Third week at Uni

Sunday, I went to the soccer match at Daegu World Cup Stadium. I looked up directions online with Google maps. Google translation is a wonderful thing. I took the bus to the subway and rode it to Gosan yeok. After I got off the subway, I asked a guy at the information booth which way to the World Cup Stadium. He leads me outside and gives me nice directions. He says I should take a taxi, but Google maps said it was about a 15 minute walk, so I wanted to walk. So, he pointed in the direction “center.” So, I began my journey. Maybe twenty or so minutes elapsed and I saw the outlines of the roof of the Stadium in the distance. Needless to say I chose to take the bus (see note later) and subway on the way back. Across the street from the Stadium, there were vendors all selling the same thing apparently, either grapes or apples. So, I came to one and asked if I could just buy 2 apples instead of a bowl. At first she was reticent, but she then gave me them for free. I offered her some money, but she refused. By the way, the match was at three o’clock, and I have not eaten lunch. I arrived about an hour early, so I bought a Mountain Dew from the vendor and sat under the shelter and read some in my book Robert Ludlum’s “Apocalypse Watch.” A couple of Koreans were having a pleasant conversation next to me. After awhile I got up and walked around to the ticket booth. Tickets were 6,000 Won, so about $6. The ticket booths were in buildings that looked like silos. I noticed that there was a contest to try to kick the soccer ball in three small holes in a board to win a prize. I saw some foreigners kicking around the ball. And another foreigner comes up to me saying something, I was pretty sure it was English, but quite difficult to understand. Turns out he is from Dublin, Ireland. So, I actually know something about that place. The match itself was interesting, but there was nobody in the stands, it was really embarrassing. I watched with my new Irish friend. I tried to explain how the NFL drafts college players. Come to find out it is much different to European soccer.So, I got a ride back on a middle school bus, with college students it turned out. I guess they felt sorry for a lost foreigner. I was trying to figure out which bus to take from the Stadium.