June 29th, 2013.
Anjelica, 25, living in South Korea. I used to post here as ladieaj, and I usually posted days where I made cannoli or tamales. In this day my boyfriend and I travel from Jeonju to Daejeon to deliver our foster puppy to her new home.
Ugh, good morning. It's a little after 7am and the puppy is awake and begging to go out.
My boyfriend, Shane, is still asleep.
For those of you who might remember me from ~days of yore, in the few years since I've posted a day in my life I've been busy: I went to grad school, graduated from grad school with an MA and a focus in TESOL, and left for a job in Korea. I've been living in Jeonju (about 3.5 hours from Seoul) since November.
A month ago I was walking to Shane's house when I got the feeling of being followed. It was around 11pm and rainy, so I was a bit worried...until I realized I was being followed by a puppy! She was very timid, so I took her in that night and the next morning I brought her to the vet to find her family. She smelled of shampoo, so I figured that she would have a microchip, at least. There was none, but Korean law states that found pets must be turned in to a vet and held there for 10 days before they can be adopted. After 10 days the vet texted me and I came to get Clementine and foster her with the hope of adopting her...unfortunately, because of many factors, we weren't a good fit for each other. So I found her a new home. The plan, this Saturday morning, was to take her to meet prospective adopters.
Whew, that was a lot. Back to the puppy!
Clem sleeps in a crate at the foot of my bed.
Good morning! She whimpers a bit but knows that she can't come out until she's quiet and either sitting or lying down.
I release her and then go to use the bathroom. She is not happy about this.
Out we go!
The streets are empty.
Clementine squats to pee. She knows that the sooner she does this, the sooner we can go back inside for breakfast, and after breakfast, her walk. But today we might not have time for that. I still haven't heard from the adopters what train they will take.
As you can see, I take fashion very seriously.
"Hurry up! There's FOOD up there!"
Elise is eager for her meal. I adopted Elise four or five years ago and brought her with me to Korea. How do you like her lioncut?
The only time they can be near each other. Elise barely tolerates Clementine.
While they eat, I check my email. Still nothing from Jo, but it's not 8am yet.
Pay attention to US!
Shane is asleep next to my sleep mask. I try to wake him up to no avail.
Clementine gives it a try.
She's a bit more successful.
Around this time I fall back asleep and wake a bit later, around 9am.
Shane is already awake.
But what woke me up? My phone is buzzing!
It's Jo. They're taking the 10:20 bus to Daejeon, which is where we're meeting them. Jo and her husband and child live near Seoul and we're in Jeonju, but we can both take the KTX train to Daejeon and be there in under 90 minutes. Shane and I have decided to take the express bus instead, however. Now it's time to rush! We realize, to my horror, that if we're going to meet them there by noon we must leave now, without time to shower or charge my camera. I had planned to use my iphone only for a few pictures in the early morning (rather than sleep with my camera next to me) but now I decide to use it for most of the day and save my camera's battery for when Clementine meets her new family.
Shane rushes to pack up her cage.
He also offers to take her for a bit of a walk while I get dressed and pack the rest of her stuff. I warn him not to forget her poop bags.
I load up all her treats, toys, and accessories, and then transfer the contents of my purse into my backpack.
Ready!
With Clem in her carrier and the cage folded up we are ready to go!
We head to a busier street to catch a taxi.
Once loaded up, we head to the Express Bus Terminal.
The sign reads "Jeonju Kusak Bus Terminal."
Clem is a bit stressed.
Shane decides to sit with her near our gate. We have 20 minutes before we need to leave, so I head to Lotteria to get brunch.
Decisions, decisions!
I decided on a spicy chicken sandwich, fries, and lemonade.
Finally we start lining up.
Shane stows the crate underneath.
Once in our seats, we pet Clem to calm her.
A bit over an hour later we have arrived in Daejeon! It's a bigger city than Jeonju, and neither one of us know it well, so we get a taxi to take us to the KTX station, where we're meant to meet Jo and co. On the way there we get a text that they hit traffic and have decided to drive to Daejeon. They expect to see us in an hour to 90 minutes. By now we've basically arrived at the KTX station and Clementine has thrown up in her carrier.
Clementine and I wait outside while Shane takes her carrier in to clean it, and then goes and fetches water and ice cream.
A dog's eye view.
We wanted to find a park to wait at, but we ended up walking about 10 minutes until we found the river. Old men congregate under these overpasses to socialize, and we set up camp near them.
Click to enlarge.
My phone died at this point, so I switched to my camera.
After cooling off, Shane walked back to the station to buy lunch from the vendors. While he was gone I got to practice my Korean with some old men, all of whom were quite taken with Clem. Lunch is raspberries and squid (both pictured) and dokk.
Jo texts again to say that they are stuck in traffic and are about 80km away. We tell them not to worry.
Clementine is very clingy and she knows something is up. Plus, she's a bit frightened of all the people coming to talk to us. I try to stay calm because I know that she can read my moods, but I am a bit heartbroken about giving her away, even to a family that is much better suited to her. Also, I get a bit anxious whenever I have to speak Korean conversationally, and I'm sure that wasn't helping.
my baby!
After a while we get a phone call - they are here! At the KTX station. Shane agrees to go and meet them and bring them back. I wait with Clem and feel sad. I WANTED A DOG AND I GOT A DOG AND HEAVEN KNOWS I'M MISERABLE NOW.
And then - there! In the distance!
Clementine, meet Jo, Paul, and baby Bram.
Jo and Paul have been living in Korea for about as long as I have. Jo is American and works in business and manages the Asia-Pacific branch of a company, and Paul is Swiss and works from home. They have two cats and a nanny and a big apartment and they live across from a vet. They've already brought their cats with them from Norway to Switzerland to America and now to Korea, so I felt confident that they would not only care for Clementine, but also that they wouldn't abandon her when they leave. They both seemed very, very nice. And it's always interesting for Shane and myself to meet international couples, as I'm American and he's Irish.
We stand around, talking. Clementine wanders and they let her. I feel more comfortable already.
Bram is a very thoughtful, gentle child. He doesn't overwhelm Clementine and he lets her come to him. He pets her gently.
After an hour or more of talking about her and about both of our circumstances, they decide to take her. We offer to help them carry her and her belongings to the KTX station, where they parked.
I feel very, very sad.
At the station, Shane and I have a quiet moment alone with Clementine while her new family gets snacks and drinks from a shop. She has come to mean so much to me in the last month and I desperately wish that I could have kept her.
Goodbye, my darling Clementine!
I didn't take any pictures for about 15 or 20 minutes. To be frank, I was feeling so emotionally broken down and I just wanted to be sad in private. Shane and I got some Coldstone ice cream (well, I got Coldstone) and then left the station.
Outside, some old people were in a line. We still don't know why.
I tell Shane that I feel a bit sick. Heat and dairy don't usually agree with me, and Shane is a bit annoyed that I chose the Duet It size from Coldstone when I know how I can get.
We taxied to Lotte Department Store, as we had heard there was a Mexican place near there. But since my iphone was dead all we had was my crappy flip phone.
Outside Lotte, there were some ice sculptures. I suggested that we go inside just in case I were to get sick, and Shane readily agreed.
Once inside, I went to the MAC counter to get some eyelash growth serum. Unfortunately, it had been marked up almost 100%, so I left without it.
For the next forty minutes or so we wandered around outside but did not find the Mexican place, and none of my pictures turned out right. At this point we decided to head back home, so we got a taxi to the Express Bus Terminal.
Once in the bus station, we had about 10 minutes until our bus would arrive. Unfortunately we didn't get to go on the bus with the gaunt lion.
And then my camera died, too!
We arrived back in Jeonju around 8:30pm, after 90 minutes on the bus, and opted to taxi back to his apartment rather than walk the 30 minutes.
At his apartment I charged my phone and he checked his email.
I got a Kakao message from a friend.
And also an update from Jo!
You can hardly tell on my crappy flip phone, but that's Clem in the far left corner and one of the cats to the right.
By now it's 9pm and we've not had dinner, so we decide to see if our favorite gamjutang (pork spine soup) place is open. Even though it's night, Jeonju is lit up.
We cut through a playground.
Success! Shane is shaking a rice bowl.
The gamjutang! It's bubbling when it comes to the table.
Separating meat from bones.
Delicious! We stay at the gamjutang place until 10 or later, then decide to get some bingsu.
We decide to cross the road to get to Tom and Tom's.
This is the bingsu that Shane orders.
This is what he does when I ask him to act natural.
The bingsu! Shaved ice with what I suspect is some sort of condensed milk. On top are red beans, dok (rice cakes), powder, and some sweet gel.
Shane is in his glory.
While he eats, we decide to hurry to Home Plus and pick up groceries. It's about a 20 minute walk away and we've been taking taxis a lot, so we decide to walk.
We arrive at 11pm, an hour before it closes.
I rush to the bathroom.
Groceries and cosmetics procured, we head home.
The streets are always so bright at night.
Although we'll stay at mine tonight, we stop by Shane's to drop off his groceries.
He's been staying at mine for the past couple weeks so it's messy.
Shane and I only live about a 4 minute walk away, so it's an easy trip to mine.
By now it's almost 1am, and no one is awake but one neighbor.
Inside the apartment, Elise is jubilant. She and I have always been extremely close, but she took Clementine's presence very hard and has been avoiding and rejecting me and Shane both, but especially me.
Shane is ready for bed.
Elise is ready for dinner.
I am ready for a shower.
The note is left up from when my dad came to visit last month. I just haven't taken it down.
Click to enlarge.
My bathroom is a wetroom, so there is no tub or shower. If you're wondering about the dreary color, it's partially just the color of the room, and partially a dim lightbulb.
I want to wash off, but I don't want my hair to get wet.
Back in my bedroom, I check my kakao.
Even though it's late, we decide to watch Damages.
Elise decides to join us.
I try to get Shane to take a mock-sleeping picture with me. He thinks that he looks like the witch from Spirited Away.
Elise wants in on it.
I fell asleep after this, probably around 2am.
Thanks for reading!