For the Sake of a Little Bit of Culture

So, my friend Andrew and I are taking Korean classes. I was quite excited, at first, because the books we bought seemed well suited to our learning styles. We purchased a text book, a practice book, and something that could pass as Cole’s notes for Korean class. I use the word was, as in was excited, even though tonight was only, technically, our second class. It went like this:

-실례합니다, 앤드류씨가 여기 있어요? (sillyehamnida, Andrewsiga, yogi isseoyo?)

This is said really, really fast, and really could mean just about anything…I’m thinking This is just a joke, Korean can’t be that incomprehensible. Yogi. Yogi, yogi, yogi. That reminds me of my youth, when the four of us used to gather around the TV screen late on a Saturday night! Should I admit that I do, in fact, enjoy Star Wars? Yogi Jedis are so handsome! but I am made to understand that, in reality, it means : “Excuse me, is Andrew here?”)

Andrew is sitting right in front of me. I don’t say it, but I clearly indicate it with a not so subtle movement of my eyes.

-아니요, 없어요. (Anio, opseoyo -This is Korean speak for « No, he isn’t. ») I am forced to repeat this veeeeeeeeeeeeeery slowly by Jay, my very determined Hanguka teacher…

-어디에 있어요? (Oedie issoyo – “ Where is he?” ) , she says. Again, I indicate with my eyes that, clearly, he is sitting right there, straight in front of me. I can tell she doesn’t think I’m funny, so I peek in my book and state:

-극장에 있어요. (Keuktchangè isseoyo – "He is at the movie theater.")

Then I wipe off the sweat from my brow and turn the page. I don't look up when she says: "Next". I have a dreary gut feeling that she is staring straight at me.