Life is a bus-ride

I have been meaning to write about my morning bus-rides that transverse Chuncheon (through Myeong-Dong, passed Soyang-ro, across the Soyang bridge leading to the "other side" of the city-the outskirts) for quite sometime now. However, nothing hit me more this morning than the uncannily likeness of bus-rides to this journey called life.

Getting on a bus for the first time is always a gamble, because although a final destination may be in mind, the exact route and even the end of the journey are generally unknown. So number 37 or number 19 are the ones I look for... just as I am on this life journey in Korea as a teacher-a strange journey choice, but one that I am currently riding...

Everyone waits for the ride to begin as you have to be prepared to jump on-a leap of faith in something- because if you don't, life will carry on without you. My mom has always paid careful attention to people catching buses and gets mightily distressed if someone misses one...I never uderstood this bizarre phenomenon until it happens to you...just as in life-the opportunitie are consistently passing you by and you have got to realise you can't catch all of them, but those you want to grab you need to be prepared-time waits for no man.


We pay-an exchange of sorts-for the journey-either in the form of a digital bus disk that only costs 900 Won and is rechargeable compared to the old fashioned note and coin combo of 1100Won. I guess representing the current situation of technology in our modern world-it helps but is not necessary. Nevertheless, an exchange is made-showing your commitment to this opportunity in life. Despite the consistent price, you are never guaranteed the same situation- your bus may have airconditioning/none, many/few seats, be full of rowdy, pubescent highschool students/peaceful. You get on- not knowing but trusting-trusting that the ride you are on is a safe one- one with a busdriver that has had a decent sleep, hasn't been out drinking the green goodness of Soju, you don't get hold hostage like the horrific incident in Manila yesterday evening and most of all he/she gets you to your destination on time. Constant anxieties that one needs to surpass by trusting the universe-the Big Guy out there-as I believe most things in life should be approached.

You find a position in the bus- the most convenient or comfortable - a seat hopefully-at the back in the shadows or right up in front with all the action of the "anyeonghaseyo" or "Gamsamhamnidas" as the electric machine beeps loudly. Chosen for a specific reason, you try support yourself as the bus sways obscurely from side to side presenting multiple obstructions. Sometimes grabbing at the handles dangling above, sometimes finding support by rooting yourself firmly on the ground, you need to look for support in circumstances otherwise you could end up falling.

Have you ever watched the way everybody's head and body sways in the same motion when on a bus? Everyone moving in synchronisity... as if to the same tune- fashion, trends, culture, social norms, societal pressures-we all get caught up in it and somehow even if we don't agree with it all- we go along swaying back and forth rather amusingly.

You do a great deal of observing on a bus (especially when you don't speak the language-but even so). You watch the world go by from your perspective-your stand-point-nobody else's. Sure you get a glimpse of yourself in the mirror from time to time and realise how others really see you just like how one stumbles upon a blog with vivid descriptions of you or how you overhear people speaking about you or are told by others what their friends think of you... all are perpectives -subjective ones and you quickly realise how you form your own world too through your subjectivity-your consciousness.

The people come and go-just as in life-some as complete strangers -going the same route on thesame bus , but never is your life intertwined with theirs-the elderly constantly lost looking man with a hunky dorey bag and his faded khaki jeans or the cool high school girl with exquisite hair who will sure grow up to be beautiful for a long time or the young professional bank assistant in the same blue and silver ShinHan bank apparel with a "I am living a desperate life of solitude" written on her forehead. You relate to them in some ways and don't in others, but never is a word exchanged. Then, there are some people who you become close to -and even miss when they are no longer on the journey with you-like Seong-my 5th grade student who eats far too much-usually consisting of some bakery delight but is always jovial and happy to see me and so to am I her. We share stories of our lives in simple language- "I went to Seoul this weekend" I say. "hmmm" she says in return. "I go Gongicheon" "I like Zakumi-very cute" And so we take an interest in each other's lives-I give her a Zakumi mascot pen and remember her birthday and in return she gives her most valuable sticker so I can stick it on my phone-an intereaction, a witnessing, a touch of humanity.

You also realise others who have not been there for a long time-and wonder if you will ever meet up with them again-the neatly dressed, middle-aged man who always kindly holds my luggage if I am standing and smiles shyly acknowledging my existence. You saw him at the bank the other day and know more about the gaps in his life- he works as the front desk man directing people who enter the building to obviously far more important seeming individuals than himself. Nevertheless, his absence is missed, just as you realise people enter and leave your life or just change the way you relate to one another, because of circumstances, death (dear Sam Moon) or a fall out.

At some point though, you need to get off -you have reached your destination- where I must say my analogy falls short-you never arrive. Sure you always have the future in front of you and the past behind you as the bus has tarred-road beneath it. However, you never reach a full potential or the end point or the climax of your life... not that I can believe anyway. You only wait for the next bus to jump on, trustingly that the direction and journey it takes you on is an exciting but safe one-one filled with experience of other rides, enough support and protection, friendly faces and some purpose so that your life, as you perceive it has some meaning.