Sunday, November 20, 2005
hug accomplished
I was feeling pretty tired last night so I didn't do too much in Suwon. I wandered around for a motel and ended up in the red light district. I turned around and found another grouping of motels. When I checked in I held up a finger to indicate one person, and he put his hands together and said, "For sleeping?" "Yes." Wow. This place was a piece of shit. I didn't even get a room key. There was a posted rate of 25,000W, but that wasn't for the entire night. However, this place did have BBC Worldnews on the teevee, and the Armed Forces Network. That mainly showed bad American TV, but the public service announcements (aimed at the troops of course) where cra-zy.
The next morning, I got bored and took the subway to Pyongtaek. I wasn't in any hurry at that point. After the second stop, the entire train emptyed, and there was some announcement in Korean. I hauled ass out of there, and the train sped away. Um, ok. Then another train going in the same direction pulled up, and everyone got on. Oh, ok.
I ended up catching D as he was getting off the bus, and we wandered around to find some place to eat. Most restaurants are closed on Sundays (I guess), and after many tries, we finally found a place and had dumpling soup. We got some coffee and walked around until 2. D was fighting the beginnings of an illness, and of course he was dead tired. We said goodbye.
I got on a train to Seoul, and when I left the train station, there was a massive protest going on in the street. This army guy next to me (I heard him talking about PT at Pyongtaek) asked if I knew what was going on. He was trying to catch a cab to get to base, but the streets were blocked due to the protest.
"Is the base near the War Memorial?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, you can just take the subway."
"Oh, I don't know how."
"I can take you."
So I did. He has been in Korea since April at some base north of Seoul. He has been in the country SINCE APRIL, and didn't had only ridden the subway once. Now, D's work schedule sucks, but he gets up to Seoul whenever possible. This guy was shocked that I had been here since the 9th, and I knew my way around so well.
It has been interesting couple of days, that's for sure. I can't believe I only have two full days left here. Katy has my first few days in Taiwan booked, and I can't wait.
The next morning, I got bored and took the subway to Pyongtaek. I wasn't in any hurry at that point. After the second stop, the entire train emptyed, and there was some announcement in Korean. I hauled ass out of there, and the train sped away. Um, ok. Then another train going in the same direction pulled up, and everyone got on. Oh, ok.
I ended up catching D as he was getting off the bus, and we wandered around to find some place to eat. Most restaurants are closed on Sundays (I guess), and after many tries, we finally found a place and had dumpling soup. We got some coffee and walked around until 2. D was fighting the beginnings of an illness, and of course he was dead tired. We said goodbye.
I got on a train to Seoul, and when I left the train station, there was a massive protest going on in the street. This army guy next to me (I heard him talking about PT at Pyongtaek) asked if I knew what was going on. He was trying to catch a cab to get to base, but the streets were blocked due to the protest.
"Is the base near the War Memorial?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, you can just take the subway."
"Oh, I don't know how."
"I can take you."
So I did. He has been in Korea since April at some base north of Seoul. He has been in the country SINCE APRIL, and didn't had only ridden the subway once. Now, D's work schedule sucks, but he gets up to Seoul whenever possible. This guy was shocked that I had been here since the 9th, and I knew my way around so well.
It has been interesting couple of days, that's for sure. I can't believe I only have two full days left here. Katy has my first few days in Taiwan booked, and I can't wait.
# posted by stacey : 1:35 AM
