HELLO, from Seoul.
Today was a big day for me. It started with me not being able to sleep. I was up too late and I am reading, The Count of Monte Cristo, I know, I know, I go to the East and I am reading a French Author. What can I say? So, anyway, I spent my time not being able to sleep, reading.
I woke up at a late time, 11:30, Seoul time. I can't even do that when I am in Kansas City. Then the cool things begin to happen:
Having my coffee in hand, I walk. There are street vendors selling everything from Jackass 2 to Black Dahlia, on DVD, to many leather goods, knock off Gucci and Louis Vitton, to every color of the rainbow New York Yankees hats, but no Royals hats!!!! I have been warned about the street vendors gouging you, so I kept my wallet in my pocket. However, I did not take any pictures. That will be for another day, when I go back, I was too overwhelmed by all of the people. ALL nationalities: Americans, Nigerians, Germans, Arabs, and many more. There were too many foreigners for me. Who would have thought I would find TOO many foreigners??? There is a large Nigerian sect here. they come for the jobs, showing up in their religious dress and a week later, they are all in Hip-Hop clothes, not wanting to go home---so I have been told. The shops ranged from Burger King (of which I was on a quest last weekend, but didn't find one), McDonald's, KFC (again), Dunkin' Donuts, Soul Train Clothing store, to Nike town, to a Reebok Store, to many other stores I can't even begin to describe!!!
But , NOW, I know where to go for my American tastes and it's only a $.80 subway ride.
From there, I walked to Yaksu station and wanted to find a microphone, so I could TALK to my people back home. I had a gentleman on the subway approach me and ask if I needed help. I was shocked, because the actual subway guy wouldn't even help, until I reached through the window and pulled him close, threatening his life every way imaginable--OK, not really, but that would have been funny. I was looking for a particular station, Singeumho, but got off at Geumho. Um, I wasn't sure where I was and I thought, "Great, long walk and I have to go down to the subway and get on again. Then I realized, I was at the corner where I ate my pizza with Corn and Pickles (there ya go, Susie), so I started to walk. I began to recognize my surroundings and found out I knew the neighborhood. What a relief!!!! I was a couple of miles, which is NOTHING in this town, from my school. I impress myself sometimes.
I stopped to buy some milk, bread, and bananas on my way to my apartment and here I sit. Relaying my day.
My review of the Seoul Subway:
Clean. VERY clean. Quiet. VERY quiet. It must go down 3 stories, with tracks on top of each other, going every which way possible. Once I get the hang of it, it will be a breeze. Today, I jumped in with both feet without testing the waters. Map in hand, I navigated my way to a new place in the city. Should I have gone farther, YES!! But that's for another day.
Iteawon:
Whoever visits, will be taken there, if not just to people watch.
Yaksu Station:
Amazing. Just amazing, just whe you don't think there's more stairs down, there is.
All-in-all, It was a good day!!!!!!!
Today was a big day for me. It started with me not being able to sleep. I was up too late and I am reading, The Count of Monte Cristo, I know, I know, I go to the East and I am reading a French Author. What can I say? So, anyway, I spent my time not being able to sleep, reading.
I woke up at a late time, 11:30, Seoul time. I can't even do that when I am in Kansas City. Then the cool things begin to happen:
- As some of you may know, I have Yahoo! Messenger. I am using it quite a bit, chatting with my girlfriend, Debby; my brother, Blair; and two of my closest friends, Gavin and Susie. I have chatted with Dylan, Zigs' son, as well. It keeps me close to home and I am able to relate my day and add my thoughts to the days' happenings in Kansas City and the U.S.A. for instance, the elections. I have never missed an election and this was first on the sidelines. I could have done an absentee ballot, but I ran out of time. I am pleased with some of the happenings, but I digress. I won't go into politics, because I don't want this blog to turn into something Arianna Huffington would link to.
- So, I am chatting with Gavin and he is watching the K-State-Texas game on ABC, I have the scoreboard up from ESPN and we are chatting about that and other things. When Susie gets home, I get to chat with her, too. Pretty cool if you ask me.
- Then my mom pops up on gmail and we are chatting. I forgot to add her to the e-mail list I got from everybody. SORRY MOM!!!!!!! She is telling me about her day, she, too, is watching the K-State-Texas game. So, I have multiple windows up and am chatting along.
- THEN my brother pops up in Yahoo! (if you want my screen name, e-mail me and I'll get it to you) and he is playing with his headset, trying to hook up so we can talk through the messenger. Next thing I know, I HEAR HIS VOICE!!!!! I about dropped. I haven't heard anyone's voice, yet, so I was blown away. I couldn't talk back, because dummy here didn't have a microphone ( I do now).
- Blair, then does the coolest thing. He calls my mom and puts her on speaker phone, it's kind of archaic, but HEY, whatever works. I get to hear my mom's voice.
- THEN. Blair calls Debby and does the SAME thing. I get to hear Debby's voice. I am overjoyed!!!!!! I get to hear her voice, but alas, she cannot hear mine. That changes tomorrow.
- While this is going on, the K-State game ends and Blair's phone is going nuts, I can hear it in the background. He then tells someone on the phone to speak up. It's my dad!!!! I get to hear his voice, too!!!!!
- So, I get to everyone in my families voice in one day!!! I was verklempt!!!! All in all it was pretty cool, thanks to Blair!!! Sorry for pushing you into the pool that time, Blair. I really am!!!
Having my coffee in hand, I walk. There are street vendors selling everything from Jackass 2 to Black Dahlia, on DVD, to many leather goods, knock off Gucci and Louis Vitton, to every color of the rainbow New York Yankees hats, but no Royals hats!!!! I have been warned about the street vendors gouging you, so I kept my wallet in my pocket. However, I did not take any pictures. That will be for another day, when I go back, I was too overwhelmed by all of the people. ALL nationalities: Americans, Nigerians, Germans, Arabs, and many more. There were too many foreigners for me. Who would have thought I would find TOO many foreigners??? There is a large Nigerian sect here. they come for the jobs, showing up in their religious dress and a week later, they are all in Hip-Hop clothes, not wanting to go home---so I have been told. The shops ranged from Burger King (of which I was on a quest last weekend, but didn't find one), McDonald's, KFC (again), Dunkin' Donuts, Soul Train Clothing store, to Nike town, to a Reebok Store, to many other stores I can't even begin to describe!!!
But , NOW, I know where to go for my American tastes and it's only a $.80 subway ride.
From there, I walked to Yaksu station and wanted to find a microphone, so I could TALK to my people back home. I had a gentleman on the subway approach me and ask if I needed help. I was shocked, because the actual subway guy wouldn't even help, until I reached through the window and pulled him close, threatening his life every way imaginable--OK, not really, but that would have been funny. I was looking for a particular station, Singeumho, but got off at Geumho. Um, I wasn't sure where I was and I thought, "Great, long walk and I have to go down to the subway and get on again. Then I realized, I was at the corner where I ate my pizza with Corn and Pickles (there ya go, Susie), so I started to walk. I began to recognize my surroundings and found out I knew the neighborhood. What a relief!!!! I was a couple of miles, which is NOTHING in this town, from my school. I impress myself sometimes.
I stopped to buy some milk, bread, and bananas on my way to my apartment and here I sit. Relaying my day.
My review of the Seoul Subway:
Clean. VERY clean. Quiet. VERY quiet. It must go down 3 stories, with tracks on top of each other, going every which way possible. Once I get the hang of it, it will be a breeze. Today, I jumped in with both feet without testing the waters. Map in hand, I navigated my way to a new place in the city. Should I have gone farther, YES!! But that's for another day.
Iteawon:
Whoever visits, will be taken there, if not just to people watch.
Yaksu Station:
Amazing. Just amazing, just whe you don't think there's more stairs down, there is.
All-in-all, It was a good day!!!!!!!
Labels: A Few Thoughts