We found our way to the first bus stop by the instructions our WWOOF hosts had sent us. The instructions were not complete or at least we didn't have the skillz to make any sense of them after step 1. Luckily, most oxygen breathing mammals on the streets of Seoul have smart phones. One kind citizen helped us by looking the bus routes up. The amazing pedestrian even went out of his way to take the bus along with us to make sure we took the correct connecting bus at the next terminal. On the first bus, I was half awake since we had to get up earlier than usual. When getting off the first bus I forgot to grab Meg's camera bag for her. I had put the bag in the over head shelf. Meg ran faster than I thought she was capable of after the bus as it was pulling away—I was impressed. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to run down the bus. Again, the amazing citizen, which I'll call Captain Awesome Person (C.A.P.), called the bus company and then talked to a bus driver headed back to the same base as the bus I left the bag on. We took a ride with the driver on his way back to base. C.A.P. looked steeled to the cold and to the heartless evils of the world. He made sunlight look dim next to him...or something like that...At the base, the driver from our last bus was waiting with the bag. Thanking him vigorously we took the bag back. We then waited for the next bus going out that would take us return us to the terminal. C.A.P. held us in an aura of strength and I saw unicorns. Meg claims to have seen rainbows...double rainbows!! ? … So...Yeah, we made it back to the terminal and C.A.P. led the way through the hordes of orcs and ogres—really nasty business. His battle axes met no foe that wouldn't be sliced, diced, or turned...that description is turning into an entrepreneur's wet dream on the Home Shopping Network. After journeying through the depths of Middle Earth to our next bus stop, which I'd guess is half a kilometer distance, C.A.P. saw to waiting with us for easily a fortnight (15 minutes), while laughing at his hunger and thirst, which again I’m not sure he even had. We said goodbye and thanked our C.A.P., and on we went to another bus for a few hours and enjoyed the few snacks Meg had purchased right before we got on the bus.
Joam, Korea is a very small town and didn't offer us much to do. At this time, we did want to go to the school. We weren’t sure how long the bus would take or what stop to get off at, and we motioned a taxi driver. If I haven’t already explained how to motion a taxi, lets begin. Put your arm that is closest to the road straight out, and that includes your wrist and fingers—think playing airplane. Lower your arm to a 45 degree angle toward the ground. Bend in your fingers about halfway while keeping your wrist and arm straight still. Motion with your fingers with way quickly and your done! The finger motion is the same if you’re beckoning someone to come towards you. NEVER ask for some one to come over with your fingers up or wave like you would in the U.S.A., and that means even to non-natives. It is a lude jester to do such motions. Ah—yeah—After what took more time than I would have thought it would to explain where we wanted to go, we were on our way. I should have learned after trying to go on a hike on my last blog post. You need to speak Korean-English. The trip was maybe fifteen minutes. We arrived to the school, paid the driver, and the puzzlement was instant. We walked around the school trying to find our hosts and not sure which building to start with. There were five building directly around us and a few more further out. None of the buildings seemed more obvious than the other. Eventually, we found some helpful students that took us to the principal’s office, which wouldn’t be the last time we went to a principal’s office on our trip, more on this when we go to Japan next. We were told to sit after being puzzled over, and then no less than three people made separate phone calls at the same time. A few minutes wait and someone seemed to understand what was going on, which was what I was waiting for because I knew we didn’t. During the time we waited there were plenty of young onlookers and finger pointing. One of our WWOOF hosts entered the room and introductions were finally made. After some quick talk we got to the basics. I was to stay in the boys’ dorms and Meg with the hosts' grandmother. Meg and I dropped our things off at the grandmother's. We weren’t to start until tomorrow and I'd later be let into the dorms, because they are closed during school hours. Meg and I wondered around looking for a place that wasn't freezing. I thought Seoul was cold, Oh, I hate being wrong. We were very cold. I found out that when Meg is cold she tends to make loud noises, which could sound weird, but I thought it was just darling :)
Waiting around for several hours in the cold, Meg and I managed to make it through our first day at the school. After saying goodnight to Meg and trying to find someone that knew where I should go in the dorm was a challenge. I met a few people and the shop instructor was the man I needed to see. I later discovered he was the boys’ dorm manager. At the dorm, I was moved two times while everyone tried to figure out where I should sleep. The room I was eventually moved to was better and warmer, but lacked pillows. I didn’t want to ask for more pillows because I was tired and any conversation in half English was tiring. I made my way from the third floor down to the first where I was to first stay. I was a ninja in the night. I stopped and talked to a few people. I sneaked the rest of the way with pillows in hand. Sleep was easy to find after this long and confusing day.
I awoke early because I was instructed to. I had to have the dorm manager unlock the doors early for me as well. Always seemed odd that they locked in everyone because I always think about where my exits are for FIRES! There were no fires :) I left the dorm and met with Meg. We then waited for our ride nearby the boys’ dorm. We weren't sure someone was still coming to get us after we had waited almost half an hour past the scheduled time. A tiny navy blue truck pulled up and we entered with sleepy eyes and no questions. Later we were in town and stopping at another farm nearby the school. We went into the farm owner's home and instantly offered instant coffee. We drank up while waiting by the fire stove. As soon as we finished the coffee our WWOOF host, the other farmer, Meg, and myself crawled into the truck. At this point, I was very confused. I didn't understand what was the point of picking up the other farmer and why we were headed away from the city of Joam.
The summary that followed was we went really far, got lost, turned around, and came to an agriculture college. The farmers met with a professor and the professor greeted us. We were given instant coffee. We waited in the corner of the room after introductions and what would become the usual Q & A of where people thought Guatemala was and our WWOOF host happily showing them where it actually is. Our host love making people guess. I was instructed to take a photo of some strawberries at one point.
They finished talking, we said goodbye. In the car again, we headed some other direction. I continued to play Angry Birds while we drove around. We stopped for some snacks.
More meetings, and then more food; I was so full at this point. Our host was capable of eating three times as much food as myself and in almost half the time! Most of the times we ate food our host would have to wait for us. The chopsticks in South Korea were more difficult than usual to myself, because they were steel and more rectangular than the usual round or square. It took some time to get used to the different styled chopsticks. Besides the chopsticks disadvantage, I just wasn't as fast at eating. I would never get as fast as our host but I would get faster over my time in S. Korea. I don't know why so many people in Korea would eat really fast.
One of the last stops before getting back to the school was to meet our host’s son at his son’s school that is in town. It was a fun experience but so few words were spoken! :) Afterwards we only went a few blocks and pulled into a beauty salon. My interest was now peaked, and having access to free open WiFi helped! IT IS EVERYWHERE!!! :D He knew the shop owner. We made the usual introductions, treats, coffee, and waiting for them to talk. I caught sight of a crazy looking styling machine for making curls (I think?). Going back to the school, we caught dinner at the school and called it a day after watching Glee in the grandmother's home.
I awoke the next morning to what I would later discovered was the normal morning announcements :*( I wasn't aware that they would have such announcements and lost almost an hour of sleep because they started at 6 AM. Breakfast was at 7:30AM. I got up, dressed, and made sure to wait enough time so that I would not wake Meg too early. I arrived at the grandmother's home and as I expected Meg was still asleep. I awoke her and went to morning breakfast in the cafeteria. We were picked up at what was to be the usual spot near the boys’ dorm. We went to the very nearby farm to do some work. We first helped by spreading fertilizer over some of the area they use to grow crops. Our host left to go somewhere while we worked. Once the bags of fertilizer were empty, we waited and the host came back. He had us start filling bags with more fertilizer from the mounds they had stacked nearby. He left again once we understood what we were to to, which him leaving us to work became the norm. An hour or two passed, he showed up at the farm again. We were instructed to put the filled bags into the truck and get in. We drove back to the school and kept going. We went through the school to the other side with an open field near a freeway. We needed to dump the bags around the field some what evenly and then empty the bags. Meg and I started out in the back of the truck. He drove slowly and while we threw the bags over the side. We both discovered it was best for Meg to just empty the bags after I threw them over. It was a little bouncy at times and not enough space to stay stable for two people in the back. The cycle of filling and dumping all happened a few more times, before we called it a day.
So the next few days went: Waking too early to morning announcements, eating breakfast, waiting, get a ride to the nearby farm, filling bags with soil (not dirt), waiting, putting bags on to the truck, driving to the nearby school, tossing bags from the truck, emptying bags, driving back to the nearby farm, filling the bags again, waiting...and so on until it was time for lunch, then in the afternoon we’d start again for a few more hours of work, then we had a few hours of free time before dinner and bed. Our free time wasn't very productive either. There weren't enough places with heat that Meg and I could be together at. Internet access was difficult as well. The days slipped by and I felt pretty happy. It was nice to do some simple work and to interact with so many different people.
The boys in the dorm were also very nice to me. I was invited to play some pickup games of basketball. I was very lucky to not be completely out classed at basketball; it made me something of a “cool” guy with the guys :)
The first week came and went quickly enough. Meg and I went to Suwon on the Friday to visit some friends that taught English there. It was also nice to have Internet and no morning announcements!
Tip of the Day: If stay in a Korean boys’ dorm make sure to expect morning announcements when you plan your sleep schedule!
