Confusion

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Most of today was taken up with my unGodly all day flight (from 7am - 9pm, with a swapover in Hong Kong). The second plane ride which was spent sitting behind a man who just couldn't live without crushing my knees. I always get the seat behind the one person who will push his seat back.

Then, he started stretching his hands all the way over his head rest and leaving his hands right in front of my little seat TV. I watched Memoirs Of A Geisha with some creepy man's hand in the way. It's the only way to watch it.

When I landed there was a lot of confusion. Confusion was to be the basis for my time in Korea.

The airport is on an island, on a piece of reclaimed land, far away from anything and everything. It was too late and too dark to try and get off the island when I arrived, so I had arranged to stay at a Backpackers Hostel in 'airport square', a few minutes away by car. A square there just for the airport and for people like me who aren't coordinated to find their way off the island in the dark.

I needed to call the airport hostel to come and pick me up but I couldn't work out how to use the payphones. All the instructions were in Korean. I'm sure I would have worked it out eventually, but one man saw me staring quizzically at the phone, said something in Korean to me, and handed me his mobile phone to use instead.

After a couple of minutes, because 'Mr Kwon' at the backpackers wanted a full description of what I was wearing (!), Mr Here-Use-My-Mobile-Phone started banging his head against the wall the longer I spoke. He was literally banging it against a plaster wall. I don't know if he was deranged or trying to make a joke because, when I laughed at him, he seemed a bit annoyed. It made me wonder whether he actually meant for me to use his phone or whether he just happened to have it in his hands. Whatever the case, I had taken it from him and started dialing...

Then more confusion because I was waiting, and waiting, by the side of the road but there was no sign of Mr Kwon. I looked around at everyone who passed me by, thinking they might be him. One man, who caught me staring, shook his head to the words "Mr Kwon" but whipped out his mobile phone as well and insisted I use it. He had to really insist because I was paranoid about taking it from him. I didn't want to give him cause for him to bang his head on the wall as well.

Mr Kwon explained that I was at the right exit but on the wrong floor. That I should walk up three flights of stairs above ground level. Because obviously I should have realised that there would be another road on the third floor above ground level.

There really was.

I bundled into the back of the hostel's van with a couple that looked just as confused as I felt. We were soon there and I was shown my room for the night, very delirious after the flight and very confused over all that had just happened. "Take off your shoes!" Mr Kwon yelled as I started to walk over the threshhold. "Your shoes!" He yelled again. Mr Kwon was kind of abrupt. This was a custom I had to get used to. By the end of my trip, I was wishing I had brought slip-ons.

So these were my first steps onto this land. In my first hour, I deduced that Korea was friendly (two people had let me use their mobile phones, and at least one of those people actually meant for me to) and weird (why the multi-storey roads?).

What on earth was I in for?...

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Photos

Jason, Melbourne Airport
Earning brownie points. How many people would get up at 4am to see someone off at the airport?