we walked around an antique shop, we did some impromptu hill sledding, we had a delicious dinner at Urban Stack, and we met up with a few other great friends.  I didn't think I'd get to, but I got to hug one of my favorites, Elizabeth, who'd spent most of 2011 loving people around the world on the World Race.

(Photos by Caleb, save the first, from myself)

Scoping out the terrain
Yep!  We're doing it!
The weather was kind enough to grace us with a beautiful sunset.
I hadn't seen this dear girl in over a year!
As if my day wasn't beautiful enough, at the very end, there were tickets for an Avett Brothers concert at Track 29!

Now, it was at only after I saw them live that I liked The Avett Brothers.  Actually, it was at the concert that I fell in love with them.  You can understand how it was really special to get to see them live again.  Also, you need to know that Caleb hasn't cared for them much.  I completely understood since I myself couldn't stand Scotty's grating voice at first.  But, I thought that, maybe if Caleb could hear them live, too, perhaps he'd start to like them.  Well, miracles do happen!  This awesome metal/rock/ska-loving guy was able to enjoy the concert!
Now, this is not about forcing my tastes on him, please realize.  We both know that we have very different interests and tastes, but we both really like getting to share some of those together.  And so, as I check out Linkin Park, we'll take some breaks for "Kick Drum Heart."  But, holla!  I know that some songs and tones are still hard to swallow sometimes, but I think Caleb's a fan now.  That makes me very happy.

Speaking of, I kind of forgot that The Avett Brothers are also known for their rock instead of just their folk sounds.  Caleb and I both loved this harder jam session they surprised us with at the end of "Kick Drum Heart."

(This is from the concert I went to!)

Complete with drunk neighbors (included in both of my Avetts concerts), tight quarters, and enough energy to last us for hours, gosh!  It was awesome!  The band played all my favorites , even the ones I forgot were my favorites.  I'd never seen Colorshow live before, and, ah!  I thought I loved it on the album!  It was amazing in person!

It took a lot of work, effort, and sacrifice for this evening to happen as it did.  Tickets sold out 27 seconds after they'd been released.  My friend Davis happened to be at the right time and grabbed 4 tickets.  One for him, one for his friend from home, and two extras.  Caleb was going to get some for the two of us, so Davis offered his extras to Millie and Sweeny.  These two are the most ardent fans I know, but in a decision of love and selflessness, they let Caleb and I have the tickets.  I can't publicly thank Caleb without thanking Davis, Millie, and Sweeny as well.  So.  Thank you.  All of you.  From the depths of my sincere heart.

And, because no concert (nor a concert review, I think) is complete without it:
"Distraction #74"


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And, for you and for posterity:

Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Korean Bucket List

Yeah, I like lists.  A lot.

Most of the foreigners here keep track of the things they want to do while in the country on their own Korean bucket list.  Here are some of the most common experiences: eat live octopus, eat dog, go to the sex park in Jejudo, the penis park in Samcheok, and visit the DMZ.

I didn't really come to Korea with much of a list.  I knew that I wanted to learn some of the language and become comfortable here, but I got the live octopus, the DMZ, and then Dr. Fish down without words written about how I wanted to do them. (Actually, they all kind of just happened without me really wanting to do them.  But, you know, I'm glad I did them.)

Well!  I've found something that's so big, so awesome, and SO totally happening that I have to make a list, just so I can write it down!
You ready...

#1
I want to go diving with sharks!
Seriously, guys.  While manta rays are my favorite animals, hammerhead shark are a super close second.  I think these creatures are so beautiful, so elegant, so strong, and just plain amazing.  Reading Alex's blog about her time with the sharks in Busan got me so excited, and it sealed in my mind that I'm totally doing this.


#2
I want to get laser hair removal!
Okay, okay, this one sounds a little weird, but, really, what girl do you know who wouldn't jump at the chance to not have to shave ever again?  And what if the price in Korea for the same procedure was less than half the price of the procedure in America?  That's what I'm talking about.  I totally see it as an investment.  Just think of all the money (and time!) I won't have to spend on razors and shaving!  Not to mention the confidence boost for a girl with dark hair and fair skin... I'm excited.

#3
I will go to the jimjilbang (the communal bath).
My friend Holly has convinced me.  It has to happen.  I'm going to be weirded out of my mind at first, I'm sure, because being naked around people is not something I'm a fan of, but, she says you get used to it.  The baths aren't coed, but, still.  Old ladies, little girls, and me, all hanging out in the showers... It's going to take a lot of go-get-em power to do this one.

#4
I would really like to go to North Korea.
Okay, yeah, this next one might not happen, especially with all the uncertainty surrounding the area and its leadership, but my friend Kara met someone at church who's an official guide, and we got the idea into our heads that this plan could actually work.  I have no idea if we'll ever be able to justify spending over a thousand dollars on one weekend (you have to go through the Chinese border to get into North Korea as a tourist), so this one's just a tentative wish.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Getting Home, Part 3: What went down at the airport (at least it wasn't the plane)

(In case you missed there, here are parts ONE and TWO to this story.)
(This one's the longest section, by the way.  You might want to grab some hot drink to go with your reading.)

After being surprised by the snowstorm and then being stuck in it for nearly two hours, I finally made it to a warm bed at my friend's friend Susan's house.  I know that it was a crazy time trying to just get to Susan's, but I'm really glad that I got there and that I got to talk with her.  By this time, I was even more worried about how I would get home.  The combination of plane ticket anxiety and poor weather anxiety wasn't making a very peaceful person out of me.  Susan is a strong, more mature woman in the Lord, and she spoke to me from a place rooted in God's stability, God's sovereignty, and God's love for His children.  She reminded me that God had gotten me thus far, He wants to bless me, and, no matter what happened, I am His and He is mine.  That put my mind at more ease, but still, I prayed more than I had in a long time about getting to the airport on time, about the early morning bus driver not skidding on the ice and killing us all at 5 AM, but mostly about a miraculous augmentation in my faith.  I really wanted to trust that God knew what He was doing.

The snow at Incheon Airport on the same day of my departure
Photo by Anne Shifley
I made it to the Incheon international airport 30 minutes before my flight departed for Tokyo.  I literally ran through the concourses to make it to my gate.  When I arrived, all of the passengers on my flight were sitting peacefully in their seats as they waiting for boarding.  I found an empty chair next to one of my friends from my Korean class.  I didn't know she was going home for the break, too.  We talked and hung out until we were called to board.

I snuggled into my seat at the back of coach and ended up dozing off.  The intercom woke up every once in a while saying in Korean, Japanese, and English that we would be taking off in just 10 minutes, 7 minutes, soon, and then again 7 minutes.  When my circadian rhythm shook me out of my sleep to check my watch, it was an hour and a half after the schedule take off time, and we hadn't even started taxiing from the jetway.

I did end up making it to Tokyo, but we landed over an hour and a half later than planned, and my layover was only for an hour and 40 minutes!  I was walking very, very quickly from my faraway seat.  I had my passport in hand and I had my seek and find eyes on so that I could get my boarding pass, find my gate, and get on that plane for Dallas.  My first sight of the airport was of a female employee holding a sign with "Dallas" markered across it and the a group of about 20 foreigners standing around her looking bewildered.

I joined the group and tried to figure out what was going on.  People were pointing with their eyes to an airplane outside the window.  They were saying that that was our plane.  They were getting agitated, upset, and holy cow, one girl was crying.  One man started yelling about how American Airlines is always late, and couldn't they wait ten minutes and make 20 people less angry?  And then, I saw that important plane start to move.  It left us.  Wow.

Okay.  I need to break here to let you know that, even though this was exactly what I was praying would not happen, I was still pretty optimistic about the situation.  Frankly, I don't think I had enough anxiety, stress, or any emotion left at this point in my journey.  Also, I knew that this was a temporary situation.  These people with the Tokyo airport weren't going to leave us high and dry, right?

The people in my Dallas group had different opinions.  There was the crying girl from Michigan, a group of female college students who just acted lost and pissed, plenty of other 20-something English teachers who knew enough about international flying to take it cool, a few guys heading to the UK being polite, and two grown American men who had already stepped into the "we're not gonna take it anymore" role.

These two men were each flat out arguing with an airport employee saying things like, "Where's your supervisor.  Let me talk to your supervisor."  "I can't believe you don't have any control over this!"  "Oh no, it's a very simple problem.  If you guys would have just handled it properly..." and on and on.  I was busy trying to stay positive, but I got an ear full of these dudes.  They settled down a little on our way to a counter where we would be getting new boarding passes for new flights.

The two American men continued to complain, to curse, to make obvious observations, and to offer their solutions.  They were speaking at a normal level for a crowded cafeteria, and they were pretty much the only ones in our group of lost boys who were talking, so we were all required to listen.  They knew it, too, and I think that it fueled some of their anger and their responses to each other.
"They'd better be talking Sky Miles when we get up to that counter.  Gosh, and they'd better give us come food."
"I mean, come on, man!  It's Christmas Eve!  Goshhh.  This is just a *** job of taking care of things."
"No, it's that they didn't do their job."
Stuff like that.

It's the understatement of the year to say that they were upsetting me.  I'd been fervently praying the whole day that God would take care of me.  Take care of me He did, and He'd also been gracious enough to help me believe that He would take care of me.  I've been bred to not complain, and that's a habit that's become very valuable and important to me.  I'd come through confusion, snow, late buses, and frightening air turbulence, and here I was stuck in Tokyo (not complaining) with two grown men acting like complete A-holes about something that the airport staff was working very hard to fix.  Their voices were booming over everyone, and everyone was silent.  I don't know about the others with me, but my insides were roiling.  I was getting angrier and angrier, not because I missed my flight, but because these two guys weren't being understanding.  They were complaining, and they were complaining very loudly.

These two guys were directly on the other side of the waiting line, and somehow, instead of snapping and punching one of them in the face,  I turned, looked them in the eyes (for a moment before I got scared), and began to speak.

"Um, excuse me.  I know I'm sticking my neck out there, and I know that this is a terrible situation...  We're all really pissed, and we're all upset, but, your negativity is really starting to agitate me.  If you could, just keep your level down...  And, I know this sucks.  No one's happy about it.  But, negativity breeds negativity, you know, so, could I ask you?  In the spirit of Christmas?  To just, keep it at a lower volume... I'd really appreciate it.  Okay.  That's all."

I turned around and let out the most strained and stressed sigh ever.  I noticed I'd been shaking.  My friend beside me said, very quietly, "That was nice."
"Thanks," I replied, equally quiet.  "I feel like we're in a movie."
We laughed about that-it was totally true-and then we started talking about normal things again.  In a lull in our conversation, Angry Man #1 said in a tone that betrayed humbleness and sincerity, "Thanks."
I, too, was humbled, and I gave him a shy, "You're welcome."

The rest of my time in the Tokyo airport included receiving new tickets for Dallas that would leave 7 hours later; talking about home with the Europeans; finding a free internet cafe and talking briefly with my sister, Millie, and Caleb (the 3 best people I could have possible talked to at that point); buying highly overpriced food for lunch (thank you, Japan); snagging some things for my family; and spending three hours talking about everything with the crying girl from Michigan, Rita.  She and I shared two boxes of koala cookies we bought.  She wasn't crying anymore, by the way.

It was funny.  I really did feel like I was in a movie.  Even after the dramatic show down with the loud men, even beyond the fact that we were stuck in an airport on Christmas Eve, of all days, there was a strange air of half-baked community between us Dallas people that reminded me of something you'd see on TV.  At one point, after I'd bought my sandwich, I saw Oklahoma City and Scotland walking down the escalator.  The only other Dallas person I'd seen in my area was Angry Man #2, and I didn't want to be around him, so I chased after Oklahoma and Scotland.  When I reached them, I said, "Hello.  I really just want some company.  Can I join you?"  Of course I could, they said.  It was then that we shared names (Don and Paul, I think), but we never used them again.  Instead we set out to see how we would survive in this new place, and it was then that we found the internet cafe.  (Zombieland all over again, I'm telling you.)

Anyway.  I made it to Dallas.  I used a girl's iPhone to call my mom about my arrival times.  I experienced reverse culture shock going through customs.  There were the pro-American videos, the girl who responded way too cheerily to my compliment about her nail polish (I was tired), the smiling flight attendant who laughed when he saw me looking at him and asked if I'd heard what he'd been talking about, and all this was before getting to the food court and hanging out with America's most obese city.  Also, there were no recycling receptacles, and the bathroom stalls came up further than a foot off the ground.  Oh, and I could understand just about everyone!  I sure wasn't in Korea anymore, and it was freaking me out like crazy.

At baggage claim in Dallas, I saw Angry Man #2 across the carousel on his cell phone.  We acknowledged each other with a nod, and then he smiled and waved at me.  What else could I do but smile back?  And later, when I could think about it, I knew that he and I were cool.

Later, heading to the line to board the plane, there was a wonderful older American man wearing a fedora with a feather in it.  He was singing with a beautiful crooning voice, "And though it's been said many times many ways..."  I smiled real big at him.  After he finished, he looked at a lady near him holding a bundle in her arms.  The man said, "Looks like your present came early."  She smiled and looked at her bundle again, and I saw that it was a newborn baby.  There were a lot of smiles going on, and I was glad to be nestling into the plane that would finally be taking me home.

I read on the way and played sudokus on my iPod.  I was trying to stay awake so that I could be on my new sleep schedule as soon as possible.  As we got closer to Atlanta, I paid less and less attention to my iPod.  I really, really like the way city lights look from above in the dark.  I remember this one ride down a mountain in California when we lived there about 18 years ago.  It was Christmas time.  We were going back home from something, and it was dark out.  Outside the windows of the Astro van, down and to the right, lay some city bright with its sparkling lights in gold, amber, and silver.  I was dazzled.  Now, every time I see a similar scene, I remember the first, and I'm again mesmerized and transported to someplace where fairies are real and gold tastes delicious.  That's what the lights mean to me, at least, and that's what they spoke to me as we descended.  It had been raining, and there was extra sparkle in the city.  The lights, the darkness in the airplane cabin, and the fact that the crooner from before was on the plane with me all helped remind me that tomorrow was Christmas.

Wait.
Tomorrow was Christmas?!

In all the rush, the tragedy, the chaos, the stress, I'd completely forgotten why I was going home.  What a beautiful surprise to be reminded of as I latched on to this childhood memory.  It was really a special time for me.

I didn't have to rush off the plane.  I didn't want to, anyway.  I got to hear the singing man again in baggage claim.  I watched him singing to some of the airport personnel.  I told him I really enjoyed being on the plane with him, and he nodded kindly in my direction as he continued to sing.  I had a quick exchange with one of the ladies listening about hoe lovely the man's voice was before heading up to where my family would be waiting.

I didn't see them when I came up to the usual place.  My cell phone was dead, so I couldn't call them to ask where they were, either.  And, funny thing, but I really didn't want to ask anyone if I could use their cell phone.  Most of the people around me seemed busy or not interested.  I did end up going to a help desk where the nice lady showed me an emergency phone I could use.  I got a hold of Mom, told her I'd wait by carousel 3, and then set my eyes on blaze mode while I looked for them to come to me.  After about a minute, I saw a familiar girl running toward me.  I dropped everything and ran to my sister's embrace.  Mom came next, and then Dad who I hadn't been expecting.  We all shared the best group hug in our history, Sister showed me the lime green and glitter sign she made for me, we chatted about why I hadn't come up at the usual meeting place where they had been waiting, and we headed out to where the van was parked.

I told them my story the whole way home.  For 45 minutes I talked.  I shared the story again with Caleb, Millie and Sweeny, and then I had to shorten it each time afterward for time's sake.  But, here you have the whole thing as best as I can remember it, and as much as is relevant.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

A break from our scheduled programming to delve into dresses

After wearing a t-shirt with a cardigan back home in Georgia over Christmas break, I was pretty sure I was going to spurn having to live in freezing Seoul again.  But, God be praised, not only have I solidly figured out our floor heating system, but the weather has been especially kind.  This week, the temperature's hung pretty steadily at 0° Celsius with hardly any wind!  This evening, walking over for some mandu soup, I couldn't even see my breath!

Keep the gentle weather in mind for later.  I gotta tell you about jeans shopping for you to fully appreciate my coming train of thought.

Also of Christmas break, I headed to Khol's to look for some new jeans.  After trying on nearly 15 pairs, I gave up and begged for a hug from Caleb, my boyfriend, who was with me.  Perhaps you've been totally bummed because pants don't fit before?  It happens to me a lot.  I ended up almost swearing off jeans and just going to alternative ends.  In lieu of jeggings (which have never looked more tempting), and in light of the springtime weather, I looked to dresses this evening online.  And here we will begin our travels through what I found.

I began with my trusty sites and the chic shops I discovered while looking for a bridesmaid dress.

Well, I could always put a bird on it.  But, $61.99 isn't what I usually pay for summer dresses.
Poetrie - $61.99
This one would be great for all those summer picnics I go on.  That would be zero, but the image I get in my head is nice.
Poetrie: $52.99
And I could wear this one for all the times I go to the club!  That's almost zero.  (Clubbing in Korea's different than clubbing in the States, by the way.)
Forever 21 - $24.80
And this one, really I just want to know what they'd say if I wore it into work.  Haha!
Forever 21 - $22.80
This one I'd wear to the Seoul premiere of Wicked.  Yes, it's coming.  I saw posters in Gangnam, Seoul this weekend!  You can see the trailer for the Japanese performance here.  It's not the same, but it gives you an idea.
Modcloth - $139.99
And this one I actually would wear around town to the swing bars.  This would be awesome to lindy in!
Modcloth - $44.99
On the track back to seriousness, I actually would probably wear this.  After getting elbow deep in soft rose and vintage pink, it's got a special ring in my ears now.  I think I'd need some brown cowboy boots and some kind of floppy hat to go with this, though.
Modcloth - $44.99
This dress I'd probably want to wear every day.
Modcloth - $59.99
This one, too, would be pulled out of the closet a lot, but probably for occasions that are a bit more dressy.
Modcloth - $74.99
Well, hey, this is my fantasy, so I'm going to head on over to Anthropologie, too.
Ugh.  My least favorite combination.  Awesome and expensive.
Anthropologie: $168.00
Make it stop!
Anthropologie: $298.00
But the beauty and pain continue.
Anthropologie - $398.00
And there's a peek into what I'll be keeping my eyes out for when it's time for dress shopping at my local Forever 21.  I'm actually looking forward to wearing jeans less, especially if it means I get to wear pretty things like these.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Getting Home, Part 2: My night in Incheon

When I left off at Part 1, I'd just left the bus to trudge through the fresh snow with my suitcase on my way to Grandmother's house.  Ah, no, it was Susan's house.  The suitcase was acting like a reverse plow against the fluffy snow, but I'd be back on a new bus soon.  Besides, by some miracle I had decided to wear my sturdy snow boots, a jacket, a scarf, hat, and my winter coat.  I'd almost left the house in only TOMS and a heavy sweater.  As you'll see in just a second, gosh I would have died if that had happened!

I think it's funny that I didn't have to worry about ll the cars in the street.  They were all stopped because of the snow and ice, so I could walk right around them no matter what the crosswalk sign said.  I also thought it was funny when my friend Alex texted me.  "Wow, Lindsay!  You gotta look at all the snow outside!"  I called him back and shared some good natured sarcasm about the weather I was standing in, we wished each other Merry Christmas, and then I set back to trying to find my new bus stop: Blue 1112.

At a loss once again, I found a cute young lady to ask, in broken but sufficient Korean, where the stop was.  She replied: "Oh, where are you going?"
Hallelujah!  English and help!
I told her I was going to the Incheon bus terminal, and she said she was going there, too!  She would go with me, and this bus stop we were at would take us there.  WooHoo!

We waited for a while and chatted for a while.  We talked about English, teaching, and traveling before we started to wonder why the bus wasn't coming.  She texted her friend to check for her about whether the bus was still on route.  In the meantime, we talked some more, we watched how the number of traveling vehicles dwindled, and we began looking for taxis to take us where we needed to go.

After about a half hour of waiting in the snow, my feet started to hurt.  I was wearing a good set of boots, but only one pair of socks.  Also, the soles of the boots weren't that thick.  The cold was setting into my feet, and I was started to feel it very sharply.  Ten minutes later, I was alternating which foot I'd stand on.  Five minutes after that, I was nearly crying from the pain.

Just before my breaking point, some ajummas (old married ladies) came up to our stop.  My new friend talked to them in shocked tones and then relayed to me that all the taxis and all the buses had stopped.  But, she knew the way to the nearest subway station.  From there we could get to our final destination.  "So, how do you feel about walking?" she said.
"Let's do it."

I looked at my watch.  It was an hour after meeting this girl that we set out in the ice and snow together.

The girl took off her gloves and gave them to me because I had to pull my suitcase.  I strongly resisted because #1 her hands would freeze and #2 I had some knit fingerless gloves that I could use.  She would not be refused, however, and I remembered what she'd said earlier at the bus stop.  Not only did she tell me she would take me to where I needed to go, but she had also offered to pay the complete (and very high) fare should we find a taxi that would take us.  She was stepping into the role of 언니 (awni).  This is what sisters call their older sisters.  I must tell you, in Korea, if you are older, you take care of those younger than you.  One of the strongest of these care bonds is the older sister to the younger sister.  It's culturally accepted and almost expected, and, when I remembered all this, I humble took the girl's gloves and offered her my fingerless ones.

And so we set out.

The rest of the evening took a very long time, but I can sum it up by saying we walked in the snow with both of us pulling the suitcase for 50 more minutes which made nearly two hours of waiting and walking and talking and being somewhat miserable but also extremely happy and thankful.  About midway in our trek, the girl went into a convenience store and came out with two hot canned drinks.  (I didn't know they made those, either!)  Near the end of our trek, we were swapping hands for the suitcase very regularly, and I had to take many breaks.  At the very end, I even worried about if my asthma was starting to act up.  It didn't, and we finally made it to the subway station.

At our final destination, I set up my camera to take a picture of us, me and my Incheon angel.  It was there that we exchanged numbers and names.  When I told her that my name is Lindsay, she gasped and said, "Ah! My English name is Lin!"  And so, as if we weren't already some sort of friends for life, the connection was made stronger.  Lin even told me to call her if I'm ever again in Incheon so that she could treat me.  Gosh, as if I'd ever want to inconvenience her again!  I kept exclaiming my grateful thanks over and over and over again.  She went to far out of her way to help me and to take care of me, I was overwhelmed.  She replied that, had it not been for me, though, she would still be waiting at that bus stop because "it is not usual for a woman to walk by herself in Korea.  So, you helped me, too."  I was glad for that small repayment.

Lin helped me take my suitcase up and down the subway steps.  She talked with my contact Susan for me on my phone so that they could exchange my directions in Korean (which would be clearer than English directions).  Lin took me within eyesight of where I would meet Susan, and then it was time to say good bye.

Our parting hug, it was real.  It was heartfelt, strong, long, and so real.  From crazy circumstances come crazy  relationships, right?  (At least that's what the zombie movies tell us.)  But really, I'm so thankful for how Lin helped me, and I'm so thankful God brought us together.  He takes care of His own, man.  And that's awesome.

I apologized when I asked if Lin would take a picture with me because, gosh, another thing to do for the foreigner?  But Lin was more than happy to.  "Actually I like taking picture."
Then cool.  Very cool.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Getting Home, Part 1: The inclement weather takes the stage

Oh, friends, it's such a ridiculous and almost an unbelievable story.  It actually brings back fleeting feelings of stress when I retell it, but, it's life, it's wild, and I know it'll make me laugh one day, so I'm going to tell you now about how I made it home for Christmas.

Let me set the stage.  I had tickets for flights to Tokyo, Dallas, and finally to Atlanta, the first of which would depart at 8 Saturday morning from Incheon airport here in Korea.  Incheon's about 2 hours from me, and I had to be at the airport 2 hours ahead of departure.  Instead of waking up at 3 and paying tons of money to take a taxi there (taxi fare is more expensive before 5 am), I looked for a place to stay in Incheon on Friday night.  My friend's friend, Susan, lived only 45 minutes away from the airport by bus, and she was totally cool with me crashing at her place.  Awesome!  I planned to be at her apartment by 9:30 so we could both get some sleep and have time to chill and not freak out before my plane left.

Friday evening after school I found out I was going to have to change my route to Incheon.  Instead of being on schedule at halfway to Incheon by 7:30, I was finalizing my understanding of the directions by bus.  I decided that I would take a taxi for 15 minutes to Yangjae then travel by the Red 9200 bus to Incheon where I'd take another bus closer to Susan's apartment.  I anticipated being about an hour behind schedule, but that still left a good amount of time to get sleep before my flight.

The traffic on the way to Yangjae made me feel uneasy.  When I finally arrived at where I thought my bus station was, I started to get a little distraught.  I couldn't find the stop, and my landmark was on the opposite side of the street from where my map said it should have been.  This street had no crosswalks, by the way, only steps that led into and out of the subway through which you can cross the street.  After asking some coffee advertisement guys for some help which they couldn't deliver, I resolved to go through the subway.

Ah, I need to mention that I had a 50 lb. suitcase with me.  That's why I didn't want to take the stairs of the subway.  That's why I had to change my route in the first place.  Bus steps are much more suitcase friendly than subway stairs.

Well how's this for an awesome surprise: there was an escalator leading down into the subway!  Better yet, there was a bus station map right there, too!  I found the stop I needed and headed up subway exit 9 to get there.  I didn't find the stop, though.  I walked up and down the street, but all I saw was the Red 9200 bus driving right past me.  Not cool.  Going back the other way on the street lead me to a sign that looked like it could be for Red 9200.  It had "200" and ripped paper where there could have been a "9".  As I was looking for someone to ask, I saw the Red 9200 bus pull up behind me.  I grabbed my suitcase, wrestled it up the steps, scanned by bus card, and collapsed into the first empty row of seats.  Ten minutes later, I realized I didn't know which direction I was heading.

I'm telling you, the Seoul Information Hotline is a lifesaver.  120 is my new favorite number.  Turns out, I was heading the right direction.  When I heard that, I was finally free to relax and let myself be taken to Incheon.  I put my earbuds in, turned on some chill music, and closed my eyes.  About 45 minutes later, I happened to look out the window.  I was surprised and impressed by the sudden and unforecasted snowstorm that was pouring snow onto everything that stood still.  Already there were drifts gathering on the sidewalk, and I couldn't see the black of the road.

The bus driver was going much slower and made more frequent stops for safety.  More and more people were leaving the bus to try their luck with walking.  Eventually, we came to a complete standstill due to traffic, and there was only one other passenger other than myself.  I called Susan and told her what was up.  I also told her how the bus driver sounded really loud and angry whenever he talked to people on the phone or in person.  I was kind of scared of him.  Susan told me, "Oh, well I'm fluent in Korean.  Just give the phone to him, and I'll talk to him for you."  Awesome!

The bus driver talked to Susan in the same voice and made everything sound completely terrible and hopeless, but when he gave me my phone back, Susan told me that there was just an accident up ahead, the bus had to stop, but there was another bus stop very close by that would take me the rest of the way to her apartment.  Okay, I could handle that.  And, I liked the bus driver even more when he got out into the cold with me, drew a map in the snow and designated the last remaining passenger as my guide to the next stop.

Here's a picture of  some Korean snow from the year before.  Just imagine it being dark, and probably a little more snow, and that's pretty much what it looked like.
Photo by Jason Ryan
via Mike Jutan's World
This story is pretty long, so I'm going to break it into three separate parts.  See part 2 and part 3 here!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Christmas for the kiddos

Here's a look back at our preschool Christmas party!

We decorated our classrooms and worked on some activity book pages while we waited for the man in red.  All of the parents had given our school a gift for their kid for Santa to give them. I later heard about some of the parents also sending cards saying things like, "Next year you need to be better in math, but you are a good kid." Things like that.  Gotta say, sure it's kinda harsh, but these parents know how to work the system.  I mean, if you tell kids that they'll get coal if they're brats, why not follow up if you're kid's actually a brat?
(Please tell me you read that in a lighthearted voice, because that's totally how I said it.)

Don't know what, but Sophia's happy about something!
The kids really liked the snowflake patterns I made for them.
Bunny ears from Santa
Yoo-Jin had to work a little harder than the rest to get her present.
Binny didn't know what Santa got her.
Size comparison
Eva has the posed smile down pat.
These are some of our decorations.  Jinny Teacher and I put up the tree, then the kids did most of the decorations.
And these are our snowflakes!  I put them above the whiteboard. 
Merry Christmas from Elegance Class!