My parents asked me to get an extra copy of ferry forms so I can help them fill it out in advance. When I arrived at toyo port, I realized that I could go one step further and buy the ticket for them. They only needed one way tickets so I thought they had to buy their bus tickets at the airport.. but I examined my round trip bus tickets and noticed that they were not labelled with a destination so you could buy a pair of round trip tickets and split it between two people. I already took the airport limousine bus so many times! It’s good to know for next time I guess.
In line to buy my ferry ticket, I saw Ryota, a friend from Imabari, walk by to line up. I waited until I paid to surprise him with a hello. He’s going to Kobe and Osaka for the weekend. I often see friends on the return ferry ride after a trip but it’s the first time I’ve seen a familiar face on the way to nanko.
I took a nice shower and bath. I think it took me about five minutes to get used to Japanese public style baths and it’s never bothered me since (of course it is different to bathe with people you know). The most uncomfortable part is when you’re undressing because you’re so conscious of taking off your clothes but once they’re off you forget about it.
Before I went to sleep, I got an email from my parents that they had arrived safely in Korea. They sent me specific instructions on how to get to the hostel from the airport. This brought me back to last November when I visited Taiwan with my parents. They had also arrived a day earlier than me then and sent me an email with (misleading! haha) directions to the hostel.
I used an eye mask and was able to get 8 hours of sleep. Habit woke me up at 7. I started reading “the Fate of the Elephant” by Douglas H. Chadwick until it was time to leave the ferry and board the airport limousine bus.
The bus arrived at KIX at 8:20am. I was disappointed to find out that I couldn’t check in until 10:20. I went to subway for cheesy roasted chicken sub combo. I had the side order of corn chowder with cheese fries as breakfast and saved the sub on honey oats bread for later. I continued reading and time flied by.
After I checked in, I discovered a DAISO on the 3rd floor on my way to Uniqlo, also a discovery I only made this trip. I spend a couple of hours at Kansai International Airport almost every month but until today, the only places I ever went to was subway (on my way out of the country) a hamburger shop (after return flights) and designated waiting areas.
At Daiso, I bought a travel mirror and ear plugs. Two things I forgot to pack. I passed by the stationary section and decided to get a notebook and pen for some good old journaling this trip. I bought a fake leather bound for this trip and couldn’t resist buying a small lined notebook decorated with an ornate elephant for my trip to Thailand in March.
At Uniqlo, I meant to buy a dark gray heat tech turtleneck but the reflective packaging deceived me and I bought another plain black one.
The airplane had personal monitors for each seat. I watched a Korea movie about a dating agency run by a couple of actors that want to own their own theatre. Customers come to them with a person in mind. They do research on that individual and actually script scenes and stage dialogues between the customer and their mark. They are 99% successful. The 1% ended up being the customer who wanted the director’s ex-girlfriend to fall in love with him. The short flight didn’t give me enough time to finish the movie but I was able to see the director get back together with his long lost love and that was enough for me!
After I passed customs and picked up my luggage, I reread the instructions I printed out from the hostel website. The recommended route was to take the airport express train (AREX). I looked around but I couldn’t find “AREX” signs anywhere. Fortunately, my parents emailed me to follow the signs with a “train logo”. I uncertainly followed “Airport Railroad” signs. The trains were a bit far, but I made use of the automated walkways. I took the express train to Seoul station, not realizing that both the “commuter train” and “express train” were AREX trains. I paid so much more money! The express train ride was a little faster, but not by much. The seats were plush and numbered according to your ticket so nobody had to stand.
I enjoyed the scenery and caught my first glimpse of real snow in a long time! It was leftover melting lumps but still more snow that I had ever seen in Imabari.
We crossed over the Han River.
When I got to Seoul station, I was ushered into an elevator with 3 other girls. None of us knew which button to press. After hesitating, I pushed “waiting room” because it was the only button that was labelled. To my relief, the passengers in the other elevator also got off on the same floor. Right in front of us were the turnstile exits. After I exited, I stood staring at the turnstiles that just took my ticket. My parents told me I could get a 500 won deposit back for the card.. but there was no change box.
In the distraction of writing in my journal, I didn’t realize that the subway had started to move until the doors closed on the next stop, Hongik University.. my stop! I arrived in Digital Media City hoping nobody noticed that I waited on the platform for the train going back to Hongik University after I exited.
I was sitting there, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for the next train. I scanned the maps and signs on the walls. Paying closer attention to the “next station” sign, I realized the next train would go in the same direction as the one I got off from. Crossing the platform was not enough, I had to switch platforms.
Finally, I was at Hongik University. I looked for signs pointing to exit 2. I spotted a familiar man. He was holding a magazine too high and close to his face to be reading it. I was my father. A part of me was looking for him when I looked around for exit 2. I had guessed that they might meet me at the subway station because they had also wanted to meet me like this in Taiwan.
It was a good thing they came to get me back it was a long walk to the hostel and I would have paused plenty to make sure I was going in the right direction. My father carried my luggage and my mother caught me up on the latest hostel news: a group of noisy girls who are here for a yearly singing contest that came back late and made a racket until 4 in the morning, a guy studying in Japan who was grumpy from not much sleep (due to the girls), the unfortunate cold showers, and cold room (due to be fixed because the heat was turned low last night by mistake).
Okay, I’m in Korea!
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