Day 6 is Tuesday, March 29. There were several things on my plate this morning. Today was the day we had to call the embassy to see what I would have to do in order get a new passport. We found out online that I needed to fill out an application. The hotel staff was very helpful. They let me print out my application.
I called the embassy at 9 a.m. The woman I spoke to informed me that I would need to get online and schedule an appointment to come in. She asked me various questions, "What happened to your passport?", "Have you filed a police report?", and "What kind of other documents do you have to prove you are who you say you are?" I answered them all to the best of my ability. I told her what happened, that the police just made me write my information down, that I didn't receive an actual report, and that all I had was my flight itinerary and some picture of my family from back home. The very kind lady just replied, "That sounds good. We have ways to find out who you are." I have no idea what that last statement meant. Was I going to be questioned for hours under a bright light? Was I going to have bamboo shoved under my fingernails? Could I possibly be given a polygraph test? I didn't think any of that was going to happen, but it was funny because she said that statement at least three times.
I got online and made the earliest possible appointment: Thursday at 9 a.m. We would be in Seoul until at least Thursday. My family was great. My mom and Mistie had to cancel hotel reservations, cancel train tickets, purchase new train tickets and make new hotel reservations. They did it without any complaining. Yeah, they're pretty much awesome.
Since there wasn't much else to do until Thursday regarding my passport, we planned our day. Today would be the first day we did not have any international students or friends with us. We would be making our own way in Seoul. We wanted to go back to Insadong to shop, visit a temple, and see all the lanterns. We would have to take the subway. Remember the subway looked like this:
It would be fine though. Mistie was pretty familiar with subways because she used to live near Washington, D.C. She would navigate us through the bowels of Seoul expertly.
However, I just one small little errand I wanted to run. I wanted to go next door to the Fed-Ex and mail the wooden samurai sword home. I was not confident I could bring it back in my suitcase in one piece. Gina and I went next door to the Fed Ex. We found out that Fed Ex was basically just an copy and print location. They did not mail internationally. Luckily, they told us the Fed Ex we wanted was just a block down the street. We walked to the correct Fed Ex. This was basically just a small vestibule with one man manning the desk. He did not speak any English, well very little.
I showed the Fed Ex man my sword and said, "United States!" He just smiled. He held up two fingers and started typing. He swiveled his screen around and showed me "Option #1". I could mail to home in one day for $92.50. Ummm...... Option #2 please! I shook my head and he swiveled the screen back around and started typing again. He showed me "Option #2" - 3 days delivery for $56.50. People, I paid $6 for this sword!! However, I was about to just say "okay" because I had allotted $100 to purchase and ship the sword. My mom and Mistie joined us at the Fed Ex at this point. I think he could tell I wasn't crazy about "Option #2" so he put his hand up to indicate he wanted me to wait.
Fed Ex man got on the phone. He weighed and measured the sword. He wrote down some information on a Post It and hung up the phone. He showed me what he wrote. He had called the post office and found out it would only be $23 for me to mail it. He wrote down a map to show me how to get to the post office. He wrapped my sword in bubble wrap and cut down a Fed Ex box to packed up my sword for me. He didn't charge me anything. He went above and beyond to help this strange Korean looking girl who didn't know any Korean!!! Every single person we encountered who we asked for help always went out of their way to help us.
We followed Fed Ex man's directions to the post office. It seemed simple enough. We were looking for SC Bank. The post office was supposed to be right across the street from it. Mistie saw one of her "friends" along the way.
It took us about 20 minutes longer than necessary. Fed Ex man's map was good, we just didn't know exactly what we were looking for. We finally found it. Does this look like a post office to you?
It didn't really look like one to us. We had passed it and circled our way back around to it from the backside. Inside, I had to try to convey to the clerk what was in my package and where I wanted to send it. It was a little confusing with no interpreter. Mistie pulled out her iPhone and used her translator app. It helped a lot. Also another lady, a grandmother, came over and helped us out a little. She didn't speak English, but she understood what I wanted to do. We knew she was a grandmother because as soon as she was done helping me she had pulled out some picture of her grandbabies to show my mom. Gina purchased some stamps to mail postcards while the grandmother talked to her too. When they were both finished, Gina sat down and the grandmother left. I was still waiting for the clerk to finish up my paperwork and Gina said, "My sunglasses are missing." She had just had them at the counter. The grandmother came in about two minutes later with Gina's sunglasses. Gina's sunglasses are big and brown. The grandmother had mistakenly picked them up thinking they were her. Her were big and black. You can see them hanging on her dress in the photo.
After the post officer, we walked to the subway. Mistie determined where exactly how we needed to go and she and my mom purchased the subway tickets. Something always happens to my mother when she goes through the turnstiles at the subway stations. There were numerous times only her card would not work. Not sure what always happened, but it only seemed to happen to her. :) One of the subway tunnels was lined with beautiful artwork.
Mistie found couple more friends on our way to the temple, Jogyesa, near Insadong.
Before we arrived at the temple, we could see the lanterns lining the streets. They were so pretty. When we got closer, we saw these huge lanterns. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see them all lit up. They were really cool looking. You can't quite tell from the pictures, but they are larger than I am.
We moved passed the large lanterns and came some that were hung up high. They were all different. These were made of paper, like the larger lanterns.
We found the entrance of place with the temple and my breath was taken away. It was so colorful and beautiful. These pictures do not do it justice. You can click on the individual pictures to enlarge them. The English speaking information man told us the Korean families would purchase a lantern, hang ribbons with their family name on them and hang them up.
I'm kind of surprised Mistie isn't in the picture below.
I thought this tree was so cool. It was huge. I loved how they hung the lanterns all around it.
I just peered inside the Jogyesa temple. There were people in there praying and bowing down to Buddah. This saddened me a bit. My mom and Mistie went to into a nearby mini-temple.
We saw a section of only white lanterns. They were to honor the loved ones who have passed away.
I started inquiring about purchasing a lantern. Mistie and I both wanted to buy one. We didn't see vendors selling them. We asked the English speaking information man (below in the tan vest) where we could purchase a lantern. He told us he thought they were all sold out of them. The lantern festival and Buddah's birthday had both passed, so he didn't think we could purchase them anymore. He has some small paper lotus lanterns sitting on his file cabinet in his office. Since he thought we wouldn't be able to purchase lanterns, he gave each of us all of his lotus lanterns. So sweet! He offered to give me one of two bigger lanterns, but I declined.
us with our lotus lanterns
While I was waiting around, for my mom and Mistie, I noticed this wood burning stove looking thing beside the temple. It looked like it had a swastika on it. I would see it on other buildings and on maps. Mistie found it it means "temple".
When we were finished with the temple, we walked along the street. We found a couple of shop owners who were selling the lanterns, so Mistie and I purchased a few. After a little shopping, we started to get hungry. We completely stumbled upon.....
McDonalds!!! I don't think any of us are huge McDonalds fans, but we all wanted to eat there. I think it was just the fact there was a McDonalds in Korea. They had basically the same thing, except you could order a Beef Bulgogi Burger. No one tried that. We each purchased what we normally would. I got the quarter-pounder, fries, and a Coke. Mistie and Gina got chicken nuggets, fries and Coke. It tasted exactly the same! The fries got rid of Gina's headache, as they always have. :)
On our way back to the Insadong shopping area, we finally saw some police motor officers. There were a few parked in the intersection. I'm not sure what was going one, but there were three more parked along the curb. I asked a motor officer who was getting on his bike if I could take a picture with him, but he said, "No!" and drove away. I had to settle for just a picture of the bike.
Most everyone we had come across in Korea let us take their picture if we asked. Like the sweet Dunkin Donut girls. Dunkin Donuts has been a large part of Gina's life when she was younger. It was one of her first jobs.
I saw this super cool Korean flag tree. Just had to take a picture by it.
We were making our way in Insadong. Check out this alleyway Mistie took us through. The pictures go in order. It kept getting smaller and smaller. I wasn't sure where she was going to end up leading us. I would just yell her name to make sure she was still alive up there. It worked out.
We purchased a few more souvenirs in Insadong and made our way back via subway to our hotel. Mistie had purchased two mink keychains. Gina thought they make better earrings. Cute huh?
We decided to eat dinner at T.G.I. Friday's. I wanted to Tater Skins. It wasn't quite time for dinner, so we shopped again some more around our hotel. My mom had gone inside a convenience store to purchase a drink while we three girls waited outside. Two girls came up to Mistie and asked if she would complete a survey. They were trying to find Americans to complete a survey for school. The survey questions were: What do Americans like? What do Americans not like? What do you think of Americans? Questions like that. When they found out, we were actually four American, not just two white Americans, they were pretty excited.
T.G.I. Fridays was right by our hotel. We were seated, but it took forever to get our menus. I think they forgot we were there. I haven't eaten at T.G.I. Fridays but maybe twice in my life, so I am unsure of menu prices. They didn't have my Tater Skin, but I did get a creamy onion pasta in a bread bowl. It was $18, but it was good. Gina got Jack Daniel's Crispy Chicken Tenders and they were very good too. My mom had some kind of chopped steak meal and Mistie had a bacon burger.
We went back to our hotel after dinner and checked our email. We all decided to go across the street to Kona Beans. Mistie and Gina wanted gelato, I wanted to catch up on my journaling and my mom wanted to just sit down. Seoul was pretty at night with all the lights.
Mistie got her gelato. My mom ended up having a scone. I think that's what it was. Gina had hot Earl Grey tea and some cream puffs.
My mom and Mistie quickly tired. I think it was getting close to 9:30 - 10 p.m. They went back to the hotel. I journalled a bit, but like everyone else who is in a coffee shop with a sister or friend, I just ended up talking with Gina. It had been forever since we've spent that much time just she and I talking. It was nice. It didn't even bother me that there was a couple at the very next table right next to us that kept making out. I "ahemmed" them three times, but they were not deterred. They ended up moving tables two more times to find a suitable make-out table. They had settled for a table in the smoking room (thankfully). Gina and I stayed until 1 a.m. chatting. This is good for Gina - she usually goes to bed at like 8:30 p.m. and gets up at 4:30 a.m. or something insane like that.
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