Uijeongbu, Nogyang, and Bosan... it's not too hard getting lost in the subway station.

And by "lost," I mean unable to be found, as opposed to not knowing where I am. I thought I knew where I was the whole time. However, I really didn't. I was in the completely wrong station, wondering where everyone I was supposed to meet had gone off to.

This is why I need a cell phone.

I went to Uijeongbu station first, which was about an hour ride from my station. I waited for an hour, asked a few English speakers if there were other exits in the station that I was possibly missing... and then went on a hunt for a PC bang. No luck, so without a phone number written down or access to a computer, I decided to head to the next station (the one I thought we were going to for our movie), in case they decided to go there and wait.

When I finally got to Nogyang, I realized that I had finally made it to the actual station I was supposed to go to first. I also noticed a PC Zone across the street from the station so I decided to go check it out. I was freezing and there was no sign of Brenna or her family. I took the elevator to the 7th floor and heard all kinds of computer game noises and walked in looking helpless. The guy was nice and spoke a little English, so he helped me get set up on a computer and a lady who worked there brought me a cup of coffee. I got Brenna's number, stayed a minute to warm up... then head back to the station.

I snapped this picture before stepping inside the station: I thought it was pretty.

Pay Phones... Pain Phones... same difference.

I had no idea how to work the darn thing, and I even had a lady try to help me. The language barrier was holding me back from having any idea what she was saying except "no." Even our game of charades wasn't totally working. I decided to wait around a minute to see if Brenna would get my message and come rescue me from the station (I'm assuming you realize by now that I had no idea where she lives from the station) but that didn't seem to be happening either.

I went to the information desk and asked if they had a phone I could borrow and showed them the number to emphasize my point. The lady pulled out her cell phone and started dialing, and I was super grateful. I was finally in touch with Brenna and they were at a completely different station because they thought maybe that was where I had went. So, my journey to Bosan was about to begin.

Did I ever tell you that subway trains can be a pain in the ass?

Long story short... the stupid thing took me to the very next stop and then after a lot of people got off, it decided to head back to Nogyang instead of going forward and in the direction of Bosan. I was so mad. So, I got off... walked down the stairs and back up to the opposite platform to get back on a train heading toward Bosan and 15 minutes later I was finally on my way.

Finally...

I saw Brenna and her kids standing there! I was so happy, it was already past 4 p.m. (my adventures began at 11a.m.) so we decided to head to the food court and eat before our movie.

Taco Bell, oh how I love you.

Yes, I got to eat Taco Bell! The perks of knowing people who can get me on base. I was so excited. It's the little things in life that mean the most...

New Moon.

Good... not great. I mean, I'm sure I'll watch it a billion times, but I definitely love the books way more.

Subway Tales... again.

Wow, an empty subway? So rare...

Shortly after Brenna and her family got off, I made a new friend on the empty train. Actually, he made me his friend, I continuding my own business but he kept trying to talk to me in terrible English and mostly Korean.

Since I’m a fairly nice person, I answered him and tried to understand him through a game of guessing and charades. In the end… this is what I found out about my friend:

He is a 60 year old who sells shoes with his wife. He was on his was to buy alcohol, drink, then head back home to go to sleep. He told me I was beautiful and was shocked when I told him I was 23 because he thought I looked 11. He was also shocked that I told him I don’t drink alcohol. (Lies… but I did not want an invite).

He was nice, slightly creepy but I don’t think he was trying to be, and he gave me a individually packaged cookie before he got off the train. I was happy this morning to eat it.

So, overall this weekend was quite an adventure. Luckily, I now know where I’m going if I ever want to visit Brenna again or if I want to meet nice soldiers who want to take me to Taco Bell. =)

This was sort of all crammed information, but I’m tired and need to get my music organized for my Christmas present, yay!

Until next time.

“Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does.” –Stephenie Myers, New Moon