a day with koreans.....

This is not the first we spent time with koreans. Eversince we came here in Korea we been with different people, they really like L. We noticed that, to them a foreigner or being with a foreigner is a novelty. We concluded that being with us they got a free english practice instead of enrolling in a hogwon and pay thousands of won. Don't get me wrong, we find them really nice & friendly and we do appreciate that, so we make a point to accept their invitations all the time. But sometimes we find them very persistent and annoying too, so we just doesn't stay long.... Today is different because we actually spent the whole day with koreans.

Our day started at 5am, since we know that the director and wife is coming at 7:30am we make sure that we're ready once they honk downstairs. They came at 8:10am! well we don't mind, it's morning and we have a fresh start. Our destination - Korean Immigration in Daejeon, for our visa's. The name of the school in L's visa has to be changed from the previous to the new school's name. As for me, my 90 days tourist visa will expire at the end of the month, I need to get an extension or a temporary resident ID if necessary.

There we're five of us in the car, the director, the wife, the driver (wife's sister) and L & I. When we get in the car, we said " hi, hello, how are you?" after that the three of them started chatting. L and I just sit quietly and watched the view, from time to time we smile at each other while the these 3 people keep talking. In the middle of the drive the wife hand out foods, rice ball (counter part of meat ball, she says) with ketchup and milk. L ate the rice balls and I just settled for a milk. Before long we're already in the city, we been to Daejeon last weekeend but not on this part of the city. It's really big! not just apartment buildings that we usually see but commercial buildings which is one after the other, department store and shops after the other, I feel like I am in Makati. L commented that he feels like he's in New York.

As we continued, the wife, L and I went in a bookstore, the sister and director went somewhere. The bookstore was really nice, there are a lot of english books for toddler to adults. These are the books they use for ESL (English as Second Language). I enjoy looking around,I feel like I am in a bookland, I settled myself reading children story books while L and the director's wife are looking for english books for adults. It's time to go, the director and the sister's been waiting outside and the moment we get in the car, they started their loud talks again. This time it's really loud like they are yelling at each other, like they are fighting! If talks can kill then one of them is already dead! L and I just look at each other and smile secretly. We know that we're lost because we just keep driving over and over and their loud talk continues, then they started to roll the window down and asked "ajumma (woman)" and "ajussi (man)" these and that.... eventually the director decided to take a taxi and our car followed him, atlast we found the Korean Immigration!

At first we thought it will take time for everything to be over, the wife is saying that she and Lee will head back to Buyeo and me & the director will just finish everything. L refused to do so, he can't just leave me like that. But then we didn't spend much time there, because we found out at once that another document from the previous school is needed for them to issue a new visa for L. As for me, I need to have 2 photo ID and W60,000 to get a temporary resident ID, and since my visa will expire at the end of the month we just decided to comeback.

We head back, again we got lost, can't find our way out! the three stooges started talking again, on top of their lungs! It's so annoying because they talked so loud, we don't know if they are angry, arguing or just talking and they are oblivious of people around them, the worst is we can't understand a word at all! didn't even bother to translate what is happening!. I feel so tired of all the walks, all the talks, Iam hungry and sleepy. I tried to sleep but I can't because of their loud and non-stop talks. After a while the wife handed out kimbap for a snack, we ate while listening to their uninteresting and annoying talks. I was so glad when we reach Buyeo, I jumped out of the car and head back to our apartment as fast as I could, away from them. I feel sad for L because he had to go to school and teach after that long day.

I don't know if I can stand another day with them again......