The "I pooped" Story...

Okay, I know the title of this entry sounds weird and that it's kind of long, but bare with me and read to the end; this is hilarious.

Yesterday, I was riding the subway with all of the Inbound Exchange Students. As the subways can get very crowded, four of us were slightly apart from the rest of the group. I, believing I am a funny person, decided to tell a story my best friend, Kira, had shared with me before I left.

My friends Nick, from Wisconsin, and Nicole, from Nevada, are Supernatural fans (a hit TV show). I told them the story that Jared Padelecki, the actor who plays Sam, had told during a Q&A he had. His story goes something kind of like this:

Jared, his wife, and his friend are all boarding a train in Europe. Jared and his friend are in charge of getting all of the luggage on the train. Just as the doors close, Jared realizes he left his wife's bag on the platform. The train starts moving and there's no way that he can get the bag. Under normal circumstances, this would have been okay, but it was during a high-security time and the bag had all of his wife's new-bought, expensive clothing in it.

Jared is freaking out and searches the train trying to find someone to help him so that his wife's bag doesn't "get incinerated". Unfortunately, Jared can't find anyone who works on the train, so he goes back to the door in a panic. He looks down and finds the emergency brake (note that they're now in the middle of nowhere). So, what does Jared do? He pulls it. The train comes to a complete stop and a member of the train crew rushes up to him. She doesn't speak English natively, but she asks Jared what is wrong and if he's okay; she's genuinely concerned.

Jared explains why he stopped the train and the woman asks him "You stopped the train...for a bag?" Jared tells the woman that he's very sorry for stopping the train. The woman responds with "Oh no, you didn't just stop this train; you stopped ALL of the trains." (If you want to hear his whole story, I'll post a link).

So, after I tell this story to my friends Nick, Nicole, and Valerie (she's from Florida and has only been here for a day), I proceed to tell them that I've been trying for two weeks to find the emergency brake, but I can't. Nick asks me why I've been looking and I say "Because it would be really funny if I can say "On my last day in South Korea, I stopped all of the trains in Busan." Luckily, there isn't a emergency brake; they have an SOS walkie-talkie that connects to the conductor.

Now this is where it gets really funny. From this point on, all of us are trying to come up with valid reasons to get the train stopped. The only one any of us remember is this one. Someone simply asked "What if you say in a really upset voice 'I pooped'?" As we are all immature, this is hilarious to us. As usual, I try to out-funny them all.

My plan was to act out talking into the walkie-talkie and say "Hello? I pooped and it's everywhere and the passengers are really upset, because it's getting in their shoes." Of course, I was already laughing and the rest of the sentence was hilarious to me, so all I could get out over and over again was "Wait, wait. So I'll say 'Hello? I pooped" before uncontrollable laughter ensued. Mind you, we're on a crowded subway while this is all happening.

Before I finally get out my sentence, I've repeated the statement "I pooped" like 20 times. The entire time this has been happening, there was a Korean woman standing next to us. I think she understood enough English to understand "I pooped." I say this only because at the next stop, the woman practically ran to the other side of the car, opened the door, and changed cars.

I made a Korean woman think I pooped myself on the subway. She probably told her family, friends, and coworkers. I will forever be remembered to her as that foreigner who pooped their pants on the subway.

Madison

Jared's Train Story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSXpSa6dXYY

The Differences

It's weird when you're in a place that you've only been to in your mind. There are things you couldn't possibly imagine as different; like smells. In your head, you can't predict the way a place will smell, so you assume it smells the same. But when you get to that far-off place you've never really been to, things are different in ways you never would have thought.

Like the way it smells after it rains. In Oregon after it rains, there is a soft aroma of pine trees and grass. It smells like peace and safety; like happiness. Here after it rains, all you smell is weighted down pollution and sadness. It's as if in the sun, the difficulties of city-life are easily masked, but the rain wipes away the illusion. After it rains here, all I can smell is the sadness and filth of a dying planet. I never thought that the smell of rain would be that powerful to me.

Something else you'd never expect to be different is the way the Earth moves beneath your feet. This is even more subtle than a smell, but just as powerful and undeniably different. Back home, you can almost feel the Earth guiding you, urging you to wander and explore. It pulls your feet towards it and persuades you to continue on your journey. In this massive city, covered by skyscrapers and roads, it is as if the Earth has gone silent. The city is always making noise, drowning out the quiet murmur the world naturally emits. You can no longer feel the Earth moving and beckoning you to follow it.

There is one last thing I wasn't truly prepared for: the noise. Now that's not to say that in my home-town there is no noise; it's just the noises are different. In Independence, you hear the sound of music blaring from the open windows of cars as they drive down Main Street. You hear the birds chirping and dogs barking. You can hear your neighbor's hose as they water a flowerbed and inevitably flood your backyard. There's that ever distant sound of the sawmill working before and after the hours they promised the town they'd work. If you stay up late enough, you can hear the train go by at 3 am. And sometimes, it's as if the world has stopped and you don't hear any noise. Those are the times you think that you are the only person left in the world, or perhaps that armageddon has begun.

In Busan, you hear the never-ending sound of cars driving by, with the not-so-occasional honk of an angry driver. You hear the subway going by and people talking. You hear music play every so often. The difference between here and home is that the noise here never ceases. You never really feel alone, which in some aspects is good. The noise here is like a never-ending wind blowing past you; it doesn't hurt you, it just never stops.

Please don't misunderstand me, I love being in Busan. I love the culture and being somewhere new. I love living an adventure and meeting new people and experiencing new things. It is just the subtle differences that make being away from my quiet farming town difficult.

My High School And Other Things

Hi!

I visited my high school today! It takes about an hour by subway to get there. If you don't know, I'm going to Busan Jungang Girl's High School. I met the principal, vice principal, and my classmates. When I introduced myself, everyone clapped and giggled. When I said I was from America, they all went "Oooooh." It was very different. I start school on September 2nd, while everyone else started today. I won't start until next month, because I don't have a uniform or backpack.

I was very sad to find out that there is only one music class at my high school and it's for first grade (I'm in second). As most of you all know, music is the biggest influence in my life. Hopefully, I will find a band to play trumpet in. If not, I was told that I could be found a place to practice trumpet. It was honestly very upsetting news, because band would have made making friends easier.

I have to do a 30 minute presentation about myself, Independence, Oregon, and the USA for each of the 12 classes at my high school. I am very excited because I get to do the presentation in English!

It is very hot in S. Korea. It is about 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit). I am NOT used to the heat and sweating so much; it's very gross. But it is beautiful and I love it here.

I love and miss you all!

Madison

Guess Where I Am...

Hi everyone!

Right now it's about 11:30 am on August 16th. I'm sitting in my room in Haeundae. I'm in South Korea guys. For real. Last night I think I went to bed early, since my host family was still awake and spending time together. The only reason I went to bed was because it was 1 am and I had been awake for about 24 hours straight.

My family is very, very nice. I've been in their home for less than 12 hours and I already feel like I'm part of the family. My host dad is very kind and speaks English pretty well. He told me that if I need anything, I ask him or mom and that I am his daughter. I feel very loved and very safe. And last night when my Appa (dad) picked me up at the airport, he gave me three roses. I'm very glad that they're my family.

I have pictures of the inside of my house (I can't leave because I don't remember the code to get back in the apartment.) and I wanted to share them with you all. I'm on the 12th floor and I can see the ocean from my bedroom window.My home is very comfortable and, just like the rest of Busan, is very beautiful.

Thank you all for helping me get here! I couldn't have done it without your help and support.

Love,

Madison

One Day

Hi all,

Last night I stayed up until 3 am packing. I'm not really sure why I did; I mean I could have just packed the rest of my things today, right? It's really weird knowing that by tomorrow I'll be half way across the world. It's kind of scary.

But I know I'll be fine and all of this hard work will be worth it. I'm both excited and terrified about leaving, but I guess that's normal.

Next time I update my blog, I'll be in South Korea. See you then.

Madison

4 Days and Saying My Goodbyes

Hi Guys,

I leave for S. Korea in four days. How insane is that? 10 months ago I found out I was going on exchange, and now I leave in four days. Crazy how time flies.


Yesterday was my Send-Off Party. I can honestly say that I've never been more emotionally exhausted than I was last night. It was a lot of fun and great to see everyone one last time before I leave. But knowing that I won't get to see everyone for almost a year was really sad. But a good kind of sad. I can't explain it, but it was really fun and happy and sad.

Well, that's it for now! More updates to come.

Madison

7 Days and A Very Important Request

Hello everyone,

I have a week left until my exchange begins! I am more than excited than I can express!

Also, I am in desperate need of work or donations. Things have turned out to be a little more expensive than originally thought, and I am reaching out to all of you. I would be more than grateful to have an extra job to work to earn my funds, or a simple donation.

If you can help me, please contact me. My e-mail address is madisonmccammon@hotmail.com. Or message me on Facebook.

Thank you all for everything you have already done!

Madison

Eight Days!

Hi everyone!

I leave for South Korea in 8 days! I will be leaving from the PDX airport at 11:30 am on August 14th. That's next Wednesday! I cannot believe that this is actually happening!

For everyone who has donated their time, money, and/or energy to help me get to S. Korea, I am eternally grateful. Without all of your support and kindness, this far-off dream probably never would have become a reality.

Thank you all so much! Updates soon to follow.

Madison