As the Tolkien saga starts, as long and convoluted as it is, so does my journey.
After a 2 week sojourn in Chicago, which was supposed to only be 2-5 days, I boarded my Asiana Airlines OZ 235 plane headed towards Seoul, SK at 1am CST. I lost an entire day. There was no Tuesday. I landed in Korea at 447am KST (Korean Standard Time) and began my walk along the long path to aloneness. Jered didn't take the journey with me. He's still in Kansas City. I chose to go alone to make sure everything is as expected or relatively worth leaving home. As of right now, only 28hrs into the journey, it isn't.
It's great and all, just different. I know this will pass, but this blog is going to contain the truth regardless of how stupid it makes me feel.
The bus ride from Incheon Airport to Gyeongju was fun. I listened to Harry Potter most of the way, it helps me relax, and took pictures.
Those are some of the buildings I saw. There were numerous, similar looking buildings being built and ones that were already standing. This is going through Seoul, I think.
About 3 hrs into the 5 hr bus ride we stopped at a rest stop. One of the nicest I've seen. There was a 'restaurant' type food court. I had trouble deciding what to get; all the choices boggled me. I ordered an Bulgogi HotDog (Bulgogi [pul-go-gee] is Korean BBQ aka just spicy) for 3,500KW (about $2.99). It wasn't enough. So I ordered some steamed rice and stir fried beef. Only the thing was, I only had about 5 minutes left to finish this pipping hot plate of food. However, I did it. I ate that and my kimchi it came with. ( I LOVE KIMCHI!!). With all the time gone, I didn't have a chance to go pee...So I had 2.5hrs more to hold it.
When I finally got to Gyeongju Station (in my opinion a podunk station) I started to get nervous. I was expecting something a little more grandiose or even with a door...But thank goodness Mr. Choi (my school director) was there to greet me. He helped me with my bags and took me to the grocery store to get some food. (I used the facilities at the store finally). I bought a bag of rice, some grass type thing (what I thought was wheat grass, but later turned out to be chives...booo!), some Bok Choy (for my mother!) and some eggs. Also Toilet Paper (which btw only comes in ridiculously large quantity), a compost bin (as required by law), dish soap and a sponge and laundry detergent. That's when I realized I didn't have enough money to survive. EEKK
Mr. Choi drove me by the school I'll be working at. For anyone who knows anything about Asia, the buildings are all close together and at least 2-5 stories tall, in a small town. Mine is no different. It's part of a cluster of buildings, nothing like we have here in the states except perhaps in Boston or Chicago. I'll post a picture of it later.
He dropped me off at my apartment building, small and indistinct. I'm on the second floor in a small 'studio'.
This is a view from the door of my apt. Yes, that's the whole lot of it. The hole in the wall apartment. The floor is heated though. That's how the heating system works.
This is my little kitchen. 2 burner stove'ette.
This is the best part! My own washer. No dryer though. I have to buy a clothes line or sweater dryer. (that is whenever I get more money...I'm taking up funds through paypal...lol).
It's a Samsung. It washes my clothes very nicely too!! I've already done a load. My bathroom, the same as in every place, has a sink, toilet, and a handheld shower thing that's attached to the sink.
I have to turn the hot water heater on and off whenever I use it by use of a thermostat type thing near the light switch. That also controls the floor heater and the hot water heater. I keep forgetting though. Spending minutes waiting for the hot water to come out when I want to take a shower...lol.
Being in my apartment alone doesn't help me with my loneliness, though. So I have to keep up on getting out and about to learn the city.
Today I went to the hospital to get my health screen done, cost me 138,000KW!!! Again, all the money I had. (After spending 2 weeks in Chicago, unplanned, depleted my funds greatly) I had to get my picture taken first and then go get my blood drawn and pee in a cup. Also my eyes checked and my teeth checked and an x-ray. Before going to the Hospital, Mr Choi asked me what the ring on my finger meant. I told him it was for my partner back home. He assumed girl friend and I corrected him saying boy friend. He fell silent. We talked in the car more about it and I explained to him that I am Gay. This frightened him. He told me that my condition was very rare. That in Korea only man and woman were to be a pair. And that I am NOT TO TELL ANYONE ELSE ABOUT THIS! If anyone finds out he told me I'd have to resign. No parent would want me to teach their children. After all the trouble I'd endured so far, this took the Jenga pieces out from under me and make me fall down. And, of course, I had to then go to the hospital in a foreign country and get my blood taken.
I got back to my apartment, after going to about 4 different ATMs to try to get money out of my account, and lost it. I was so frustrated. So alone. So injured by what had just happened. I just had to cry it out. AND to really top it all off, my computer was dying and I hadn't a way to charge it. I didn't bring with me an adapter. They were no less than 20$ in the states and I knew I could buy one cheaper here. I felt so cut off. So alone. I journaled a bit and saw that I kept using those negative words.
Can't, alone, shouldn't, etc. I was sick of that feeling. Of being toxic. I decided to walk until I found an adapter.
I succeeded. After going to about 5 different places, none helping me at all, I found an Office Depot! They had 1. Only 1 left. I bought it. I wanted to buy 10 I was so happy they had one. I power walked back home so I could Skype Jered. He was online waiting for me until he fell asleep. It was midnight in Kansas City, MO and 2pm the next day here in Gyeongju. We talked for about 2 hours. No tears this time though. I was so happy to be able to see him. To talk to him. To unload my troubles to someone who loved me. The universe seems to be rocking our boat pretty hard right now. If funds you can't contribute, strength and courage are what I need the most.
With love,
Michael
