The Final Adventure

They that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. For me, this didn’t happen—I just began to say my goodbyes.

Two weeks before my flight home, I began having very vivid dreams of a plane crash. Not one to be paranoid, I chalked the dreams up to stress and didn’t think anything more of them. Nonetheless, while my plane was still at the gate, I said a little prayer to God asking for a safe flight home.

Having been a frequent flyer my entire life, flying is not something scares me. So when the plane experiences turbulence, I merely shake it off, and think nothing of it, often times laughing a little at those who fear a little bump. So, when I become terrified of turbulence, it’s not a little thing.

When my flight reached the halfway point, we began to experience turbulence. I noticed that the turbulence was more severe than normal, and became a little worried, simply because of my haunting nightmares, but I told myself, “Cowboy up,” and continued watching the in-flight entertainment. The turbulence got more severe though, to the point where I was concerned. This concern was heightened when I saw flight attendants not walking, but running to their seats. I can tell you as a frequent flyer that this is not a settling sight.

The turbulence continued to get more severe, and I began to clutch my armrests for dear life. It was then I realized how severe the situation was—a flight attendant took a spot by the emergency exit. I looked to my right, to the Korean pastor sitting by my side. I found comfort in that there was a man of God sitting next to me in what might be my final moments.

As the turbulence continued, I began to pray again, telling God that I was not ready to die; I just wanted to see my family on Christmas. And then—freefall. What felt like 7 seconds was probably in reality only 1 or 2, but it was enough time for me to stop thinking about not wanting to die, and I began saying good-bye.

Yes, there were screams. I’m sure I was screaming, too. When the freefall stopped, I felt that my face was wet with tears. I wasn’t sure when I began to cry. The turbulence continued, and I prayed that we would not have another freefall. Today was Christmas and I just wanted to see my family.

After another 20 or so minutes of turbulence, the plane finally evened out after rerouting itself. I unclamped my hands from the armrest, fingers now cramped, hands now white. Around me, several people got up to use the restroom for they had soiled their pants. I was surprised I hadn’t.

I looked at the people around me, all of us still breathing heavy and wincing at every bump. It was then I noticed that my pinky was throbbing, and I took a look at it. It was now swollen and blue, and I realized that in my fear, I had broken my pinky by clamping down so hard on my armrests.

For the remainder of the flight, I instinctively grabbed my armrest at any bump. I noticed people wincing with every wrong movement of the plane. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that when we landed, I almost kissed the ground.

Now I sit in the San Francisco airport, waiting for my next flight. I’ve never been one who is afraid of flying, but now, I don’t know if I can bring myself to board. 

Injustice Against Foreign Women

This story is a little dated, but the what it tells is still the same today--there is little justice for foreign women who are assaulted here in Korea.

http://rokdrop.com/2006/03/15/sexual-assualts-in-korea/

I have several foreign friends who have been assaulted during my time here in Korea, and the answer from the police is always the same--no help, only condescending responses. Even those who work in the Women Clinics have been prejudiced against my friends, often calling the assaults against them their fault.

Last year, I was attacked in a stairwell by a drunk man. I was lucky enough to have a friend close by who heard my shouts and was able to pull the man off of me. The establishment that we were at called the police to arrest the man, and when they came, they took my friend's name and number as well as mine. Neither of us ever heard back from the police.

Last week, I went dancing in a popular club area here in Seoul. My friend and I danced until the club was closed, and while we waited outside for her friend to come and pick us up, we had men from the club come up to us and proposition us to go to a motel. It got to the point when they were grabbing and groping at me while I was yelling in Korean telling them to stop, let go of me, and stop touching me. When one of them forcefully grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me away with him, I went to my last resort and pushed against him with all my might, and told him in Korean to "@#$% off!" (Cussing in Korean is often a very effective way to make a Korean man go away). I managed to free myself from his grasp and ran away as fast as I could. I ended up running a little over a mile away before feeling sure enough and safe enough to stop. So when all other things fail, run, just run away as fast as you can.

Things like this should serve as a caution to all foreign women living here in Korea. Be careful. There are many Korean men who will invite you to go to a restaurant to drink or Noraebang (Karaoke) with them, and to bluntly honest, their motives are purely sex. So decline these invitations. Be aware of how much you are drinking (as well as what you are drinking because the spiking of drinks is becoming more commonplace in Korea now) as well as your surroundings.

If worst comes to worst, and you are assaulted, the US consulate here in Korea has provided some information on what to do, and where to get help.

http://www.asktheconsul.org/victims_crime_korea.pdf

The Frailty of Human Life

Tragedy strikes in many ways. From the death of a goldfish when we are five to the death of a grandparent when we are teenagers, death is a tragedy that follows us wherever we go.

I was sitting in the study lounge at Korea University when a group project member walked in for our meeting. Her face was pale, and she was clearly shaken. She looked at me with moist eyes. I asked her what happened, and she only shook her head.

Moments before, she had witnessed a fellow Korea University student be hit and killed by the on-campus shuttle bus.

In one moment, there was a small girl walking to her next class, and the next there was a girl on an ambulance, struggling for her life.

Death teaches is many things. In this case, safety. The roads in South Korea are notoriously dangerous. The drivers don’t yield to you, you yield to them. At all times, you have to be alert, because not even the sidewalks are safe; motorcycle drivers regularly get on the sidewalk and expect you to move out of their way.

This brings up the importance of always being aware of your surroundings. Unlike at Texas Tech, where we are free to walk around with our iPods in and our eyes glued to our smart phones because we THINK the driver will stop for us, here it is just the opposite, we KNOW the driver will not.

The young girl’s death could have been prevented. When the bus hit her, she had been walking a across the street, playing with her phone. Being a small girl, she was already hard to see, and when she walked behind the bus, which was backing up, it was impossible for the driver to see her.

In instant she was with us, and in an instant, she was taken from us. Life is fragile, and can be gone as quickly as we blink. Think of safety wherever you go. Never assume the driver will stop for you or know you’re there. Yes, the driver is supposed to yield to you, but you should always yield to the driver. They may never see you.

Safety Tips

Having been almost kidnapped once in Thailand, I take safety very seriously. While Korea may be one of the safest countries in the world, there are some precautions that should be taken.

Some drunken Korean men are not the most courteous and can even sometimes be dangerous. For example, one night I was at a restaurant with some friends. At this particular restaurant, the restroom was not inside, but rather one had to go outside of the restaurant to use it. I made the bad decision of going to the restroom by myself. On my way there, a drunk Korean man grabbed me and tried to attack me. At the top of my lungs I shouted “하지마!”, “HAJIMA!” or “STOP!”. My shouting caught the attention of one of my male friends who came out to stop the man. So girls, never go anywhere by yourself, even if it’s just going to the bathroom. This is the same for going home.

If you are a girl and insist on going home by yourself at night (particularly if you are intoxicated), only take the subway, which is one of the safest ways to get home. Last train is at about 12:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday and 11:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m. Friday-Sunday. If you are a girl, try not to take a taxi alone at night, especially if you are intoxicated. A Taxi cab driver assaulting a woman is not a common event, but it does happen with reports coming out about it 2-3 times a year. At night, always take a cab in a group, even if alcohol has not been involved in the evening.

Korea is now becoming more of an international country, with many foreigners now living there. Most Koreans are very accepting or excited for foreign residents, but there are Korean nationalists. Typically, a nationalist is someone who is older, but it is not unheard of for a young person to think that Korea should only be for Koreans. When confronted by one of these purists, keep your calm, and simply walk away from the situation. Don’t let it lead to a confrontation. Most importantly, if they start hitting you, don’t hit back. When and if the incident is reported to the police, the foreigner runs the risk of being deported because they fought with a Korean. Keep your calm if the person insults you by calling you a “F---ing foreigner” or “round eye”; these events happen, just take them in stride.

It is important to use common sense. When a situation feels wrong, get out of it, your instinct is usually right. Don’t take drinks from strangers, don’t go to 노래방, ‘Noraebang’ (Karaoke) with men you don’t know, and never go alone anywhere, especially if you are a woman.

Korea is one of the safest countries in the world, so something bad happening is low, but always be prepared. Never take your safety for granted.