Happy Monday.
or something like that.
So for the last two weeks when I come in on Monday morning to the high school, there is a note or two on my desk on these square white pieces of paper. But the notes are actually lyrics to love songs. They are written in English and it's a man's handwriting. Today's reads "Even though it seems I have everything, I don't wanna be a lonely fool. All of the women, all the expensive cars, all of the money don't amount to you." And the back says "I want something else to get me through this semi-charmed kind of lie." I unfortunately did not keep last weeks, which was lines from 3 different songs, as I assumed it was something random accidentally left on my desk, but I am going to start keeping them from now on. I have no idea who is leaving them but they are not there Friday afternoon, I know because I bring my notebook back from the middle school and leave it on my desk on Friday afternoons, but they are here when I come in Monday morning. It's a mystery... :]
As for this weekend, Seoul was amazing. Friday afternoon I ran home after school for a quick shower and to pack, met up with Mark and Parag (Mark is the guy that lives in Yeongdeok too, and Parag is an English guy from Yeonghae, a town about 10 minutes north) at the bus terminal and was Seoul bound by 6:30. We got in about 11:15 or so, made our way to the subway for a 32 minute ride to Honguk University (I know because they made a bet it would take over/under 30 minutes) and then separated to find our hostels. Mark and I got to ours and the owner tried to tell us that we had booked 1 person for 2 nights instead of 2 for 1, which we argued out, then after insisting he had no room he took us to the sister hostel (we booked at Hey Backpackers and stayed at Hey Backpackers 2), 2 minutes away. We finally got everything sorted, then Mark and I dropped our bags and headed out into the Seoul night. We planned to only stay out for a bit so as not to wear ourselves out for the night to follow, Global Gathering was scheduled to run til 4am, but of course, time got away from us and we crashed back into the hostel at 6:15am. I was in bed asleep by 6:30. Unfortunately, the room I stayed in was right next to a construction site and since it was morning, they were working. Loudly. Pulling steel cable. Continuously. Did I mention loudly? Needless to say I did not rest. So I got up about 8:30 or so, waited for the shower, showered, then crashed on the couch in the main room. I slept there, much better than in the room, until about 10:30 when the owner woke me up asking why I wasn't sleeping in the bedroom. I explained about the noise, he said close the window, duh, it was closed. So then he tells me to go sleep in the other room on the other side of the hostel, where lucky Mark got to sleep in quiet all morning. So I did. And slept, roughly, because by this time people were up and moving around, making no effort to be quiet in the room, until about 12. Then Mark and I gathered our things and headed out to meet up with the group. Except then I found out that instead of neither of us having somewhere to stay Saturday night, Mark's friend had offered to let him stay in the hostel with them, but there was only room for one. So we went around to the hostels in the area trying to find me somewhere to stay, to no avail, and I decided to figure it out when it came time to sleep. My plan basically evolved to, stay out and party til 6, take the subway to the bus terminal, grab a bus, and sleep on the 5 hour ride home. Sounded good, and free, to me.
So we rejoined the group, and started to the festival. This led to a subway ride, and an hour of lost walking, 2 blisters, and an irritated me with 4 men completely unwilling to ask for directions, admit they were lost, or listen to me, who knew where we were supposed to be going, but didn't want to leave the group. We finally made it to the festival, which was as far away from the subway as possible, about 3ish. Luckily, it was a beautiful day, so even with the walk, spirits were high and everyone was just glad to have finally found it. We sat outside for a bit and drank what people had brought with them as we were not allowed to bring it in with us. And started meeting awesome people from the start. About quarter til 5 we gathered our things and our group and headed in to see Example at 5. Checked our bags and claimed a place. Then thoroughly enjoyed the first performance of the night (that we saw.) The rest of the night was spent dancing, drinking, and laughing my cares away. The night ended with a bit of a frustrating walk out, repeatedly having to collect the men, irritating taxis unwilling to take us because the fair wasn't enough, and finally, a wonderfully soft bed, blanket and pillow. Oh yeah, because since we didn't stay out til 6, but rather left Global Gathering about 2:30 - between sore feet and tired everything elses, and a lack of performances worth staying for combined with remaining crowds being excessively drunk and all around not as much fun, there was a general consensus of departing - and some of the girls finding I had no where to stay (this is the same group Mark was staying with that only had room for one) insisted they would double up and I was to stay with them at their hostel. I'm telling you, the people I'm meeting here are some of the best ever. Thanks to Tash, Marie, Candace, Mark, Jason, and Andy (wife) for making Seoul amazing. It's not about the city, it's about the people. And I wish you all lived closer but I can't wait to see you in 2 weeks in Busan! :D
So Sunday morning, I was up and out of the hostel and navigating the streets of Seoul by 8. I found the subway by 8:30, successfully navigated (read CONQUERED) the Seoul subway system, then found and made my way to the bus terminal, grabbed a bit of food and jumped on the bus homeward bound. Not gonna lie, at this point I felt like a boss. Having come over here as public transportation illiterate as I was - I'd never taken a bus, taxi, subway, never used a payphone, or been lost on foot in a city (most certainly not without a cell phone), and just generally had no idea where I was or where I was trying to go (as far as names of stations), throw in the significant language barrier, and I feel like I king when I accomplish any of these things on my own. For most people they are small and insignificant but for me, from Scottsmoor, I've come a long way. Though it is always nice to come home to my small town with a taxi station but none cruising the streets, only one bus terminal, no subway, no trains, and a good ole small town feel. I miss dirt roads and rivers, horses and the country, but I could not be happier with where God has placed me in this country. They don't have country like we do at home, but I'm as close as I could get without it becoming a major inconvenience. So thanks God, I don't know why I doubt you or your aims for me. ♥
The bus ride only took about 4 hours instead of 5 because the roads are clearer Sunday morning than they are Friday night and I was happy to see that my delivery of cat litter, scheduled for Saturday, was waiting for me at the door. Switch was happy to see me and very cuddly to show she missed me. I love coming home to her. :] Unfortunately, I've been doing a bit of research about bringing her home and I'm scared I won't be able to. I found an agency that will do door to door or port to port service but the door to door is 4000-4500 USD. Which is not going to happen. I'm looking into the port to port and I'll see how much that is. Also, when it gets closer, like next year, I will call American Airlines and see if I can just do it without an agency and how much it is that way. Some airlines will let you take the cat as carryon so I could just take her in the cabin with me, which would be ideal. And then during layovers I would just take her to the bathroom, etc. I just can't imagine leaving her behind. I love her and the thought of never seeing her again, just leaving her with someone else just kills me. I can't justify 4000USD but a hundred or two I may be willing to do. And if I'm willing to pay that now, and I've had her for two weeks, in a year I'm really not going to want to give her up. But I don't regret getting her, ever. Most especially now that we've got the training issues worked out. I don't know what the girl I got her from did to her but she is such an affectionate cat, definitely definitely a cuddler, and lets me hold her now. The girl I got her from said she wouldn't let her hold her, and that she wasn't much of a contact cat, not really a cuddler. Maybe I should tell her she was doing it wrong. :] If anything I would say the only cuddling problem I have with Switch is that sometimes she's too close and wants to be too close, read, on my face. Apparently cats think it's a good place to be since Dani did the same thing. Geez I miss my blobcat. Yeap, definitely can't imagine never seeing her again either. Cats just steal my heart, no bones about it.
Anyway, that's my update for today and this weekend. I need to actually do some planning. And figure out what I'm going to do in my English teachers class in 2 hours. Boo. I hate it. I've only had one actual class with them, then the makeshift pizza post-birthday party, then we had Monday off, a school fieldtrip, another Monday off, and then today. Blegh. Why can't they just teach themselves....
Back to work I suppose.
Miss and love you dearly.
♥
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