The Lost Boy

June 28th

Here's an email I wrote to BBro about the experience I had coming back from her house:

Sooooo....

You know how I left your place at like 8:30 the other day... Guess what time I got home? 2:00.

I hate Korea.

I took the Subway first, and I thought everything was fine. Then I got off at the stop I was supposed to transfer at. And for some reason their colors are different. So I was following the blue signs, because I wanted the blue line. So naturally that was the purple line. So I went back the other wayand got on the green line... Which is the blue line. Then I got off at Cheyongyangni (whatever), which for some reason is on the map twice.

So I get on the 420 which supposedly stops at my school. Of course it doesn't. Maybe it takes a different route in the opposite direction? I just assumed I missed it, so I stay on, because I also assume the bus does a circle. It doesn't. So I'm at the other end of the city and the bus comes to
the end of its route. I'm the ONLY person on it. The driver tells me to get off, and points to another bus.

So, back the other way. I'm clearly not on a bus that goes to Dongdaemun, just back across the river. So the guy tries to tell me how to get to Dongdaemun? I think? Eventually a kid who speaks English gets on and we have this exchange:

KID: Get off at (whatever) stop, ok?
ME: ...ok
KID: Do you know where (blah) is?
ME: no
KID: then how were you going to get off there
ME: ...
KID: do you have any Korean friends?
ME: Not yet, I just got here
KID: You're going to have a lot of problems.

Jerk.

So then we get to (so and so) stop and the bus driver gets out of his bus and CHASES DOWN ANOTHER BUS. As if they don't come every 30 seconds! So I get on THAT bus... Finally this guy goes Dongdaemun, Dongdaemun, and like pushes me toward the door. So I start walking.

Half an hour later, guess where I am. Same place I started! Somehow. So I walk some more. And then I'm in like whatever-dong or -gu, or whatever.

Eventually I try to get a cab. I was reluctant because of our horror last time. Plus I was pretty sure I knew where I was going. Samsung. Turn. etc. So, I stick my arm out, and a cab that was already passed me, and going like 100 m/h, SLAMS on his brakes. I say Tapshimni Sagury... He deliberates for literally minutes. With the counter thing going. Then drives. Then stops and
deliberates some more. Then yells at the police (!!!) then drives. Clearly doesn't know where he's going. Eventually he drives past my motel. Finally.
Thank God.

Worst day ever.
Good chicken though.