Friends in strange places.

So, there's only one pay phone in the entire town (as far as I can tell) and the only reason why I haven't been able to use it is because it's a pay phone that takes only phone cards as payment. I do have a phone card, but not in the form of a "card," as it's just numbers that I have to dial. Well, when I was in Chuncheon this past weekend, Jisoo (old room mate from last year and best friend in Korea) helped me buy a cheap phone card that would work in this particular phone booth (don't you just love the aqua color by the way?). Yeay.

So today, I make plans with Anthony for a phone date. The island that he's working on right now, Kauai, has limited reception (which I recently discovered) and the only way to reach him is if he's in one of the few undead reception zones. So, we make plans and I walk the 15-20 minute walk to the lone pay phone only to get my phone card stuck in the phone itself. With the use of two carefully maneuvered bobby pins, I managed to get it back out only to struggle to get a dial tone out of it. I go into the nearest building asking for help (as it's possible that I'm doing it wrong) and this guys tells me it's broken. But wait, he then tells me to go to the police (just what Korean word did I say to give him that idea?) and then he asks if I'm Chinese (because my thick American accent is so hard to decipher). He does offer me his phone, but I'm about to call long distance, so I just thank him and walk back to where I came from.

Later, Keong Ran (my current room mate and Korean teacher) tells me that the principal wants to have dinner with us, so we get ready and meet him at the school. He takes us to a nearby hospital, completely hidden behind dirt roads and old houses, and then walks away, leaving the two of us behind and confused. Three young guys come out and stand around silently, so I make jokes to Keong Ran about the awkward situation. Then one guy laughs and starts asking me questions in English. Suddenly, two guys are asking me questions in English, so I turn to the last guy (the dentist) and he has no idea what I'm saying. We go out to dinner together, sans principal.

Apparently, the principal went to the dentist today and shared the fact that he had foreigners and pawned us off. So we go out and have a pretty good time, but the dentist gets up and leaves in the middle of dinner, without saying goodbye, because he hates English. Later, the four of us start talking about the hospital, which is very small and probably the newest building in the town, and we learn that downstairs is a spa. Then, after I share with them my telephone plight, they offer to let me use theirs. Then, I ask if they have a TV and they said that the dentist has a huge one... but I can only watch if I don't turn to English stations. So I then choose to press my luck and ask if they have a washing machine... AND YES they totally do! So I have been cordially invited to do my laundry at the hospital any time I want.

It was the best stroke of luck that has happened since we've been here. A working phone line, a TV, a washing machine, FRIENDS. I'll revisit them tomorrow to drop off some Hawaiian chocolate, and later again to have them try some coconut rum. Small town living just got a little better.

Till next time,
Nix!