Bus

Metro

Walking

clever, huh?  Well, I stole it b/c I thought it was clever too.

That pretty much sums up how I get around.  Mostly the B and W, but sometimes the M.

So let’s start with the Bus.

This here is the 5100 bus.  It’s kind of an express bus between Gangnam(Seoul) and Yeongtong(Suwon).  It’s the most common bus that I take to Seoul.  When I googled “suwon city bus” it was about the only thing that pulled up.  At least it’s one I ride fairly frequently.  I can get on this bus in Yeongtong and be in Seoul in about 35 mins.  Not too bad!

Suwon City Buses:  My personal favorite is the good ‘ol 2-1.  It comes not nearly often enough and the vast majority of my time here in korea is spent waiting on it.  However it takes me pretty much everywhere in the city that I need to go so whaddya do?  The city buses look a little different than the red one above. They’re green and not as many seats. So it’s not uncommon to stand on them.  Meaning you should hold on for dear life b/c the bus drivers are vicious.  I’m fairly sure they make a game of seeing who they can throw to the floor by slamming on the brakes.   I think they get extra points for foreigners. I still think I will one day be seriously injured on a bus.  Or hit by one.  Could go either way.

So there’s this little card reader at the front of the bus.  If you are cool enough to have a spiffy little card called a T-Money card, then you just hold your lil card up and it beeps and shows how much is left on the card.  It’s cheaper to ride with a card than paying cash.  Not much, but every little bit helps here.  Plus you really feel like a native when you walk up and just hold your purse up to the little reader and it beeps.  Way cooler than those other whities that just throw their money in.  What loozers!  lol…

Metro

So here’s a pic of the Seoul Subway map. (click for a larger view)

Ain’t it purdy? So many lines and colors!

Intimidated by it?  So was I at first.  Turns out it’s wicked easy to get around.  As long as you know where you’re going it’s SO not a big deal.  I don’t always like riding the subway just b/c it’s usually really crowded.  And lack of personal space is an understatement.  But that’s really true of anywhere over here so it’s not a huge deal.  Remember the magical T-Money card I mentioned earlier?  Turns out it works here too!  So you just scan the little card as you go in and out of the subway station.  It’s brilliant.  No standing in lines or trying to explain where you’re going or anything.  Just scan the card and hop on the train.  Amaging.

Again, I don’t ride it too much.  Mainly b/c the Suwon line doesn’t come very close to my house and I have to go all the way over to Suwon Station to hop on.  So sometimes it’s just easier to take the 5100 bus to Gangnam and hop on the subway from there.  Depends where I’m going.

And last but by no means least…..

Walking

This would be the most common form.  Walk walk walk walk walk.  It’s pretty much all I do.  Which was fine till the weather started turning cold.  I have a feeling I’ll be adding a “T” to the BMW in the form of Taxi’s before too long.  because daaaang.  It gets cold! And I hear it’ll be colder. So yeahhh….  The walking may be cut down some.  Even with that, it’s impossible to cut it all out.  I think it gets just as cold in Texas, it’s just that we don’t have to be out in it so much.

So I guess I should mention Taxis too.  I do tend to spend a lot of time in them.  Partly because I seem to be able to communicate with them and that makes me happy.  One of them told me this week that my korean was very good.  I think he was just being nice, but whatever.  I’ll take it.

Ok, I think that’s enough transportation info for now.  Remember the days when I could just hop in a car and drive myself anywhere I wanted to go?  That’s just so not the case now.  And I’m glad.  I don’t even want to think about driving here.