The Princess and the Pencil; and About the Subways Here

Snappy title, eh? I was getting ready to study some Korean this afternoon (slow day) and wanted a pencil (as I often screw it up) so I rifled through my desk for one to no avail. Then I looked in the supply cupboard; none that I could see. Finally, I asked our officegirl (that's what they're called here...ok?) for one. She found an unsharpened one in the same cupboard I just searched (duh!).

While I looked for a pencil-sharpener she got out her trusty Exact-o knife and started whittling. Not the bold, deep cuts that I used to make when doing the same thing when I was in a fix for a pencil, she did gradual, honing, precise slices until it was a perfect cone. Proving once again that all you need in an Exact-o and duct tape.

Oh ya, and why the Princess remark in the title? Our gal is from 공주/Gong-joo (princess) an actual city south of Seoul.


Why bother with a pencil-sharpener when you can use an Exact-o knife?

I have another memory of an Exact-o, too: thanks to Manchester Mike. When we were treeplanting I was sitting in a box with another box over me (this was like 14 years ago, I don't sit in boxes much anymore) and throwing grapefruit pieces at him. Well, he lost it and came at my little 'fort' with his knife...as I tried to throw the box off myself and escape he put a gash in one of my fingers enough to require stitches (to the bone, man!) but we were too far out of town to bother getting them. Well, Mike and I are still friends (somehow) but that day always haunts me.

And, for the get-together on Saturday a newbie to the subway system was wondering how it works here. Here's my reply email (below). Seoul's subways are tooooo simple. There are maps of the entire system, each line, all of the exits and even all of the stairways and platforms all over the place (on the trains, on the platforms, near the tickets) so if you get lost here once that should be the only time in your life.

Every line in Seoul is numbered. There are 8 city lines now plus Incheon line and #9 is under construction. All maps have the lines noted in a legend and they are also color-coded (Line 6 is brown, Line 5 is purple) and MOST of the maps have the same colors on them (although some unofficial ones have different colors, just to screw with you, it seems).

Many stations have transfers, it's free to move between lines (and bus <-> subway <-> bus <-> bus also if you have a T-money card, available at all stations) and each transfer is clearly marked in the hallways and they have a special announcement on in the cars to let you know that a transfer is coming up.

As for exits, all of them are numbered and clearly marked...they have a number inside a circle on the signs. The station with the most exits is Dongdaemoon Stadium with a whopping 14, Hyehwa, where we are going, has just 4. When you get off the train take a look at the map on the platform and see where to go to get out at the right place.

Ok, back to my studying.