Subway Saturday

It might not sound like much, but it's rare that you get the chance to be a guinea pig for a new subway line. So Andy signed us up at the Metro 9 website, and it came to pass that Saturday found the usual suspects meeting up at Express Bus Terminal for a short preview ride. The station addition is shiny and impressive.


Just past the turnstile (no charge!) the adventure begins:


We were expecting to sit through a 20 minute presentation or ceremony of some kind, but there was mainly a display of photographs detailing the construction of each new line in the history of the Seoul Metro. You can see some of the photos on easels surrounding us this photo taken in the new concourse. There is also a model of the station, which lights up to indicate train arrivals.




The platform signage is essentially the same as on the other lines, but includes a satellite image of the neighborhood:


Finally, we get on the train, and our journey starts:



Here I am sitting in the section reserved for the elderly, pretending (?) to be an ornery old ajosshi. Next to me is "Ryan", a student at the University of Foreign Studies, who stuck to us like a sandspur.


Here is footage of the improved door sign which provides information about location, next stop, etc.:



Lastly, a view of the entire car, followed by a photo looking out the front window of the train. Unlike other lines, this one has a window into the operator's cabin. Cool!



What better way to follow up being a subway guinea pig than going to a baseball game in Jamshil? None, at least if you are Nick, Andy and me!

The Doosan Bears have been struggling lately, so Andy was anxious to give them some support. The game began at 5:00, vs Hanhwa Eagles. Hanhwa, of course, is a Korean chaebol, and one of the largest. Its main business is in chemicals and explosives. I got a shot as the teams took the field at the opening of the game. You can see the weather was awesome:


Here I am posing on the smoking deck, with Seoul Olympic Stadium in the background.


I also got footage of a Doosan 2 run homer in the fifth that put the game out of reach of the Eagles. After the game, we went to Bongcheon for ... you guessed it, lamb kebabs!