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Saturday, November 27, 2010
Unusually Awkward Encounter
Some people wonder what it's like living in Korea. What happened to me 10 minutes ago is the perfect example:
Let me start by saying, I went out with coworkers last night until the wee hours of the morning. I slept in nice and late, discussed tonight's plans with friends, and decided to check Facebook. I was still in my pajamas when the doorbell rang.
My "apartment bill" was around $30 higher this month. I asked my boss why and she said it was the heating bill. I explained that I have not touched my heater. She said that she would send the apartment man (ajoshi) to check something under my sink? When the doorbell rang, I closed the bedroom door and ran to answer the door. An ajumma, complete with visor, was just starting to walk away. She came back and tried to talk to me. I told her "Hangul ope-so." (I don't have Korean/I don't speak Korean.) She had one of those touch screen devices in her hand and was saying "gas-uh," so I figured she wanted to check the gas.
I invited her in (gesturing) and she tried to speak some more Korean to me. She said "gas-uh" and again I gestured for her to follow me. Something she said or did made me wonder if she wanted to know if the gas was working. I went to the kitchen and checked the gas. It worked. While I was in there she's still speaking Korean. She's coming towards the kitchen at this point, but she's on her hands and knees. "Is she feeling for the ondol? I wonder."
I point to the lit burner, to show her that the gas is in fact working. She's halfway standing up now. She tries to ask me something else in Korea, and I finally think to call a friend. She says "ani, ani" (no, no.) At this point, she starts to head back for the door CRAWLING AGAIN. Only then do I realize she is crawling so as not to walk on my (not very clean) floor. OMG.
Korean tradition mandates that one remove ones shoes when entering someone's home, some restaurants, and I'm sure occasional other buildings. Every other visitor I've had, removed their shoes and either walked in socks or slipped on the plastic sandals I keep by the door for that purpose (they've been here since I moved in.) I personally wear my brown Old Navy flipflops around the house. Not this lady, though. She chose to CRAWL on her hands and knees all the way down the hallway.
I felt so bad and was trying to tell her to stand up. When she finally gets done crawling across my in-desperate-need-of-a-sweep floor, she stands and does the most unusual thing. She tells me (gestures and Korean) that I have a nice face! Ugh the horror.
"Hey lady, thanks for coming to my country without speaking the language, inviting me into your messy home in your pajamas, and allowing me to crawl across your apartment to TRY to explain something you should probably already know, but you've got a pretty face."
I. LOVE. KOREA.
They may have some unusual customs, but how can you fault that which makes you laugh? I bowed and said "kamsamnida" and saw her out the door. I still don't even know why she was here. Well, on that note, I'm off to sweep the floor before I have any more visitors!
Let me start by saying, I went out with coworkers last night until the wee hours of the morning. I slept in nice and late, discussed tonight's plans with friends, and decided to check Facebook. I was still in my pajamas when the doorbell rang.
My "apartment bill" was around $30 higher this month. I asked my boss why and she said it was the heating bill. I explained that I have not touched my heater. She said that she would send the apartment man (ajoshi) to check something under my sink? When the doorbell rang, I closed the bedroom door and ran to answer the door. An ajumma, complete with visor, was just starting to walk away. She came back and tried to talk to me. I told her "Hangul ope-so." (I don't have Korean/I don't speak Korean.) She had one of those touch screen devices in her hand and was saying "gas-uh," so I figured she wanted to check the gas.
I invited her in (gesturing) and she tried to speak some more Korean to me. She said "gas-uh" and again I gestured for her to follow me. Something she said or did made me wonder if she wanted to know if the gas was working. I went to the kitchen and checked the gas. It worked. While I was in there she's still speaking Korean. She's coming towards the kitchen at this point, but she's on her hands and knees. "Is she feeling for the ondol? I wonder."
I point to the lit burner, to show her that the gas is in fact working. She's halfway standing up now. She tries to ask me something else in Korea, and I finally think to call a friend. She says "ani, ani" (no, no.) At this point, she starts to head back for the door CRAWLING AGAIN. Only then do I realize she is crawling so as not to walk on my (not very clean) floor. OMG.
Korean tradition mandates that one remove ones shoes when entering someone's home, some restaurants, and I'm sure occasional other buildings. Every other visitor I've had, removed their shoes and either walked in socks or slipped on the plastic sandals I keep by the door for that purpose (they've been here since I moved in.) I personally wear my brown Old Navy flipflops around the house. Not this lady, though. She chose to CRAWL on her hands and knees all the way down the hallway.
I felt so bad and was trying to tell her to stand up. When she finally gets done crawling across my in-desperate-need-of-a-sweep floor, she stands and does the most unusual thing. She tells me (gestures and Korean) that I have a nice face! Ugh the horror.
"Hey lady, thanks for coming to my country without speaking the language, inviting me into your messy home in your pajamas, and allowing me to crawl across your apartment to TRY to explain something you should probably already know, but you've got a pretty face."
I. LOVE. KOREA.
They may have some unusual customs, but how can you fault that which makes you laugh? I bowed and said "kamsamnida" and saw her out the door. I still don't even know why she was here. Well, on that note, I'm off to sweep the floor before I have any more visitors!
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” ~Mother Teresa
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