Thursday, November 6, 2008

Cabs in Korea

Today I did the thing I've been dreading for 2 months--I turned off my alarm clock in my sleep. When I'm really tired I have a tendency to do this. I usually keep my alarm clock a certain distance from my bed so that the walk to and from the alarm clock wakes me enough to realize what I am doing. However, my apartment is too small for that unless I put my alarm clock in my bathroom (which is actually a good idea, come to think of it). At 8:58 I woke and realized I had exactly 2 minutes to get ready if I wanted to catch the bus and be at work on time. Needless to say, that wasn't going to happen. So I threw on clothing, brushed my teeth, put my hair in a bun and dashed to the street to catch a cab.

As much as I take cabs when the subways and buses close for the night (midnight), I hate taking them during the day. Traffic laws in Korea are mere suggestions. Red lights are actually stop lights that you pause at and then drive through. People speed and do crazy things. Bus drivers do it too but it's harder to do sharp turns and whatnot in a bus I suppose. Needless to say, being in a cab can be a bit of a white knuckle situation. However, when I got in the cab at 9:15 I have never been happier to have a maniac cab driver. He got me to work with time to spare.

Unfortunately, it meant that I had to forgo my first cup of coffee. The coffee I make at home is so strong it can get me through to 2:30pm. School coffee? Not so much. Weak instant coffee is pretty much the bane of my existence. I know it's my own fault but I hate teaching when I'm tired. You have to be bubbly and happy anyways and it takes just that much more out of you. Tonight I am going home, studying Korean, eating dinner and going to bed nice and early so that I wake up on time tomorrow.

One of my fellow teachers claims that my coffee addiction makes me like a crack addict. I told him 'hey now, that's not fair, I'm a functioning member of society.' His comment was 'so are they, when they have their crack.' That's not fair! Coffee is legal and won't kill me. Well, unless I pull a Balzac and drink more than 60 cups a day. I have never had more than 15 in a day. And that was only during finals. And midterms. And my entire first semester in France...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was remembering the other day how the admissions office nearly jumped me for bringing you an iced coffee one time. Speaking of you and your coffee :P...

And I think cabs are the same wherever you go, i.e. rather crazy drivers. San Francisco cabs are and interesting experience. Those dudes are fearless. And crazy. One time me and my mom were down there we took a cab from somewhere up on nob hill down to the wharf and we took the "steepest hill in San Francisco" at 40 miles an hour or soemthing, all the while he's jabbering on about how steep and scary it is to drive down.

Unknown said...

Besides, you without coffee is a very weird thought...scary even. I had a similar cab experience when I forgot my draping homework at home and had to cab from NYC to the apartment and back. The driver wasn't crazy though, he just drove wicked fast for me and was really nice about it. So yeah. I miss ya!

Cyndi Mulligan said...

I found your blog via your comment on the oneminutewriter blog. I just wanted to tell you that I found it profound in its straightforward telling and simplicity. Just wanted to say well done. Lovely blog. I wish you great blessing.

Alex said...

Thanks for the comment Cyndi! I love hearing about people reading my blog, and it's nice to know my escapades are occasionally interesting to people other than my friends and family who want to hear about me no matter what.