Well, the monsoon season is well and truly here. It’s rained steadily most of every day this week and, yesterday, my coworkers told me that flooding closed parts of the No. 3 subway line in the northwest part of the city.
As for me, the rain hasn’t been much of an impediment, but the FTA protests have. A masssive protest near City Hall downtown closed off two major streets just as I was trying to get to work. Traffic backed up through the Namsan tunnel, stranding my bus in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
After we exited the tunnel, we could see why. The street was closed just after the toll booth and large tour buses full of people wearing red and yellow protest headband things and carrying signs were disembarking. (Of course, this is the day I leave the camera at home to keep it from getting wet!)
(Picture ripped from here.)
The U.S. embassy said they expected around 20,000 participants to protest the free-trade agreement, and I’d say they got that many at least.
As the road was blocked, we all had to get off the bus and walk. Fortunately, at that point, I was within about a quarter mile of the office and could find my way there. I was a little nervous because I had to walk through throngs of the demonstrators as they headed for city hall. I kept practicing a few key French phrases and debated whether I’d try for Canadian, French or German, if confronted. But no one paid me any mind.
The only angry words I saw were between two ajummas arguing in the doorway of a shop, which appeared unrelated to any free trade with the United States. More of a limited immediate trade dispute . . .
I’m sticking with the subway the rest of this week, which is a real bummer because I finally found a bus route that takes half the time. At least on normal days.
