Today, it seems so apt to be doing up this blog post: heading back to where I belong. This post is for my last 2 days of my 46 days in Korea. And while I'm typing out something that happens nearly 1.5 years back, on this very day of 29 March 2015, is the farewell of Singapore's founding father. As such, I'm especially feeling the emotions while I type out my feelings of heading back to my home, where I belong. Where I choose to belong, and wish to belong, and will belong.
Everything has a closure. So does my trip. 46 days in Korea, as I always say, is not a lot. But it is enough to get me intrigued about a whole new culture. That said, 46 days in Korea also allowed me to realise that, despite being deeply interested in another culture and country, Singapore is still where I belong. Despite loving this other place so so much, halfway through my 46 days, I already felt homesick. So badly homesick. Because I get this really foreign feeling in Korea once in a while. The feeling that you will never be able to assimilate into their culture. And suddenly I miss home. I miss everyone back home. I miss how I communicate with ease. And I miss how comforting it was to be back home.
Contradicting, I know. I am sure you can love being in different countries, love different cultures. But I am also sure that despite all the different cultures and countries you love, there is only one that makes you feel like that is home.
That said, so I begin my last story of my last days in Korea.
We had an early train at 7am to catch. So we had to get up early. The sun in Korea rises really early. This was probably 5.15am or so. I woke up to see an amazing sunrise.
We cabbed to Yeosu Expo Station to take our train back to Seoul. That said, I don't know what to expect. It's definitely my first time on a train, like real train, and not a subway train.
We very much wish that it was a KTX train. But sadly, due to budget constraints, we got a Mugunghwa train (which was a third-class train I think). It was sad that my first train ride couldn't be that of a first-class one.
The sun was biding us goodbye at Yeosu. Truth be told, besides the amazing ganjang-gejang, I really don't have much fond memories about Yeosu. The people I met weren't exactly friendly, except the hotel manager. Also, the sights weren't memorable. There were barely any attractions to talk about (or maybe due to my lack of research). The city was kind of developing but not developed enough, which means not much entertainment or hip places but then again not really a cultural place. If you were time-tight, I would say: go for Busan for the sea views, go for Gyeongju for an out-of-the-city experience, go for Jeju for amazing nature sights. Yeosu definitely isn't on my list of recommendations. But then again, I know too little about this place to say much.
This is the Mugunghwa train. Mixed feelings really.
And this is the interior of my Mungunghwa train. It does look very old-school. Everything functions well. But just not what I expected it to be. Also, I didn't realise that there were various cabins with repeated seat numbers. Eg. Cabin 1 has seat 44, and cabin 2-7 too. I went into the first cabin, and found my seat and sat myself down, thinking that that was the only 44 in the whole train.
It was so embarrassing when a group of Korean guys came up and said that we were sitting on their seats. Then again, my Korean was so terrible to converse. Fortunately, one of them could speak basic English and it took us a few rounds to realise that we were on the wrong seat. And also after outrightly showing them our ticket and "proving" that we were on the right seats. How embarrassed was I. We had to move all our bags to the correct seats, and because the bags were stacked up already, and also because of how short I am, it was not easy to get them down. The guys were nice enough to help us get it down, and offered to bring the bags for us. I was too embarrassed to let them do so and insisted on taking it myself. But then again, at least I saw a positive side of people in Yeosu (then again they might not be from there) before leaving this place. At least something worth mentioning. I don't have male Korean friends at all, but the few that I've bumped into have all been pretty gentlemanly and helpful.
I got a coffee and took a seat at my new window seat. It was something that I wanted to do while being on a train. Unfortunately (or fortunately), there was no need for such trains in Singapore as we are too small. Cars could get us from one end of Singapore to the other in about 1.5hours.
By the way, I had to mention about my horrible horrible experience at the Mugunghwa train toilets. So much so that even though I took the KTX on my second trip to Korea, I really didn't dare to step into the toilet at all.
I didn't want to do any shopping so I got back to my guesthouse first to pack my bags. I had left my huge-ass luggage there while I brought a backpack for my 10 days road trip. I didn't exactly pack things properly before I left. But I was famished.
I got the guesthouse helpers to help us (me and my roomie) order 2 bowls of Jjajangmyeon. Bad choice. Should have just took one. Jjajangmyeon comes in such big bowls in Korea it's impossible to finish them. I had it thrice I think, not once did I finish them.
We cabbed down with our luggages to our hotel for one night in Incheon. As our plane ride the next day was at 9am or so, we figured out that it might be better to stay near the airport. The subway ride from Seoul to Incheon airport is easily an hour or more, so is the cab ride, so thankful for the wise choice we made.
But then again, we reached Incheon at about 6pm, which was too early/late depends on how you see it. Too early to be doing nothing and waiting for sleeping time and none of us want to waste our last day in Korea just wasting time away. Too late because we want to head back to Seoul to meet our friends for the last time but to and fro takes 2 hours. We rushed to Seoul and reached at about 7.30pm. Time was very precious because we need to take the 10plus or 11pm train back latest. We ate a quick dinner together and it was already 8.30pm. Lydia wanted to go to the supermarket to do some last minute shopping. I didn't want to. I had a sudden urge to go to Myeongdong (which was really my favourite place in Seoul) to buy things. Then again, leaving to go Myeongdong meant about half an hour to and fro and it means less time with HyoEun and Oktavia.
I promised to be back in an hour. But that means I only have half an hour for shopping. I literally grabbed and bought whatever that caught my eye because I know I won't have another chance in a long while to be back and not buying it now means not being able to buy it ever. It was indeed quite satisfying to be able to buy whatever that caught your eye hahah and I also spent about 100bucks in half an hour, leaving with 2 pairs of shoes, two tops and a cardigan and more cosmetics.
When I arrived and left Myeongdong, it was still bustling with crowd.
My last photo with HyoEun and Oktavia. The 10-days road trip was really a "road trip". Despite spamming sunblock, I still turned so dark. No wonder people thought I was Filipino. My eyebags were so terrible. But I was smiling really happily.
The hard thing about closure is leaving behind some parts of memories somewhere. The hardest part of an international friendship is not knowing when we can see each other again. I'm glad that despite all, my friendship with HyoEun remains. We don't kakaotalk as much as before because I've been so busy at work, but I'm glad that when I head back again, I know she will free time up for me. I know that if I ever head there again, I've a small place in that country which I can find this "homely" feeling. If she ever comes here, I will definitely free time up for her. While she has been in the U.S. for exchange, I'm glad for whatever small help or support that I can give her far far away here in Singapore.
As for Okta, even though we haven't been keeping in close contact, but I miss her and all our times spent in Korea. I believe there will be this day whereby we all reunite in Korea again.
Parting was sad. I can't remember Okta and HyoEun started tearing up first, but it made Lydia and I tear up too. Despite saying that we know we will all meet again, we don't know how long it will take for that to happen. We got big hugs from one another, and from those big hugs, I derive the comfort and courage to leave behind some part of me in Korea and to return to where my home is.
Back to the hotel when we started packing (or unpacking and repacking). This was the mess when 5 girls come together. And I don't think it was even all yet.
With that, I end my 46 days in Korea.
The second time I head back again last year, I know that this won't be the end. There will be many more adventures to come. While I will continue to update with my second trip (albeit only 8 days), let me now also go back to treasuring what I have back home, right here, with me.
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