Lekker lights

Next I had to book myself a bus ticket to Daejeon, I had relatively specific instructions on what to do but still a little unsure I sauntered over to the first information station I saw and was relieved to find someone who could speak a bit of English. She directed me to the bus ticketing counter, the way I would discover most Koreans give directions in English, with painful repetition, and slow description.

Swiping my visa card, loaded with dollars I paid the 21 000 won wondering how much I had just spent. I then headed over to the little convenient store, I was suffering from in flight dehydration and needed change to call my boss and let him know what time my bus would be arriving. I was confronted with products and symbols that meant nothing to me, I wanted juice or an ice tea but instead opted for what looked like it must be water. Stick to what I know I figured. I then phoned Mr Kim, using the payphones, slotting in as many coins as I had, hoping they would be enough.

My bus was scheduled to leave at ten past eight, and since I had a couple minutes I decided to make use of the free standing computers and let my parents know I was alive and had arrived safely. It all took a little longer than usual as I navigated my way around the Korean text, using the habitual routes I knew. Then once I’d found a way to convert the keyboard from Korean to English, I typed my email. By the time I was finished I had two minutes to make it to the bus, which I thought was just outside, the sliding doors behind me.

Looking at my ticket I read the platform number and begin walking toward it, it didn’t take me long to realise I wasn’t as close as I had assumed, so I begun to pick up the pace a little, until watching the giant digital clocks overhead click over, I started to break into a run, with two tog bags and a 50 litre backpack. I was almost there but needed to be on the other side of the road, so determined not to miss my bus I crossed the road right there. This was the first time I almost got run over in Korea. Because as far as I’m concerned they drive on the wrong side of the road over here.

After causing many Koreans a heart attack I made it to my bus just in time, the driver had to get out and open the luggage compartment just for me. I was exhausted but as soon as I got on that bus and saw how luxurious it was I knew why they called it a limousine. I flopped into the lone, soft leather seat and pressed the first metal button. A foot rest popped up, I pressed the second metal button and my seat went back. It went back so far I was almost lying down completely.

The bus immediately pulled off and at first I was taken in by the television screen displaying some Korean movie. Soon though, my eyes were drawn to the view outside my window. Lights, everywhere. Big, bright, colourful, flashing lights lining the length of high rise after high rise. “Look at all the lekker lights,” my grandfather would have said. I smile with a burning excitement and remind myself I’m somewhere in Asia, a million miles away from home.