Weekend of Firsts

It’s Chuseok weekend. Korea’s version of the American Thanksgiving. Where they gather with their families and pay respects to their ancestors…To foreigners this means a few days off work!! This is my Chuseok Story.

I wake up at 7:30am Saturday morning, having gone to bed just 5 hours prior. “What am I doing?” I ask myself…Going off on a weekend trip with 2 people I barely know. It reminds me of a spring break long ago, where memories still warm my heart, so I shower, put on my backpack and head towards to the subway……An adventure is waiting…….

A few transfers later I am in the train station, searching for my new friends. They are waiting in a jewish sandwich shop, that serves bacon…Have I mentioned I love Korea….

Anyway, after a quick breakfast, Jordan(AKA Mr. Rogers or Mobs. I like to nickname people) distributes the $9 standing-room-only tickets. I then learn that for about 50 cents more we could have had seats. I’m sure I give him my best “WTF Brooke face”. He assures me that there is a dining car and we’ll sit there. Tina, who made up this threesome just looks on with a toothy grin…

We proceed to get in line, the only waygookins in sight. I am approached by a non-Korean couple, they ask if we are going to the DMZ. They are from SE Asia somewhere and speak impeccable English. No matter where I am people to walk up and chat…Must be the okie smile. Jordan sees that the line is moving and we are hustled outside to the terminal. I am about to board my first real train.

With a swoosh of air, the train for Boryeong arrives…WEEE I’m on a train! We push and shove our way towards the – existent dining car……But find space in the little area where the train cars meet, I assume this is called the joints. So we claim some steps and feel the train begin to move! I look up at the window and see buildings zooming by in a blurry haze. After a few minutes the colors of the haze change from a beige-gray to greens and blues. We have left the city, I am now in the countryside of Korea…

Somewhere between Seoul and Boryeong

While standing and sometimes sitting in the un air-conditioned joint area of a train car, where your nose is assaulted with brake dust and ajummas grace you with disapproving stares, it really wasn’t all that bad. I did witness some hilarious scenery.