Early this week I ordered books and a camera, and when I went to work Friday, neither had arrived. The delivery guy brought the books at 1030pm, which I was surprised by and thankful for. However, the camera seemed more important, and I was worried that I would now have to find another cheap-ish camera before I left the country in 12 hours. I kind-of rested until 1030am, when I gave up on actual relaxation.
I got the dog stuff together, and got everything else ready to pick up after that jaunt. It would’ve been much easier to take everything and avoid coming back home – time-wise – but holding a scared, sweaty dog and his stuff was enough stress without taking all of my stuff too.
The trek was relatively uneventful, although I don’t think my dog would agree. Dr. Baek speaks perfect English, and seems really great. Many teachers that I know leave their animals with her when they travel. Hayes will get his needed shots done and nails trimmed while he’s there, saving me a future trip.
I went to Banwoldang for some errands, then to the Hae Jin Express Bus Station near DongDaegu Station to bus my bus ticket to Gimhae Airport in Busan. I probably didn’t need to buy it in advance, but I was afraid that on a busy Saturday I might get caught without transport. There are trains to Gupo, but then you have to take an expensive taxi to the airport. The bus takes you directly to the airport for 7,600 won. The only drawback is that you can’t buy the bus tickets at Emart, by phone, or on the internet. You must buy them in person only, hence the inconvenient trip. Oh well. It made me feel better to have the ticket in hand for a specific time, knowing I’d get to the airport in plenty of time.
I made my way back home via Home Plus. I wanted to price cameras, since I have resigned myself to the fact that mine wasn’t coming. I also needed a couple of other things, including some food, since I hadn’t eaten in 14 hours, and was starting to feel a bit faint. The cameras were too expensive to justify buying when I had one in the mail already paid for, even if that left me camera-less for this trip. I went home and realized how dirty, sweaty, and covered in dog hair I was. After eating, I took a quick and thorough shower and decided to take a 30 minute nap before I had to leave again for my journey’s start.
I laid there for 3 minutes thinking how angry I was to go sans camera, and sent a psychic message to the driver for a miracle. Literally 12 seconds later, my phone rang. A man tattered on endlessly in Korean, but I recognized my address and “home”. Yes! Yes! I’m home now! Come fast! He didn’t understand much, and I couldn’t answer his questions. Finally he said thank you, and hung up. I quickly called my former partner teacher Ji Hoon and asked him to call the man back and tell him I was home and to come fast.
I got dressed and went down to sit on the stairs to watch for him. Then I got a call back. Ji Hoon said, “He’ll be there in 5 minutes.”
MY MIRACLE!!!!!
He came, I got my camera, and he muttered a bit about trying for 3 days to deliver it (I think), and then he was gone. I went upstairs, opened all of the packages and pieces, put everything together, and packed it into my carry-on. Fifteen minutes later I was out the door.
I’ve often thought I was psychic-ly linked. Sometimes my mom and I can’t get through on Skype or the phone because the other is calling at the same time. Sometimes in class I’ll ask a question and no one will know the answer. Then the answer will pop into my head, and someone will raise their hand and say word-for-word what I just thought. It’s creepy. But today I’m thrilled. I got my camera!
I was told that they NEVER deliver on Saturdays, much less at 430pm, when I’m leaving at 445pm to catch a bus out of the country.
I found a taxi at 503pm. My bus was set to leave at 540pm, which would be plenty of time in most places on Earth, but we had to hurry. I didn’t realize how much traffic there would be midday on a Saturday. (There’s never traffic on the subway lines. :) The driver made an illegal turn in front of 3 cops in the middle of the street, who pulled us over. Argh! He yelled to me, “Ticket! Ticket! Ticket!” I quickly pulled out my bus ticket and gave it to him. He frantically explained to the cop that “the foreigner is going to miss her train!” (in Korean) He let us off quickly, and we pulled into the station at 536pm.
The ride to Busan was lovely.
Hillside/top cemetary.
I saw the KTX train that I might've ridden to Gupo if not for the bus.
The rest was easy. I had plenty of time after checking in to withdraw and exchange money, get a Frappuccino at Starbucks, and get dinner.
Gnome was hungry too!
When I sat in the boarding area to get organized, a small boy made me smile when he exclaimed loudly, “Wow! Waygookin sang nim!” (Wow! A foreigner!) I laughed, and his older sister said hello as she passed. He gasped loudly a few minutes later when I got on the same shuttle to our plane. But this time, when I said hello, he said it too. :)
So here I sit in the exit row of my Cebu Pacific plane. Paying 12,000 won for this much legroom and a pre-chosen seat was so worth it. I should be sleeping now, but oh well. If I’m going to try to do better about keeping updated while I’m on vacation, I’ve got to do it as it happens. So here it is. My iPod’s on, loudly playing my faves from the last two decades, and I’m drinking a Minute Maid Mango/Orange Juice with pulp, straight from an all-English bottle, which was bottled in my destination. I’ve had actual conversations with the Flight Attendants in English, and have watched with a smirk as the Koreans around me don’t follow their instructions because they can’t understand the English. Is that wrong? It’s just that it’s delightful to be understood easily after 11 months of feeling like the idiot.
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