Lost in Translation

One of the frustrating things about living in another country is that no one can understand you.  One of the best things about living in another country is that no one can understand you.  Jessica and I have experienced so many moments of confusion and disappointment because what we are trying to accomplish cannot happen for some reason we do not understand.  As I mentioned in another post, we have tried to purchase various items at Homeplus on multiple occassions, and our efforts have gone for naught.  The last time this happened, we had a grocery cart full of items, over 100,000 Won (more than $100).  We bought chicken, cereal, make-up, toilet paper, coffee, an alarm clock, etc.  But for some reason, the cashier would not let us purchase two pillows for our couch.  To this day I still have no clue what the problem was.  She tried to explain, and we tried to explain that we wanted to buy them, but in the end we left with no pillows.  Life would be so much easier if we could understand what people are saying here.  On the flipside, this lapse in communication skills affords us the opportunity to speak freely when we otherwise wouldn't.  Last Saturday at the grocery store, an old lady blatantly cut in line in front of us at the checkout.  It was a long line.  There was no mistaking that we were standing there with our basket of groceries.  Jessica and I freely joked out loud about how we'd love to karate chop that old lady between the eyes, or hold her head under the water in one of the many octopus tanks we pass.  No one knew what we were saying (I hope).  At least no one reacted.  This is one of the pleasures of a culture that speaks another language.  In my classroom yesterday, I was teaching third graders.  I was having a hard time quieting them on this particular day.  They usually aren't this difficult.  The class calmed, except for one particular student.  When my patience ran dry, I looked the boy directly in the eyes and said with as much sincerity as was possible, "if you don't shut up, I'm gonna break your arm."  Nothing.  Blank stares.  I felt better though.