Our exchange student, Jun, lived with us last year and went to a public high school. This year, he was placed in a small private school - his English improved dramatically...but his personal life suffered. It became very hard for Jun to make friends because he had to find them. And you and I know that after high school, or college, it becomes harder to find friends. Jun found himself in this situation at 16. We tried to help him join clubs and sports but it was not meant to be. Jun told us he would be ending his studies in the States at the end of January.
Shayne and I were very upset. We have come to love Jun and enjoy his presence in our lives. So with this news I found myself sad and in a foreign country. What's my coping mechanism? Escape. Yes... I know... I was already abroad but I had to leave the house and be by myself. So I got ready, told them that I had to do some shopping and left.
I walked down to the bus but decided I wanted to take the subway to Seoul. As I walked passed the bus stop I saw a young woman sitting down and using her cell phone. A man cam rushing from behind the stop and grabbed her cell phone and threw it to the ground. He was yelling at her, calling her names ( I can tell for the most part what people are saying) and accused her of something. She picked up her phone and meekly said to leave me alone. He grabbed the phone again and threw it, this time it shattered into tiny pieces.
I had slowed down, trying to figure out if this guy was gonna get physical and if I should do something...and how I didn't speak Korean so what could I do to help and is this really a good idea to get involved and what if he sucker punches me and I have to take him out - take the punch then grab him and throw him into oncoming traffic and run... He looked at me straight in the eyes, I stared back and stopped. He looked at the lady and yelled more and walked off. I had decided I was of no use for her and walked WAY around the stop into the subway.
First time alone and I see that. I need to see something cute...where's Hello Kitty? Where is a toy store around here?
I got on the subway and just randomly picked routes. I have no idea where I ended up...but by this time I was deep in thought about how I could have helped Jun more...or if Jun was here illegally how he could have gone to public school for free, no questions asked. How we did things legally and he suffered for it. Doing things the right way is hard. I also thought about those orphans and how they need a chance. I got off the subway.
This station was very pretty with stone carvings of dragons and traditionally Korean symbols. I headed up and out ... YES! It is PUPPY LAND!
The area I got lost in was the Pet District! 15-20 stores lined down the street with puppies! All cute, clean, sleepy, clumsy, puppy barking!
In between each store was a pet supply store overflowing with little Korean style dog houses! Tiled Asian roofs! ROOF! ROOFS! I wanted one of those houses for Mochi, my senior Shih Tzu! They had incredible cat castles! Winding high with plenty of nooks and crannies! Then walking on... more puppies! Little poos...yuck...ahh so cute!
I am so glad I found the nice puppy district and not the dog meat market. I was seriously thinking of seeing this market but my soul reacts to suffering, and at this time I was out of energy and defenses.
I walked to the end of the street and Puppy Land turned into Moped Land. Not nearly as cute. So I walked down the opposite side of the street for the other stores. I spotted some Shih Tzus and stared a little too long because the owner came out to bring me inside. Then I noticed that every other puppy store had a gang. I could be totally wrong here but I am pretty sure these guys lived hard lives.
Maybe to counter the stress in their...gangster lives...they sell puppies. My thoughts raced...these couldn't be counterfeit puppies! They look so real! Are they really cats? Knock off Shih Tzus and Wiener dogs...do they make them in China like the Gucci wallets?
The beefy puppy dealer greeted me, I smiled and said I was just looking. He came closer (NO!) he gently grabbed my arm, then held my hand (he moisturizes) and led me by the hand into his store. My fears disappeared as he handed me a Maltese and said it was cute. I cooed and petted her...she smelled like pee. I put her down. I cooed at the other puppies...all in their cubicles falling over each other. I was there for maybe 3 minutes. I thought of Mochi. His one eye, missing teeth and penchant for cat poo.
I thanked the man, bowed and turned and said goodbye to the 5 other rough dudes in the corner eating lunch.
The store next to this was owned by a pretty and young woman. I'm sure she's not in a gang. I got on the subway and went back to a familiar shopping mall. As Laura, my co-worker says, consumer therapy works very well. I felt better about things after the puppy fix and shopping and headed home.
Shayne and I were very upset. We have come to love Jun and enjoy his presence in our lives. So with this news I found myself sad and in a foreign country. What's my coping mechanism? Escape. Yes... I know... I was already abroad but I had to leave the house and be by myself. So I got ready, told them that I had to do some shopping and left.
I walked down to the bus but decided I wanted to take the subway to Seoul. As I walked passed the bus stop I saw a young woman sitting down and using her cell phone. A man cam rushing from behind the stop and grabbed her cell phone and threw it to the ground. He was yelling at her, calling her names ( I can tell for the most part what people are saying) and accused her of something. She picked up her phone and meekly said to leave me alone. He grabbed the phone again and threw it, this time it shattered into tiny pieces.
I had slowed down, trying to figure out if this guy was gonna get physical and if I should do something...and how I didn't speak Korean so what could I do to help and is this really a good idea to get involved and what if he sucker punches me and I have to take him out - take the punch then grab him and throw him into oncoming traffic and run... He looked at me straight in the eyes, I stared back and stopped. He looked at the lady and yelled more and walked off. I had decided I was of no use for her and walked WAY around the stop into the subway.
First time alone and I see that. I need to see something cute...where's Hello Kitty? Where is a toy store around here?
I got on the subway and just randomly picked routes. I have no idea where I ended up...but by this time I was deep in thought about how I could have helped Jun more...or if Jun was here illegally how he could have gone to public school for free, no questions asked. How we did things legally and he suffered for it. Doing things the right way is hard. I also thought about those orphans and how they need a chance. I got off the subway.
This station was very pretty with stone carvings of dragons and traditionally Korean symbols. I headed up and out ... YES! It is PUPPY LAND!
The area I got lost in was the Pet District! 15-20 stores lined down the street with puppies! All cute, clean, sleepy, clumsy, puppy barking!
In between each store was a pet supply store overflowing with little Korean style dog houses! Tiled Asian roofs! ROOF! ROOFS! I wanted one of those houses for Mochi, my senior Shih Tzu! They had incredible cat castles! Winding high with plenty of nooks and crannies! Then walking on... more puppies! Little poos...yuck...ahh so cute!
I am so glad I found the nice puppy district and not the dog meat market. I was seriously thinking of seeing this market but my soul reacts to suffering, and at this time I was out of energy and defenses.
I walked to the end of the street and Puppy Land turned into Moped Land. Not nearly as cute. So I walked down the opposite side of the street for the other stores. I spotted some Shih Tzus and stared a little too long because the owner came out to bring me inside. Then I noticed that every other puppy store had a gang. I could be totally wrong here but I am pretty sure these guys lived hard lives.
Maybe to counter the stress in their...gangster lives...they sell puppies. My thoughts raced...these couldn't be counterfeit puppies! They look so real! Are they really cats? Knock off Shih Tzus and Wiener dogs...do they make them in China like the Gucci wallets?
The beefy puppy dealer greeted me, I smiled and said I was just looking. He came closer (NO!) he gently grabbed my arm, then held my hand (he moisturizes) and led me by the hand into his store. My fears disappeared as he handed me a Maltese and said it was cute. I cooed and petted her...she smelled like pee. I put her down. I cooed at the other puppies...all in their cubicles falling over each other. I was there for maybe 3 minutes. I thought of Mochi. His one eye, missing teeth and penchant for cat poo.
I thanked the man, bowed and turned and said goodbye to the 5 other rough dudes in the corner eating lunch.
The store next to this was owned by a pretty and young woman. I'm sure she's not in a gang. I got on the subway and went back to a familiar shopping mall. As Laura, my co-worker says, consumer therapy works very well. I felt better about things after the puppy fix and shopping and headed home.
2 comments:
Sueann,
Your Korean adventures have been so much fun to read! As per usual, you throw yourself into whatever you are experiencing 100%! I can't wait to see some of the pictures.
Robin
P.S. It's nice to have you back.
Reading about the Puppy District was really nice. Yeah sometimes after a nasty experience one needs to see something cute, or something really beautiful.
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