It was an uneventful trip, until...

So, I'm in Bucheon right now. Later today I will be meeting Steve's coteacher, to hopefully make some leeway for taking over his position when he leaves.
But the trip here is the real story (so far).

I brought my big bag to the school yesterday, because I was planning to leave right after classes, and not go home again. I mean my BIG bag, the 60 litre pack, not a normal backpack. I had all my school stuff, two changes of clothes, room for my slippers (berks) as well as some books for studying Korean (for my new class) and everything to make little packages for potential employers (reference letters, cover letters, CDs with my pictures and another reference letter on it).
No, this freaked some teachers out, because they don't understand why I carry a (smaller) bag on most days. They really don't seem to understand that when you teach at three schools and have no desk that you have to carry everything with you that you need to plan and to occupy yourself in the downtime. But, that's okay, I guess. The student teachers, who were semi-eager to talk to me, tried to explain why the teachers were weirded out, but I really didn't understand it. haha.
Anyways, just before my last class, I realized that I had forgotten the soup that I had made on Sunday and planned to bring for Steve and Crystal. So I left the school early to go get it again, which was good, because it meant that I could drop off all of the school stuff.
I made it to the apartment, dropped the stuff, picked up the soup, and made it to the bus station about 1 minute before my bus came. My luck with travelling was going to hold, it seemed...
I had a good twenty five minute buffer for the train too, which was more than enough time to get the tickets, and I managed to have a nice nap on the train.
The subway ride from Yongsam train station to Bucheon (where Steve and Crystal live) was another story. Very eventful.
Most of the event were the result of my interactions with a very drunk ajoshi who took a like to me. He had very very little English ability, but he kept trying to communicate with me, mostly through wild gesturing and slapping his chest, and then smiling like a little boy who just got a kiss (on the cheek) from the cute teacher.
At one point, he felt my arm, and then said "physical condition", which I'm assuming meant he thought mine was poor. Alright, you're an ass, but you're right. Then he wanted me to feel his arm, which I have to admit was "physical condition". Then he smiled.
Then he asked me "Do you have money?"
I said "Enough, yeah." I didn't like the possible direction that could take.
Then, he pulled out 8000 won from his pocket (about $8 or $9) and showed it off like he was the king of Kingsville. Then, he pulled out a new 5000 won note (just printed this year) and said "New. New money!"
I said "Yeah... nice!" I was still struggling to be polite at this point, but by now it was about ten minutes into the adventure, and he was getting pretty loud, so most of the subway was looking at me.
Then he tried to give it to me. I refused, and said again, "I have enough!" and then thanked him in Korean. Well, that would not do, so he shoved it into my pocket.
Okay, I'll keep it then.
He kept trying to talk to me... he didn't believe I was a teacher, even when I told him in perfect Korean. He just said "Student, student?" over and over again, louder and louder. Finally he grabbed some young guy who translated for him.
"He wants to know why you are in Korea..." he said awkwardly.
"I told him I was a teacher in Yeongam, but he does not believe me!" I said .
He believed the young guy though. Then he hit his chest some more and smiled. He said something about "Soldierman" and then slapped my chest. Okay...
By that time we had grabbed the attention of a much drunker ajoshi farther down the line. He had taken an interest in what was going on, so he came stumbling over to check it out. He and the other guy chatted a bit about me, and then he turned his attention to me.
"Elemench'eashermen!!!!" he yelled at me.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand! jalmalleoyo!"
"Elemench'eashermen!!!!" he yelled again, coming closer. Every step made him seem drunker, because A, he was stumbling a lot, and B, every step closer made the blood on his gums more visible, and the sick on his lips/breath more obvious.
"Sorry, mianhamnida" I said.
"Elemench'eashermen! Elemench'eashermen! I am elemench'eashermen!"
Finally, I realized, oh he's trying to speak English!
"You're an elementary teacher?"
"Yes, elemench'eashermen!"
"I'm a middle school teacher. Chung hakkyo!" He didn't relaly appreciate that I taught middle and he taught elementary, so he abandoned me and continued to talk (obviously about me) to the other drunk guy.
Finally, we reached my stop, Songnae. I ignored the first ajoshi's multiple invitations to join him for a drink ("You me, soju!!!" accompanied by many a chest-slap!) and literally ran off the train, calling out "goodbye!" over my shoulder. A young business man traded a sympathetic smile with me, and we both laughed and then I felt a lot better about the whole situation.

Last night was a good chance to catch up and hang out a bit. We hit this coffee shop, where I am right now, and had a snack before bed, and watched a bit of the soccer game, which seemed to have the whole city in a bit of a frenzy (a sea of red shirts).

Well, today I shopped around for everything else I needed to make my little resume packages, and this afternoon it's into Seoul to make some deliveries.

I'd better go!