Well, today wasn’t supposed to be a work day but it turned into one regardless.  The big boss called a staff meeting for 8:15 this morning so of necessity my alarm caused me to arouse from my slumber at six (no easy feat after dart night!  Which went extraordinarily well; my 10-2 performance contributing to a 26-13 victory).  Since I was non-scheduled my attendance was likely not mandatory, but I figured showing the flag couldn’t hurt. Besides, I planned on making a commissary run today anyway, albeit not so damn early in the morning.  About halfway through the meeting the boss asked me when I had to catch my bus to K-16. I told him I wasn’t working.  That seemed to impress him and he told me to “take back the time from K-16”, which I take to mean cut one of my shifts down for the hour I spent in his meeting. Well, my clients expect me to be there during my posted working hours and I don’t want to let them down.  And even if I wanted to cut out early I’m a slave to the bus schedule and there is nothing to be had an hour earlier.  Ah well, it’s the thought that counts.

At the conclusion of the meeting I was awarded this blue ribbon. Or should have been.

So, I took the base bus to the commissary and then remembered that it doesn’t open until 10:00.  Well, it’s opens a 7:00 for “early bird” shoppers, but in those circumstances you are limited to 20 items or less.  My shopping list was much larger than that, so I sat around until a quarter to the hour and commenced selecting my groceries at a leisurely pace, and thus completed my rounds well after the appointed time for full-on shopping.

Regularly readers may recall that one of the few issues I have in my Korea life is with taxis.  This problem seems to also include the on-base taxi drivers. I noticed this yesterday when I took a cab from the PX into Itaewon.  Why take a cab when it’s an easy walk you ask?  Well, I was carrying 24 cans of Diet Coke in my back pack for one thing. And I’m having some pain issues with my left leg which makes no walk easy. Anyway, the fare is usually around W3000, but the driver yesterday appeared to be intentionally missing every light, yielding to other vehicles unnecessarily, and drove at an inordinately slow rate of speed.  By the time I arrived at my destination he had managed to work the fare up W4400.  The joke was on him though because I always pay W5000 for the ride, the difference between the meter and that amount constituting the tip.  My Korean is not good enough to say “you just fucked yourself buddy”, but that was my thought as I exited the cab.

Today when I entered the commissary before it’s proper opening time there were five cabs waiting for fares.  When I exited with my groceries there was not a cab in sight.  The guy behind me in the taxi queue called dispatch at least twice asking for cabs to be sent to the commissary.  Twenty minutes later still no rides.  When a cab finally did come, I let the guy who called take it.  Only seemed fair.  Ten more minutes and I was able to snag a cab dropping off a passenger.  The bastards at dispatch couldn’t be bothered I guess.  So after I finished loading my groceries in the trunk the driver asked “where to?”  I told him I’ll give you a choice, Ichon station (a W3000 ride) or Gireum station (a W20,000 fare).  He didn’t hesitate to say “Ichon please”.  So, Ichon it was.

After schlepping three large bags and a jam packed backpack down the stairs, the first train to come by was overflowing.  The next train was only two minutes away and I hoped there would be room for me and my groceries on that one.  Thankfully, that proved to be the case.  I scored the wheelchair area which afforded ample space to store my bags and a wall for me to lean against.  An ajussi encouraged me to sit with him in the seats reserved for the elderly and infirm.  Although I am both, I still didn’t feel right about it so I respectfully declined.

Admittedly, I went a little overboard with my purchases today. Around $180. worth (a new record!) and I didn’t have Jee Yeun with me to help share the burden.

Holy crap, how am I going to get this shit home? It turns out with great difficulty.

I was on the wrong end of the train which necessitated traversing the entire length of Gireum station.  When I reached my exit I was distressed to see the escalator was out of service.  So I walked over to the other side and took a functioning escalator ride to the top. My arms were already screaming at this point, but I bravely marched on.  It’s an uphill walk to the apartment building and I had to stop for a rest about halfway home.  But by god, I got it done and now the larders are well-stocked with some old-fashioned American goodness.

I don’t always eat frozen peas, but when I do I like them smothered in Sweet Baby Ray’s!

Not really.  But I reckon there is someone out there who does.