Ruth's Korean Adventure: Arrivals and Introductions

I've been putting off the writing of this series of blog posts because writing them means that Ruth's trip is officially over (even though she's been gone for four days...) and also, let's face it: I'm lazy.  And so, without further adieu, here is the first of five installments of Ruth's Korean Adventure.  I hope I do the last three weeks justice...

Ruth was set to arrive to Seoul from Tokyo around 9:00 on Tuesday night.  So, around 5:00, I hobbled to E-Mart in my boot (with my freshly sprained ankle) to eat some gut-busting food at Popeyes (their french fries - oh. my. wow.) before boarding the airport bus.  I arrived to the airport around 8:30 or so, and looked up Ruth's arrival information on the monitor to see at which gate I should wait.  But wait!  A glitch: the information I had written down regarding Ruth's flight information was nowhere to be found.  I called Desiree for help, had her hack into my e-mail and double-check the flight into.  She told me (or I made this up in my head - which is very likely) that her flight was operated by American Airlines, which made sense, given that I was staring at a monitor with six flights coming at 9:30 from Tokyo via American Airlines - all arriving at Gate C.  So, I hobbled over to Gate C, found myself a seat on a bench right in front of the arrivals gate and hauled out my book.  I waited, and waited, and waited.

Ruth's flight arrived and I continued to wait.  An hour after her flight had arrived, no one from the Tokyo flight had emerged (I talked to a man who was supposed to pick someone up from the same flight and was concerned that he had missed him.)  So, I continued to wait for this flight to come through the gate, along with a hundred strangers, until a man came to the gate and announced that Gate C was closed and the flight for which we were waiting would actually come through Gate B.  Upon hobbling over to Gate B, people from the flight began to pour through the gate.  I saw the man to whom I had talked greet the man for whom he was waiting and several familiar faces from Gate C greet people from the same flight.  Still no Ruth.  At this point, I considered having her name announced over the airport loudspeaker, but I wanted to give the girl some credit.  Maybe her bags were taking a while to come through.  Maybe she had to pee.  What did I know?

Just then, my phone began to ring.  Desiree was on the line, telling me that Ruth was waiting for me in Gate D.  I hobbled as fast as my good foot would allow and lo and behold, there was my best friend!  As we walked to the taxi stand (by now it was well past 11:00, and there were no more buses available), I found out the rest of the story.  Ruth's flight had been operated by United, not American Airlines and she had been waiting in Gate D, literally hundreds of feet away, since 9:30.  She had arrived to the gate with hopes of being greeted by a familiar face after hours of travel and all she got was a sea of strangers.  I felt like such a dunce.

Upon realizing that I was nowhere to be found, Ruth had called her mom, who called everyone she could think of in Mechanicsville and the surrounding areas who would have my address, my phone number - anything to contact me.  Then, Ruth remembered our good pal Facebook.  I had sent a common message to her, Diane and Desiree regarding our accomodations in Japan.  So, she sent a message to Desiree, who then called me.  Thank God for technology :)

So, anyway, we were together, at last, and that's all that mattered.  We gabbed and talked and giggled and reveled in how crazy it was that we were together.  In Korea.  All the way home.  Our cabby looooooved us, obviously.

The next morning, we woke up, walked to school, taught a Taylor Swift song (you're welcome for the pictures :) ) and walked around my school's beautiful campus.  Ruth took crazy amounts of pictures and I regaled her with adorable student quips.  You know, the usual.

That night for dinner, along with the Husted's and Diane and Desiree, we ventured to our neighborhood all-you-can-eat meat house for a carnivore-fest.  Ruth loooooved it - especially the new star of the show - smoked duck.  I know, I know, I'm hungry now too.  She also ate a freshly grilled (and previously, freshly living) whole octopus.  That's when I knew this trip would be delightful - homegirl has no qualms about eating weird food.  YES.

The next morning was my doctor's appointment (read: show up at this time and the doctor will see you when it's your turn) at the hospital downtown.  Ruth came with me, and I kid you not, she was like a kid in a candy store (at home, she's a psych nurse at the University of Iowa Hospital).  If there hadn't been a gross language barrier, she would have inquired about and fully understood the inner workings of the place.  Some things can't be helped, I'm afraid.  The appointment itself went like this:

Doctor: Your ankle is still swollen.  Wear the splint for one more week.  Did you take your medicine?
Noelle: No...  I thought it was for pain and it doesn't hurt.
Ruth: (the look on her face said this) ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
D:  (sigh) It is also an anti-inflammatory.  Take the medicine.
R: I'll make sure she does.  (She did, too!)
N: (sheepish laughter that was not appreciated) Okay.  Can I have a new prescription?
D: I thought you didn't take the medicine.
N: Nope, and I never filled the prescription either - and, I don't have it anymore. (cue a very large smile.)
D: (more sighing, rapid Korean to the nurse.)  Come back on Tuesday. 

So, I'm obviously a real big hit at the hospital...  Five dollars later (including the prescription!) and about 15 minutes of our time from arrival to leaving, we were on our way back home.  Then, more school, more teaching - this time we made personal ads to practice present tense.  Ruth was real amused when a girl shared that she desires a man with a six pack and nice hands, whatever that means...

Thursday night, we were invited over to Toni's for dinner made by her daughter, Nicki, who was visiting for a month from Australia.  Oh. Em. Gee.  That food!  Nicki cooked us a traditional Aussie meal (meat (pan grilled steaks) and potatoes (a creamy scalloped-ish potato casserole) with several yummy salads) and we all (Diane, Desiree, Toni, Ruth, Nicki and me) sat around Toni's table for hours, talking, drinking wine and sharing embarrassing stories.  Plans to noraebong got put on the back burner.  We were tuckered out.

Friday was more school - future tense.  We played MASH, a game that determines your future - who you'll marry, how many children you'll have, where you'll live, etc.  Welcome to American fifth grade.  It was pretty fun, though.  Those girls kill me.  Every time.

Then, it was off to Seoul, a weekend that warrants a post of its own.  Stay tuned...