Really doing it.

I finally did it! I cannot explain how happy this makes me. But I'll try anyway!

We've had orientation the last couple days and before that we were all just spending time with each other - the other international students. We went out to eat, we wandered around campus, and we traded stories about home and here. But we always stuck together in big groups, and made sure we always had at least one or two students who could speak some Korean. Last night I started realizing how much of an annoyance that is to the employees and owners whose restaurants we invaded. We were loud, we were clueless (which means we were rude), and we were messy. Because...chopsticks... Yea, you get it. So today when we had a break for lunch, my British friend, Peter, sitting next to me turned to me and said, "Where would you like to go?" "Oh, I don't care." So we turned to Mr. Taciturn Aapo from Finland. (I'm not making fun of him. Actually, it is a cultural trait. The Finns have no concept for either small talk or awkward silences. Aapo extremely polite, clever, thoughtful, and humorous. He is also very unlike most Americans.) "I don't really care." So we decided to go into town, without the big group. We walked around, found a random place that had reasonable prices and walked in....

"So, Peter, Aapo, do either of you speak any Korean?" "No." "None at all." "...me neither."

We all looked at each other, smiled. And kept standing there looking at the menu. it seriously looked like chicken scratch with some prices next to it. We found the "rice" section, and then some other words we could pick out, but nothing like a full order.

So Peter pulled out his handy pocket dictionary of common words and phrases and we started trying to match what was on the menu board to what was in the book.

Peter's comment: "We're such tourists."
Aapo's comment: "Are we really doing this...?"

We looked at each other, started grinning, nodded, and walked up to the counter to order.

The girl was polite and patient - we'd only been staring at the menu board for ten minutes...

Peter and Aapo ordered: "An nyeong he seyo." "An nyeong he seyo." "Uh.....*sheepish grin*..... bibimbap?" *emphatic nod and big smile* "Kom sam nida!" (Mumbled, of course, as none of us were quite sure how to *really* say "Thank you!")

And then I ordered, repeating the greeting and asking in my own very timid voice, "Mm, ah...neangmeon?" Again the big smile and emphatic nod and the exchanged thank-you's.

Then it was over. We sat down, looked at each other and smiled because, yes, Aapo, we are really doing it! Hardcore tourist style.