Yesterday was quite the day. I skipped out of the conference here and met with a friend of mine and went to the orphanage that I came from. I'll write a separate blog about that experience. Anyway, after that trip, we went to Insadong for some shopping ad then to Sinchon for dinner. Today I decided to venture out on my own in search of a post office to mail some stuff back home. After my experience at the post office, I wouldnt be surprised if it never made it there, but I'm trying really hard to send good vibes out into the universe so that it does make it there.
People here DO NOT EVER say "excuse me," "pardon me," or "I'm sorry." It's quite a shock coming from "MN Nice" but wow Korea! People walk like they own the street, sidewalk, hallway, etc. and if you don't as well, then you better get the hell outa' the way because they will run you down. It's intimidating! And, the ahjumas (older women) and ahjushis (older men) are the worst! Especially the ahjumas. Ruthless!!!My friend, Kim, who I spent the day with yesterday told me that if you say "excuse me" or something like that to someone, you'll basically stand in the same place just saying that over and over again and you'll never get anywhere. You have to command your entrance into the subway. You have to push your way through crowded sidewalks. You better just own your space or you'll end up curled up on the ground kicked over to the side I think! Also, ahjumas and ahjushis have no concept of personal space here. When I was at the counter at the post office, this ahjushi came right into my personal space and leaned over the counter. Stubborn as I am, I refused to move my arm, which was beginning to be squished between his chest/belly region and the edge of the counter. I know this is very much a cultural thing and I am trying to be tolerable, but it's hard and has tested my patience so many times on my adventures out of the hotel bubble. But, even with it making me mad, I still appreciate the experiences too because I'm getting to see more and more how things and people operate here in Korea.
So, today, I ventured out to the post office. It's been a gray day and raining off and on. Sometimes it's sort of a gentle mist and other times it's a full on downpour with flashes of lightening and loud booming rolls of thunder that seem to stay caught up in between all the skyscrapers downtown. I asked at the concierge where the post office was and was given a cute little map of the immediate area surrounding the hotel complete with comical illustrations of the various buildings. It looked very user friendly as only a few things were highlighted. The concierge said it was within walking distance, so away I went with a backpack full of goodies and a long tube of rolled up prints that would come to live in my shirt as I made my way through the rain.
I walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked, etc., etc., etc., for a long time. Occasionally I would have to duck under the awning of a building and wait out the pouring rain. I passed so many little vendors that were selling umbrellas for 5000 won, but did I buy one? No. And why didn't I buy one? I don't know. Is this answer sufficient? By no means, no. But, I digress. So, I got to this area where I was pretty sure if I kept going I would be lost forever. I had pretty much walked in a straight line since leaving the hotel, but I was at a crossroads where continuing forward in a linear path was not an option. I turned in circles a few times and was getting ready to take my chances going "that-a way," determined by pointing my finger out in front of me as I spun my circles and deciding to go wherever I was pointed at spin stoppage. At that point it probably would have been just as well anyway since I had no clue where this post office was. And the funny thing is that the building was called Post Tower. It should be pretty easy to spot if it's a tower. I've relied on all the various tours here to get me back to the hotel every other time I've gone out and they've never let me down.
Well, just as I was about to launch off into the unknown, I looked behind me and sure enough saw Post Towers. I'm not sure how I missed it in the first place as it was a pretty uniquely shaped building and well labeled. I headed back and hoped the rain would hold off as there were no awnings for me to duck under should the skies decide to open. Luckily I made it there, went inside, and downstairs to mail my stuff.
I'll spare you the long version of this story because it would be filled with my rantings and ravings of how impatient and beyond irritated I was at the whole process. Let's just say I was in there for 2 hours and the place closed while I was still there. Luckily I was able to get my packages sent off. And as I said before, I hope they make it home! I spent most of my time at the "Package Center" thinking that's where I needed to be to get boxes for my stuff. Apparently, the "Package Center" is where they make handmade custom boxes for your shipping needs. One person was working and the person before me had 3 boxes worth of magazines to ship. Measurement after meticulous measurement and precise cutting with a cardboard cutter, this box maker as I'll call him, artistically and with more precision than I've ever seen someone with a box cutter have, crafted these exact boxes for each package. It was quite the process. As I watched him work, I was in awe of his abilities and the artistry that went into his box making skills. Well, this awe lasted through the first box until I realized the customer in front of me had 3 of these bundles to send. My feelings of awe and appreciation quickly turned into horrendous impatience, frustration, and anger. Now I know, was it really that bad? At that moment, yes, yes it was. I was pouring sweat. The air here in Korea is so thick you can grab a chunk and chunk it out with your hands when you're outside. In addition to the humidity, it's so hot. Miserable really. Walking for 2 minutes outside will do you in. It's like walking in a sauna except not relaxing at all. So I was pouring sweat, feeling impatient, and worried about being able to communicate anyway with the postal staff to make sure my packages go where they needed to go.
I eventually went over and bought a mailer box from the post office part of where I was and put some of my stuff in there. Once the box maker guy was done with the previous customer, he crafted a mailer for my rolled prints. I went over to the post office counter and waited awhile again as all the people in front of me were sending many packages. I think I ended up paying like 90,000 won to air mail my two packages. It seemed like I had filled the forms out right, but I suppose I cant be sure. The postal worker only indicated a couple more lines I needed to fill in. As I was standing there paying, they closed us in. I had no idea how to get out as both ends were gated and locked shut. Figures I would be trapped in this place. Eventually some other people were ready to leave and trying to figure out how to exit as well. One of the workers took us through this obscure back door into a secret elevator and we were able to get out. FREEDOM!
I resumed my adventure through the streets of Seoul doing my best to dodge the puddles, raindrops, ahjumas and ahjushis, all while being completely over stimulated with all the stuff to buy and trying to communicate what I was looking for or wanted in English with vendors who only spoke Korean. Somehow though, I managed to contribute quite generously once again to the Korean economy. I returned to my hotel room 4.5 hours later half drenched in rain and half drenched in sweat. But I feel empowered yet again that I have been able to do all this stuff pretty much on my own. Hopefully tomorrow will bring one last adventure in Seoul before we head out on the Post-Gathering Tour to other parts of the country.
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