During the weeks I’m constantly going so lately I’ve been keeping it mellow on the weekends. This weekend was no exception! It’s the end of Saturday and after skyping the folks, to let them know I’m still alive and Seoul hasn’t been nuked by the North Koreans yet, I met up with a friend and went to Costco.
Costco is great and yes … I’m over Korean food for the most part … I believe I’m well enough justified, I’ve been cooking since I was a kid! I almost even entered the culinary arts, but that’s a completely different story.
Well, let’s just say that Costco in Korea although typically “Costco-like” you will be rudely awaken to the fact that you’re still in Korea. When you’re moving along through the isles with your Costco cart and someone rams into you with their wide-arsed Costco cart or tries squeeze themselves and their carts in front of you. OR, and yes I have literally had someone do this to me, keep walking into you with their cart… the illusion is broken and yes you’re still in Korea! But never-the-less it’s Costco and being able to get certain things that are familiar so it’s always worth the venture.
The other odd thing about this trip to Costco was after continually seeing this other two foreigners I finally said something to them at the frozen food section. You see they were debating whether or not to get the frozen tortilla shells. For the most part if I make eye contact with anyone I tend to smile. These two strangers looked awkward and uncomfortable … hmm, I never got this reaction as a child! Some how in adulthood we become shocked and aloof at any communication outside of our own nucleus… why is that?
After Costco I decided to skip the subway and take a cab instead. What should have been less than a 15 minute cab ride turned out to be over 45 minutes. Even though the cab driver had used his handy dandy little navigation gremlin thing we managed to get onto the freeway and found ourselves in Incheon! And no it wasn’t my lack of clear directions or the fact that I showed him the exact subway station which was all written in Korean!
As the meter ran up to ₩30,000 we were finally heading in the right direction! Finally at the traffic light the driver turns to me and says “oh, so solly!” and I kinda smiled and looked over at the meter. He says “oh no no! man won, man won!” Which is ₩10,000 which is roughly what the cost of my ride should have been.
The poor man then tries to explain this is his 30th day on the job and he’s very embarrassed. I reassured him that it was ok… and frankly although slightly inconvenient it wasn’t the end of the world! My frozen foods were still pretty solidly frozen.
The nice thing about the whole experience was that I’d been shown the scenic route and part of the countryside … it’s very easy to forget how nice Spring is in Korea when all you see is concrete! My first year in Korea I lived in Incheon and often went out to Kanghwa-do (Kanghwa Island) to my friend and her hubby’s tea house. The drive reminded me how much I missed those weekends in Kanghwa-do!
It’s so easy to get stuck in the daily grind never venturing past the concrete jungle and under ground labyrinths of subway terminals and catacombs to the world that exists above ground.
