Thursday 9 February 2017

Seoul trip part 7: LAST DAY IN SEOUL-The Running Yana

LAST DAY IN SEOUL A.K.A RUNNING DAY

Mum knows best. She didn’t pay attention to my words about disappearing, the night before, because I was still stuck on the bed at 8am the next morning. My legs won’t move (because of all the walking and running the day before) so I bid goodbye to Stream. But I do have something to do before we head off to airport that day. I need to send parcel to somewhere in Seoul because I know I can’t managed to take risk of two-hours train-trip to Seocho since I was still at home at that hour.

So I decided to just send the parcel by post. I told mum I need to go to post office (ate meggi for breakfast 1st) and the latest I’ll be back in 1 hour. 9am I went out (I told mum it won’t be far, but I still took train). I planned to go to post office which Aya pointed at when we went out to buy album, but I took the wrong platform and ended up at Bupyeongsamgeori station.

Luckily this time I already screenshot (or google map and didn't refresh?) the potential post offices nearby. But I still having problem trying to figure out where IS the post office. Since I don’t know which exit I should take, I just randomly go out at exit 3? I was relaxed the 1st moment I came out from exit, since the town was so peaceful (and it’s still early morning of winter).

But after 4 times going back-and-forth at the same street, I grew frustrated when I can’t find the landmark (petrol station) I was looking for *did I wear my glasses instead of lenses that day? I couldn’t read the petrol stations’ sign* I can’t even ask people around since the stores still closed. I did encounter a cart-ahjumma who warmly greeted me with “hmmm 안녕 annyeong~” when I slightly bowed at her -my habit at school-. And few school kids in pajamas who just look at me blankly.

For 5th time, I think I was at the right direction but still couldn’t find the post office, I found an ahjussi (he looks young though) who was breaking the ice in front of the apartment. I apologized for troubling him and asked him about post office (I showed him my phone since I don’t know ‘post office’ in Korean) ahjussi: ah~ go left, Me: 네~감사합니다~ while still thinking hard –I came from the left though-

OHMY I FOUND IT! I actually passed it before! I didn’t realized it because I expected it to be big like the last one I saw with Aya. It was just a small post office like PosLaju at my hometown! I entered it with 안녕하세요 annyeonghaseyo and greeted by 2 shocked faces. –all conversation in post office were in korean- The younger staff greeted me with “where do you want to send your stuff?” I said “Seocho” (but I think she heard Seokcho”. I saw relief face of her (I don’t know why. Maybe because it was local delivery, or maybe because she doesn’t have to speak English? I never know). She saw my bag and went to the back to take a box for me to fit in the stuff into.

It makes it easier when I have the full address written on a paper, complete with postcode that I already search beforehand, and also contact number of the receiver. The staff asked me my name and where do I come from. I answered 말레이시아 and she goes “ahh Malaysia~” and nodded. She asked me for my contact number (like I said I sucks in number in Korean), I asked to write it down on my own. I corrected the way she spelled my name (put the - in the word 아»리야나) and give back the paper to her. She said the other party will receive it tomorrow. I paid 3500won for a parcel weighed about 1.2kg. Quite cheap. Better than me travelling to Seocho by myself.

I went out from post office realizing I almost reached my 1-hour deadline. So I ran whenever possible, back to apartment. I make a quick stop to store near our apartment to check if the strawberry has arrived (ahjumma said yesterday, it was sold out, the new one will arrived today) but it wasn’t there. So I snatch (literally, since I was really in hurry) 1 box of cookies (2000won, but 7E worth it if you buy the 2+1. 7E sell it for 2400won each) and head back home.

Mum still hasn’t wear her tudung, I was out-of-breath so I calmed myself down, helped my mum cleaned the house and put the trash at downstairs. *the night before, I went 7E with mum and tried to ask the cashier 언니 of where should I buy the plastic for garbage. She suggested Daiso, but I didn’t have enough time to find Daiso that morning, even though she already draw the way to Daiso from 7E*

We head out around 11.30am to Incheon Airport. When we transfer at Bupyeong station, the coldness hit us. I guess near the airport it might be snowing the night before. It’s whiter around there. My wandering-around at airport the night before really helped me on this day. Hikmah di sebalik kejadian, and I’m really thankful to Allah. I guess my tak-sedap-hati, my anxiousness last night was due to this. The huge Incheon International Airport where you will easily feel lost. When I already wander around the night before, I could bring mum more confidently today around the airport, without getting lost.

We que for check in, the counter only opened at 1.10pm and the line was long. We’re glad we que early. Settled for check-in, my plan was to just go inside and taking stroll, maybe find things to buy after we passed immigration. But suddenly mum mentioned to me again about strawberry, since she said she already mentioned it to our family, it feels unsettled if we go back without it.

I had to make decision in such short time, to find or not, the strawberry. After few minutes of debating with myself, I said to mum I should find it. I found a place for mum to seat near boarding gate, bought her mineral water and banana 우유 milk for myself (already start running), and give the mission to myself. Mum said I should give myself deadline, so I said 1 hour. My mum said to come back in 1 hour, either I find the strawberry or not.
   
 The quick buying-water already took 10 minutes from my 1 hour. I ran to subway station, and decided to aim Eunseo station to search for the strawberry (the nearest to Incheon Airport station, after Airport Cargo Terminal station). I had no idea how this Eunseo station would look like or even the layout or town, but I have to be there.

Immediately after I reached Eunseo station, I look around the subway station, but this station isn’t really subway. No store at the station. I head out and has to be careful since there were 3 workers working on breaking the ice on road just outside the station. And it didn’t end there. EUNSEO HAS TO BE THE MOST SLIPPERY PLACE I’VE EVER BEEN IN 5 DAYS. The ice were so much besides and on the walk-path. Everyone here walked like a penguin (cute I must say) because seriously it’s too slippery! I even fall down once, gladly in slow motion and didn’t hurt.

I was in running mode all the time in case you forgot. I ran here and there trying to find fruit stores or something. I know my time running out, so I decided to just enter any store and ask. I asked a cashier in 1 convenience store for ‘딸기 ddalgi’ but I think she heard me say ‘닳기 dakgi’ (chicken meat?) since I was sure she directed me to meat store I saw earlier. 2nd time, I enter 7E, I ask her for 딸기 with failed Korean (more when I’m unable to speak clearly because of running in cold) “ 어디애서..쌀가요..딸기..스트로밸리~ where..to buy it..ddalgi..strawberry~” she had hard face trying to understand my words, and finally suggested me for Lotte Mart. LOTTE MART! HOW CAN I FORGOT ABOUT IT! I saw it, Lotte Department Store, but I was left with 10minutes! To go or not??!!

I took deep breath and run again to the mart. Instantly found it because the fruits section is just in front as I enter the mart. I did some quick thinking and choose to grab a box. I paid for it (the cashier is cute specky girl who seems excited to interact with me, or maybe use English, though as usual I reply in short korean) I subconsciously said I don’t want plastic bag (since I’m used to say no in Malaysia) and there I went from Lotte Mart into train station, to the airport, RUNNING AROUND carrying a box of strawberry WITHOUT plastic bag. I really feel like I was doing some running-Yana mission.

I reached my mum exactly at 3pm. “mak, kita..kena..bergerak..sekarang jugak” we have to move to boarding gate immediately, said me with hardship. Mum offered me drink 1st, and I drink down every water we have (not that we can bring it in anyway) and immediately que for immigration. *oh yeah, I didn’t even have time to cash back my t-money, still got money in it*

After few escalators trips, we reached the train that take us to terminal. My mum suddenly running to catch the train –when I was half-dead with running but- I run with mum, while asking “mum do we have to run?” my mum said Yes. I was kind of surprised because my 58 years-old mum running in Seoul for 2nd time (1st time during traffic light in Dongdaemun) when she has feet-related pain. Mum you’re healed already?

We reached terminal 10 minutes before the flight schedule, mum still didn’t perform prayer. I told mum to take the simplest wudhu, wear the jubah and just perform the solah somewhere at the corner. Mum went to toilet while I checked the qiblat using my phone. Alhamdulillah for long que for the flight. Just as my mum finished her solah, we immediately went into the disappearing line and board the flight.

Our luggage almost fall on me because i was out of strength to put it on the compartment on plane. Told my mum that was 1st time I was sweating, in winter. Yes. Because of all the running. I finally sat down and I can’t feel my legs few times during the flight. I was being emotional when it was the last time I heard the cabin crew spoke in Korean.

Reached KLIA2 and I immediately open Vlive to check on Honey G and I was almost in tear seeing them holding my present.


And also SKP Instagram tags me on our photo during SKP radio visits. Immediately missing Seoul hahaha. That marks the end of my Seoul journey. –THE END-

I might edit any part any time when I remember back things happening there. It’s such precious moments, and I can’t wait to be back. p/s: mum said to travel to other country next, instead of Korea again. How could I, mum, when I love the LANGUAGE the most? -yanaliyana


1 comment:

  1. Nice and quite informative post. I really look forward to your other posts.international parcel delivery

    ReplyDelete