Seoul

Hey guys,

Today I woke up on a mission. Seoul was calling my name, and I was was going to heed that call....and then I saw that it was raining....again. Dang, I was not about to let the rain stop me - maybe delay me, but not stop me. Quickly I looked up the hour by hour forcast for Seoul. Okay, the rain was going to end by noon. I could handle the tail end of some rain, I would just go for my run before I left. I changed into my running clothes and ran out the door. I ran right into a brick wall of wind. An icy gale which originated in Siberia and had been whipping down the Korean peninsula until it finally reached my apartment's door. I swear, during my way out, when I was running into the wind, I felt like I was running in slow motion. Which was bad, because during marathon training, Saturday runs are supposed to be done at "race pace." I didn't quite reach that goal, but I came pretty close, so I was pleased. On my way back in, I kept getting hit in the face with these weird droplets of something....snow....for a split second I thought about how the snow in Korea is actually acid snow, which made me sad for the kids who have to play in it, but I have to admit that I loved it. Soon, the snow had picked up and it was blowing sideways, pushing me forward, swirling around me. The view of Pyeontaek from the countryside with snow all around should be a postcard.

As soon as I got back to my apartment I jumped into the shower to wash the acid out of my hair, I grabbed a bite to eat, and headed out the door to the taxi stand. "AK yeok" I told the taxi driver...or 'AK station' for all of you Americans out there. ( I didn't say 'please' because apparently in Korea, please is only used when you are begging for something ) I strode confidently up the stairs, headed straight for the train station, and stopped dead in my tracks when I realized that I didn't know how to read any of the information on trains. How was I supposed to buy a ticket if I didn't know the name of the Train route that I was supposed to take? How was I supposed to know what Train Route I was supposed to take if I couldn't read the little information boards? I walked around aimlessly for a good 10 minutes until I saw another white person get into a line in front of some counters. I followed him stealthily. I suppose I could have just asked him, but I was all embarassed. I listened to what he said to the lady at the counter and copied him. "Seoul." That was it. I just had to say the name, give them some money, and they gave me a ticket. Numbers are obviously the same so I went to track 5 and waited.

While waiting for the train I saw an American that I recognized. I had only met him once, he was a friend of a teacher that used to work at my school, and we had run into him and his Korean wife at the movie theatre in AK station the week after I moved here. Normally, I don't think I would have remembered him, but when you only see 1 or 2 white people a week, they tend to stick out like they have a sign on their chests saying "I'm a little piece of home!" I walked right up to him and said hi. He and his wife only vaguely remembered me, which I didn't surprise me, but we ended up talking for a while and exchanged email addresses and phone numbers. If only for that reason, that I made two more contacts in Pyeongtaek, I was grateful that I had decided to stick out my journey to Seoul.

Once on the train I met two more English speakers - Canadians who were both English teachers in a nearby town. We actually hit it off pretty well as well. . . . it really is odd. There is something about being in another country or totally out of your comfort zone that makes you lose all inhibitions or social mores that restrict conversation in the States. I was sharing emotions and feelings with two total strangers and it didn't bother me a bit. They were on their way to the embassy to get a visa into China, but before they left, they helped me get a subway pass card and helped me find the line that I wanted to take. We also exchanged email addresses.

So there I was. In Seoul. . . I took the subway to Myeong-dong. This neighborhood is supposed to be one of the "hearts of Seoul" The narrow alleys are, for the most part, clear of cars, and jam packed with shops and shoppers. (In Korea, its called Eye shopping. Not window shopping. ) The firsts few things that I noticed about being out in Seoul was that one: My puffy coat was not cutting it. I needed a scarf and hat asap....and Two: Oh my gosh there was a three story Forever 21. I headed in to get out of the cold, and bought a scarf and hat. I felt a little guilty about buying things at a store that we have in America, but Forever 21 was the first store I saw, I was seriously freezing, and it was cheap. Feeling much better, I Eye Shopped for a while... I kept myself from buying anything frivolous ( I kept on thinking about how I want to be able to go home and buy a new-er car, move out, and pay off student loans ) I got lost for a bit, went around in some circles, and finally found the building I had been looking for - drumroll please..................

Myeong-dong Catholic Cathedral. I had read about it, found the history interesting, and knew that mom would just about cry if she knew I searched it out. This cathedral is the head of the Diocese of South Korea. It was built in 1898 and according to my books, it has recently become a rallying point for anti-government demonstrations. When I walked in through one of the side doors towards the back, I saw a lot of people in the pews and I heard someone speaking Korean so I figured 'Huh, mass is going on. It might be interesting to see what the similarities are'....I was incorrect. It was a wedding. Oh. Man. It was too late to back out now, I was already pretty far up in the church and to turn around and walk out would be the height of disrespect, so I sat down and watched. Much to my surprise, another American and two Koreans walked past me on their way to sit down, one stopped. He asked me some questions about why I was there. My face must have been red. I tried to explain that I was just watching, but he told me that the bride was his niece and that I must join them. Oh. . . . what does one say to that? So I stayed. Talked with the American for a bit. He was from Florida; also a teacher. Turns out he was teaching at the same school with the Uncle's wife. The ceremony ended and I made to escape, but the Uncle asked me if I had eaten. That's right, y'all, I was invited to a traditional Korean Wedding reception by a man I had met only 15 minutes before...and my only regret is that I didn't take any pictures of the buffet line. That chef cutting into the tuna that was the size of me was intense. So Uncle, His Wife, His son, and the American teacher and I sat eating Kimchi, sushi, noodles, and drinking Hite...quite the experience....we exchanged numbers and email addresses, and I went on my merry way.

Next stop for me, and what I thought would be my last stop, was the Seoul Tower on top of Namsan. Namsan is a small mountain park in the center of Seoul which is another "heart" of Seoul. I took a taxi around the mountain to the hiking trail...supposedly you can take a ski lift thing to the top, but I was all hardcore and figured that I could handle it. Boy, was I ever wheezing by the top. I was still exhausted from my run this morning and despite the cold, within five minutes I was sweating like a pig. The view was amazing. 360 degrees of Seoul. On one side you could see the mountains, and on the other the Han river. Well worth the hike. I bought some postcards for a ridiculous price and an adorable homemade ring for a really cheap price and started back down the mountain. I took a different trail down the mountain because it seemed less winding and more people were on it, but I forgot about the fact that I had no bearings once I got off the mountain. I walked over a bridge and into this really cool district full of tables and yelling people. I somehow bumped into an information stand and said the word "map" to the lady inside. She handed me a brochure to Namdaemun Market. No. Way. Namdaemun was one of the places that I had wanted to go, but never thought I would be able to find. It was getting too late *read* dark for me to stay and look, so I just passed through, mentally noting the subway stop for next time.

the ride home was uneventful, and if it was eventful I wouldn't tell you about it because this post is OBSCENELY long and I am soooooooo over typing.

I love you all. I miss you all. Seoul rules.