One of these kids is not like the others...

This picture was taken without a flash. Know why it didn't need one?... Because there's a spotlight on me every time I get on the train. These cars are always packed like sardines full of Koreans and I'm accustomed to being the only whitey in sight. I mean, seriously, look how freakin' white I am. I stick out like a sore thumb everywhere I go, but the train is especially funny to me.

A couple of weeks ago I met a friend at a station in Anyang, which is a huge, crowded station. He spotted me in about 15 seconds, as it was like picking out the moon in the sky. There's never any need for "How will I know where to find you?", as it's always more like "Don't worry, I'm impossible to miss."

We whities have this unwritten code where we nod at each other when spotted. One time I was in one car and I spotted a whitey in the adjacent car through the window, and we both lit up with the same expression of humorous recognition and shot each other the pistol "hey buddy" salutation. It really was funnier than it sounds.

The best subway story so far was when I was going from Hwaseo, the local station, to an unknown destination in Seoul with two other guys, Braden and Bill. The train pulled up while we were a good 75 yards away and up a flight of steps. Braden says: "We can make this thing" and takes off running. Bill followed, and I lagged behind like the newbie that I am. Braden got in the car no problem followed by Bill, who was pushing it. Then the doors started to close as I was about 20 feet away and the Indiana Jones theme kicked on in my head. I didn't have Braden's or Bill's phone numbers, so if I missed this train I'd be s.o.l. I made a mad dash, and leaped through the doors sideways as they closed the instant I made it through. If I could go back and capture just one image on camera, it would be the look of astonishment, amazement, and bewilderment on everyone on the train's faces as I leaped into their car. There was a collective "oooohhh" as I made my spectacular white entry.

Of course, I found out later that the doors aren't like elevator doors and people have been known to get stuck in them. I laughed in the face of danger on this occasion, however... and came out smelling like a rose.