Sunday, June 17, 2012

Finder's Keepers

This weekend I lost my wallet.
It was one of those silly mistakes.

Here is how it played out:
After a long walk, I had the groups personal items in my bag.
In order to return their things, 
I pulled many other things out of my bag.
One of which was my wallet,
which I promptly left behind.
After that we did three time consuming things:
 Chatted with locals.
Went for a walk.
Took at taxi to the next town.
Upon arriving in the new town:
I rummaged through my things
and discovered there was no wallet.
 
No reason for major alarm.
It was lost in Korea.
It would find it's way back.

Then my phone rang.
I answer it:
Them: "Are you missing a wallet? blah blah blah This is the police. blah blah blah"
Me: "YES!!!"
Them: "Where are you?  blah blah blah Where can we bring the wallet.
blah blah blah.  blah blah blah. blah blah blah"
Me: "I'm in 대천 beach."
Them: "blah blah blah. Where in 대천 beach?blah blah blah"
Me: "At the Manhattan Motel."
Them: "Ok. blah blah blah We will bring it to you wait there. blah blah blah.
Don't leave. blah blah blah"
Me:"Yes. Ok."

Only when I hung up the phone did I realize 
the conversation had been in Korean.

At the end of the day,
not only did I get my wallet back,
but I also my confidence and determination 
to learn this new language.

Necessity might be the mother of invention,
but it's the guardian angel of language adaptation.

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