Sunday I went over to a friends apartment to fix her computer. I met her at some random party and we get along pretty well. She was hanging out with her other friend whom I also know from some random party. I managed to fix her computer then we went to a Korean restaurant where I had my favorite Korean food, Mandu. The three of us agreed to make plans to hang out again soon. Then I jumped on a bus headed back to Suwon Station, took the subway to Hwaseo Station and walked home from there.
I had some trouble finding her place. She lives in Yeong Tong which is on the other side of Suwon and I have only been there once. I could have taken a taxi but I wanted to get used to the bus system. I got on the correct bus, but it was headed in the wrong direction. I ended up at some bus depot at the edge of Suwon. I could tell the bus driver was a little confused and when I said Yeong Tong he laughed and said "No...*korean words here*". He told me to wait 5 minutes while the bus got an oil change. A minute later he came back on the bus and said "Man...follow me". I followed him, he pointed to another bus with exactly the same number and said Yeong Tong. I got on that bus and ended up in the correct area. I told this story to my friends and they both said that has never happened to them before. I was at the correct bus stop and got on the correct bus but for some reason it went in the wrong direction and know one could tell me why. Lesson learned: Always ask the bus driver if the bus is going to your destination, and hope that he understands your terrible western accent.
Oh, one more thing before the pictures of Yongsan. I told my friends in Yeong Tong that I've started dating a Korean girl and that it was very difficult because of the language and cultural differences. I said to them I think it's very difficult for western women over here because of the poor dating pool. I mentioned that western women don't really like to date Korean men and they told me it was because women like men who speak the same "language" as them. Now this might seem trivial to you, but it really struck a cord with me. I don't think men really put communication at the top of the relationship priority list. The girl I'm "dating" really struggles with English and I often have to use small words and speak slowly, but I'll be damned if thats going to stop me from dating her. I figure with enough time her english will get better. I can be patient, I mean what else do I have to do?
Anyway,
I often wonder if I should post stuff like this because for one it's very personal, and two I have to be very careful so I don't come across as being a "bad" person. If you knew the guys I hang out with you'd understand why I'm trying very hard to give a good impression of westerners. However, I want to be as honest as possible about my experiences over here, it's a delicate balance.
Now, let me explain why I put "dating" in quotes. We've just started having dinner together during our breaks at school. She knows I like her but we're just barely starting to get to know each other better. I put "dating" in quotes because its so early in the get to know each other phase. So we'll see what happens. Also, being a very humble person I don't like to read more into a situation, I always try to downplay things. Gah, which brings up another topic that I will save for later. I ALWAYS feel guilty when Koreans tell me "America so big and strong". Or "America is so rich". I always try to downplay it.
Anyway, pictures of Yongsan, enjoy!!!
