World's Longest Commute

Woke up at 5. Snoozed my alarm, and at 5:10 I got up for the longest commute to work ever attempted.

Brushed my teeth and got dressed in my work clothes and packed in the dark. Said goodbye to Russ and went downstairs. It had been a good visit, but unfortunately my short visit to this country had come to an end.

Russ told me that all I had to say to the cab driver was "Incheon Airport ka Jo-say-yo," as in "Incheon Airport take me to please." So I got in a cab and said that. He didn't understand. I showed him a map, he didn't understand. I showed him my gps map on my phone in Korean and he didn't get it.

I was confused enough that this man wasn't getting what was going on, as Incheon is the only Airport that goes international and ever foreigner who has ever said Incheon is referring to the airport, and a little worried when he took me to the police station and asked me to go inside.

Figuring I was about to be sent to Pyongyang in North Korea, I took my bag with me, so at least I'd have some Soju for the ride. But the policeman just said "where to?" and I told him the airport. He translated, by saying "Incheon." Wow.

We were off by 5:35, arriving at the airport at 6:45 for my 8:10 flight. Security opened at 7, so I was checked in, through security and immigration, and headed to my gate by 7:05.

Meandered to my gate and arrived at 7:39, a minute before boarding started. Settled into 12C and pulled out my reading for work. Had to buckle down... Skipped Friday and I was to be getting in late today...

Couldn't find a pen - which put a serious damper on my plans for a bit. Had to borrow one from a girl a row in front of me.

The plane landed at 9:14 Beijing time (10:14 Korea time), a minute early than scheduled.

I breezed through immigration and customs, since I got ahead of the line and feigned ignorance when I jumped to an immigration officer at a Chinese Nationals Only desk.

In typical Chinese fashion, by the time I got to baggage claim (one of the first on my plane) the bags were already unloaded. True efficiency is possible when you have a 1 billion man workforce and a government which can control it absolutely.

I picked up my backpack from the conveyor belt (had checked it cuz I brought back four bottles of Soju) and without missing a step kept going towards taxis.

I was about to hail a cab when I realized the cost would be 70+ yuan, and if I took the airport express train and then the subway it would cost 27 yuan. I opted for the latter, since I was so far ahead of schedule. The train left at 10.

I changed trains at Sanyuanqiao in the city, and moved onto the number 10 line going south to Guomao.

Got off at Guomao, and walked probably a mile underground through the connection tunnel to line number 1 and then under the Yintai complex to my tower, the Yintai Office Center.

I dragged my bag to the elevator and up to the 19th floor. I was tired and sweaty from the lack of sleep and the horrid Beijing Summer humidity and heat but I arrived in the office and put my bags next to my desk a few minutes before 11, ending the longest commute I've ever had to make and probably ever will make. Seven hours, several hundred miles, two countries, just to get to work an hour late. Worth it.

We had a lunch at work of German food in honor of the four new summer interns who have joined us today. That was all that happened that was interesting at work.. Oh, and I waited for a full hour to get a cab in the rain to my hostel, again, and ended up having to pay double what a cab would cost for a took took. Granted, that was still only $6, and the equivalent distance in the states would be about $20, but the situation still stung. And I once again had to fear for my life in the took took I booked to boot.

Got back at 7:20. As I pulled in, Ross, Kuldeep, and Alex were walking to dinner. They wanted me to come but I had stuff to do-- I had just come back from Korea.

I picked up my laundry, checked back into the hostel, and paid for my remaining nights here. Got into my room and turned on the AC. Unpacked and prepared for the evening. I was to be seeing Chapin later, who's using this week of his break from Wash U for a family vacation to Beijing - and of course to visit Mingwei and me.

At 8:30 I called Chapin and figured out where he was. Due to his inability to speak Chinese despite a year of Wash U Chinese classes and this being his first time in Beijing, I had to pick him up to come back to the hostel.

Found Chapin, and I awkardly waited in his room - feeling significantly awkward at the prospect of his sleeping jetlagged brother waking up with a strange person in his room - while he showered before we headed out.

We caught a cab and went back to my Sanlitun hostel briefly before Chapin and I went to meet Mingwei at the Apple store in the Sanlitun Mall. Ironically (if that's the right word, which is usually isn't), Ross, Alex, Cole and Kuldeep were there too.

They all chickened out for the bars, something about going out tomorrow and the next day too, and Ross had an interview with someone for his thesis, so Mings and Chaps and I grabbed three 4 yuan beers and I got a dinner of 5 sticks of lamb shishkabobs for 10 yuan.

We sat down in Smuggler's, and drank for a while. Mingwei and I took turns treating Chapin to drinks, as is Chinese custom.

We had blue kamakazis, gin and tonics, I had a mojito, both of them had strawberry daqueris. We had some sort of flaming shot, and a beer or two a piece. An overall light night, as Chapin and I have to get up early tomorrow.

At midnight Mingwei's driver picked us up and dropped us off at our respective locations. Mingwei insisted I was out of the way, but only cuz he clearly doesn't know my area. I was right on the way to drop Chapin off.

Got back around 20 past midnight. Fell asleep pretty quickly. I was exhausted. What a long weekend!