I'm in this habit of waking up early, about 7, and I check Skype and my email and there's nothing so I lie back down. I got up for good about 7:30 though.
About 8:30 I heard a knock on a door elsewhere in the apartment complex. Then they rang the doorbell. Knock knock knock, ding dong, knock knock knock, ding dong. No one answered but it kept going. Then the volume was slightly different, like they had moved to a door closer, but still not mine. For a time, there was quiet so I figured they had left and skipped my door.
But I was wrong. I was next after a five minute intermission. I was still naked when they knocked. I threw on some clothes and answered. I figured it'd be Jehovah's witnesses or something. It was a city worker ("Gasu checkuh") checking for gas leaks with what looked like a walkie talkie. She ran the antenna along the shut off valve to my gas and then along the hose then around my filthy stove. She looked around. Piles of clothes on the couch (they're clean but she didn't know). Pink blankets on the bed. Lots of dirty dishes near the sink. An 18 pack of toilet paper acting as an ottoman for my recliner. I could feel her judgment. But she didn't say anything. She hardly knew any English.
No leaks, but she asked me "Friend?" pointing toward England's apartment.
I've only known her a few weeks and we've only seen each other a few times outside of work and I wouldn't say we were really friends though she was nice enough and all so given more time and chances maybe we could call ourselves friends but right now it's a bit too early to label us that. But I couldn't ramble that to a foreigner and expect to be understood. I felt weird about saying yes though. So I said "Coworker."
She didn't understand.
"Yes, friend."
She tried asking where my friend was and I tried saying, in Korean, I don't know, but I got it wrong, so the lady cocked her head and put her hands on one side of her head, miming sleeping.
I didn't know for a fact that she was but it was easier to just say yes.
I got a very nice email this morning so I'm glad I woke up early still. As glad as I can be to wake up, anyway.
About 8:30 I heard a knock on a door elsewhere in the apartment complex. Then they rang the doorbell. Knock knock knock, ding dong, knock knock knock, ding dong. No one answered but it kept going. Then the volume was slightly different, like they had moved to a door closer, but still not mine. For a time, there was quiet so I figured they had left and skipped my door.
But I was wrong. I was next after a five minute intermission. I was still naked when they knocked. I threw on some clothes and answered. I figured it'd be Jehovah's witnesses or something. It was a city worker ("Gasu checkuh") checking for gas leaks with what looked like a walkie talkie. She ran the antenna along the shut off valve to my gas and then along the hose then around my filthy stove. She looked around. Piles of clothes on the couch (they're clean but she didn't know). Pink blankets on the bed. Lots of dirty dishes near the sink. An 18 pack of toilet paper acting as an ottoman for my recliner. I could feel her judgment. But she didn't say anything. She hardly knew any English.
No leaks, but she asked me "Friend?" pointing toward England's apartment.
I've only known her a few weeks and we've only seen each other a few times outside of work and I wouldn't say we were really friends though she was nice enough and all so given more time and chances maybe we could call ourselves friends but right now it's a bit too early to label us that. But I couldn't ramble that to a foreigner and expect to be understood. I felt weird about saying yes though. So I said "Coworker."
She didn't understand.
"Yes, friend."
She tried asking where my friend was and I tried saying, in Korean, I don't know, but I got it wrong, so the lady cocked her head and put her hands on one side of her head, miming sleeping.
I didn't know for a fact that she was but it was easier to just say yes.
I got a very nice email this morning so I'm glad I woke up early still. As glad as I can be to wake up, anyway.
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