A Saturday morning in The Gu

C: Hey, take a photo of me outside our apartment.
W: Ok. Remember when we had that fried chicken (from our Nonstop Chicken store, left). It was so good.
C: Yeah, except for the necks we got in it.
W: True.
C: Hey, stand in front of our corner store. We’ve bought a lot of iceblocks there. He’s never very friendly, though, hey. But now that group of grandpas sit there every morning and laugh at me as I ride my bicycle past. Silly men.



W: Show everyone all that rubbish. There’s never any bins in this country. Hey no one’s taken those cushions yet.
C: That’s ‘cos they’re gross.

(Wes crosses the road using his Korean skills – motioning for the cars to stop.)



C: I can’t believe that only in the last two weeks of our 52 weeks in Korea I discovered how to tell a taxi driver to drive to our place (by saying the restaurant name I-ba-dom.)
W: I know, it’s pretty funny. Hey, we really should eat there again before we leave.
C: Yeah, I know.



C: Here’s our favourite eatery up this end of town. Uh-oh, the lady’s coming out to say hi. She’s going to laugh at us.
(Favourite lady pops her head out with a big grin and waves.)
W: Annyeong haseyo!
C: Annyeong haseyo! (do little bow)




C: The centre of The Gu - Baskin Robbins. Oh, and Paris Baguette! I love Paris Baguette. Let me have a little look in the window. Oh, and let’s quickly snap that old man at the fruit truck before he turns around and smacks us.
W: Got him.
C: Sweet, good stuff.



W: Hey, it looks like Drew Barrymore’s got a snot hanging out of her nose.
C: Oh yeah, it does too. Gosh, that’s a pretty old picture of her, isn’t it.

C: Oh that’s gross! Did you fart?
W: No, it’s Korea. It smells just like Thailand.
C: That’s just rotten.

(hoards of school children up ahead)



C: Oh no, we’re going to get “hello-ed”.
W: Great.
C: What do you think they’d do if I started taking pictures of them.
W: hehe. Guerilla-style.
C: Yeah.

C: Hey dudes, did you hear we’re leaving The Gu soon?
Kids: Yeah, we did. That’s cool.
C: I know. See ya later. Have fun being stuck in The Gu.

(Ok. That was embellished. But I felt the love.)

W: Crap, the Post Office is closed.
C: Bastards. It’s only 10.45 and it closes at 11am.
W: This country is so annoying.
C: I know.



C: Hey, maybe we have become a little Korean. After all, we’re not embarrassed to have almost matching sunnies and almost matching Birkenstocks. Is that embarrassing?
W: Nah, who cares.
C: My birkies are a bit uncomfortable between the toe. Did you have that problem?
W: It goes away once you get used to it.
C: Are you sure?
W: Yes.
C: Are you sure? It really is uncomfortable.
W: Yes, I’m sure.
C: I hope so.



W: Let’s take exactly the same photo of you along this path as we took in winter.
C: Ok then. Does it look all right? Let me see.
W: Yeah, but the light’s so much different in Summer. It’s really harsh.
C: Hmm.



C: Hey you know what would be funny – if you pretended to vandalise a bike at the bike stand.
C and W: hehehe.
W: I can’t believe we had two bikes stolen as well as one vandalised.
C: I know. Why don’t you rip one of the seats off.



C: Oh, and I’m even unashamed about primping and preening in the public mirrors.
W: I know.
C: Well that’s what they’re there for, I guess.



W: Here’s the only two rubbish bins in Korea.
C: hehe. Is too.

THE END.