Maxwell's Lost Again

I have no recollection of ever actually landing in Minneapolis Saint Paul before. I can clearly remember running between the terminals for some late connection, so late every shop was closed, though I could not say what it was or where it was going. It looks pleasant. The tree-lined neighborhoods in blooming spring attire, a few lakes, a few golf courses. It’s funny, this is where Dane lived and died, and of all airports this is where my layover is. I guess he’s coming with me to Jongwon’s wedding. When alone and unhurried, I enjoy looking out my window at the planes coming and going and the slow bob of our taxiing. I watch military planes with quad props look lithe in their gray paint and am happy to be a mere civilian.
I have never slept so well on a flight. My family would describe me as a bit of a, to use my father’s words, cheap ass, but I am willing to fork it over for travel, specifically plane travel. I believe it is eminently worth it to turn something dreadful into one of the parts of a trip you can be most excited for, especially on a short trip where you have to adjust quickly to life 13 hours ahead. Flipping day to night is never easy, but if you can come into it off 9 or so hours asleep, you are well ahead of the curve.
At first I thought the suite was more cramped, but once we got in the air and I got my chair down into the lie flat position and put the mattress topper on (chef’s kiss), I realized they had made larger footwells, and it gave room to roll around. As someone who sleeps every night on their back, side, and stomach, I greatly appreciated this. Most long haul flights I watch 3-4 movies, but after the first meal service I promptly fell asleep for about 6 hours. I woke up a few times to chug water and groggily snack, but it was as close to time travel as I’d ever experienced, and before I knew it, I opened my window and could see the peninsula containing Incheon, with the sun getting ready to set behind. I grabbed my two carry ons and floated through customs and immigration, got lost for a short moment, and then found the car I had arranged for myself to travel to Jongwon’s hotel.
JW was waiting for me at his hotel, and after showing me the cozy room, we went out for some fried chicken and a beer. I told him more about Owen, who he’s yet to meet but will be accompanying us to Jeju Island, and he told me what to expect from a Korean wedding. Noon start, two to three hours including the steak lunch after the ceremony, and I’ll be sitting with a few of our boarding school friends. I will be the only non-Asian person in attendance. I plan to try the live translation feature on my airpods during the ceremony. If that’s rude, I’ll just sit there and pretend, and practice the four congratulatory Korean phrases my driver from the airport taught me.
I managed to stay awake until about midnight, and then promptly sedated myself in hopes this would help me adjust to the time zone in just one night. An impossible feat, as I woke up at 4:30 and realized there was no way I was going back to sleep. Today is the day for willpower. I had my plan to hit a Jjimjilbang, hit the mall for the few things I didn’t pack, wander a bit, and then go meet Owen.
A jjimjilbang is like a Korean semi-public bath house. I tracked one down that was foreigner friendly, they’re not quite as worried about tattoos here as they are in Japan, and began my trek to it. A short train ride that would have been shorter had I not stayed on for an extra stop, and I found what appeared to be an apartment building and finally found the signs for the Spa in the basement. It seems like every building is part mall, it had a 7eleven, two restaurants, and three barbers inside. The basement was dingy but clean smelling, and after getting admonished for wearing my shoes onto the hardwood, I began to get the picture as I slipped into another pair of too-small sandals and paid my 12,000 won to enter. I was given a locker key and realized that unless I went in fully nude, I would stand fully out. After getting over my American Anxieties, I didn’t mind at all. The 20ish men in the room barely acknowledged anyone else, aside from one or two nods in passing which told me I was abiding by the rules. I rinsed off in the standing showers, though the ones with little foot stools are far more popular, and then did my normal circuit of sauna, hot tub, cold plunge, hot tub, and again. The best hot tub was one with two railings on either side and a wooden block for your head, designed for you to lay down in. You could pay extra for some sort of “scrub” where a man attacks you with something pumice-like, but I feel I had already bitten off enough. After about 40 minutes, I called it, and went back into the locker room to debate with myself if I should try the barber. I opted to just change back into my clothes, and go find a meal. It was still only about 8am, I had already had a coffee and a waffle from when I began wandering toward the spa, but it was time for something more hearty.
I found a place open and servicing a soup of noodles and oxtail. Wow. Just wow. I had never had a broth with the same flavor before, and could have probably eaten three more bowls of it. Food led to shopping, which of course led to more food. I found a sushi restaurant on the tenth floor of the Hyundai Department Store, which was a bit like Harrod’s or Bergdorf Goodman with what felt like even more dining and grocery options. I did spend about 20 minutes trying out different LAB putters, and the sales associate knew not to take me seriously as I kept missing short and right.
I had to convince the confused waitresses to just let me order a few nigiri and not the entire set menu, but after lots of smiling and nodding I was successful. An elegantly dressed elderly gentleman sat next to me, and to my surprise he was happy to have some small talk. He spent about 10 years in the states at the University of Wisconsin and Yale as a professor of Biology, and let me know I was lucky to get into the restaurant (Sushi Doson). After a few Geonbaes, I bid him farewell, and slowly moseyed back to my hotel, where I sit now debating if I want to take the hour trek to meet Owen in Hongdae. The wedding is tomorrow, and I want to soft land my jet lag tonight, but I must be active for at least six more hours. To take an hour long trek and risk staying out all night, or to hang here and go to sleep? I think most can anticipate what will happen, but for now I will just go have a snack by myself and ponder.
Stay tuned, I plan to add pictures to this once I get my phone working. Cheers from the other side.