An Unexpected Turn of events

Going into school, I knew Mr. Park (the boss) was going to take everyone out to eat. I found out later that it was to welcome me into the school, which was nice of him. Which meant I got to pick what to eat, well I didn't get to pick they asked me what my favorite food was, and I answered, Seafood.

Since I answered seafood we went to a restaurant that specialized in seafood, the filled the table with all kinds of seafood. The good part is in Korea, when you say Seafood, they assume you mean sashimi, or raw fish. All of the food tasted really good even the fish soup they served us as well as the raw mussels before the main course of sashimi with a side of rice. The meal went great and gave my co-workers time to interview me more, for what I don't know I already have the job.

After the meal I walk down to my bus stop and wait for my bus number 16, I wait for probably 20 minutes, which isn't typical the most I have waited is 5 minutes. I finally see a number 16 coming towards the stop, so I step out on to the side of the street, and the bus completely passes the bus stop. So I decide to wait again, and again another number 16 passes the bus stop again. This is the only bus I know to get back home, so I am a bit confused at this point so I decide to ask someone, which was pretty hard to find someone to ask. But it turns out since we ate dinner, we got out later, and number 16s have stopped running.

I find out I should take bus 138 and it should take me to the same bus stop, so the next number 138 I see I get on and ride it. The route looks familiar for the first 15 minutes of the trip until the bus turns on a street that I don't recognize. I trust the person that told me to get on 138 so I stay on the bus and decide to ride it out until I see something familiar. I keep riding the bus and I see nothing familiar at all. So I ride the bus to what turns out to be the end of the route because the bus driver basically kicked me off in the politest way he possibly could.

I get off the bus, and am completely lost, I decided I will wait for another 138 to come around and get back to a place I recognize. I wait and see another 138 and it doesn't stop, or even slow down. Same with the next 138, and at this point that is all that was passing. Just as I get ready to leave I see another bus, number 1000, I remember seeing them near my house so this is a glimmer of hope, I squeeze on to the cramped bus. I then ride this bus to the end of the line, and I am even more lost than when I started.

I wasn't panicking yet, I thought about getting a cab, but I realized I am not even sure my address, everything is written in Korean, and I can't read that. But I hope maybe if I give some landmarks they will know, if they can understand me. Turns out this bus's last stop was on a dead street so I decide to wave my arms in the air trying to get any car's attention. I couple cabs stop and don't understand a word I'm saying so they drive on. At this point I was as panicked as I'll ever be, which was me thinking about sleeping on the street and trying again in the morning. Instead I put that back as plan B and continued to wave my arms in the air.

I was in luck, a group of Korean guys decided to pull over, they didn't understand much of what i was saying, But I was able to tell them I was in Saha. They offered me a ride and started to drive toward Saha. But Stopped when they got to their house, I tried to give them some Won for their trouble but they wouldn't accept it.

I start walking towards what I think is the direction I should head, the good thing I was in an area with a bit more traffic and more taxi cabs. After several tries, I finally found a cab willing to help, I give him the land mark Lotte Mart, because i figure I am not that far from where i started. But go figure just like Walmart, There are Lotte Marts everywhere. So I gotten taken out of the way again, I got out of the cab and decided to think for a bit.

That's when I realized i had a business card in my wallet from the HP store I bought my computer wire from Monday. I don't even know why I kept the card, I couldn't read it, but I'm glad I did. Next cab I found I showed him the card, and he said he didn't know where it was... But the cab after that had a GPS in his car, punched in the address and started taking me there, once I recognized the area I pointed him in the direction of my apartment, even though he didn't speak English he was very helpful.

So I finally ended up getting home, about four hours later than I should have but I'm here, I'm safe, and I'm not injured. Turns out I was about 5 miles away from my apartment, I could have walked it if I knew where I was but I am pretty sure I would have crossed over top a mountain.

Sorry I don't have any pictures, I was lost by some water.