Words and hysteria!

In Korea you often have adventures with language.  Case in point:  I text messaged my Korean tutor to tell her I had time to see her this week, but that I would be gone Saturday. It seemed a simple matter.  Boy, was I wrong!

Just before chapel time my cell phone rang and a hysterical woman was on the other end, my tutor.  She was speaking fast, high pitched and was obviously very upset.  I couldn't understand what she was saying.  I only knew she was upset.  She kept talking about my being gone Saturday.  I thought she might be asking about last Saturday so I calmly replied, "I was in Singapore last Saturday."

That didn't help a bit.  She kept asking me why I was going to be gone Saturday.  By this time I thought she had a plan Saturday for us and I was messing it up.  The family often takes me places so I went that direction in my thinking.  No good!

Finally, I heard her say something like, "America Saturday?  Why?"  She was still talking fast and high pitched making it difficult for me to understand much.

I again calmly answered, "No, I am not going to America Saturday."

She kept probing, "Where are you going?  You said you will be gone Saturday."

I replied, "I don't know where.  I am going to visit a student's hometown and I think it is a 2 or 3-hour train ride.  Why do you ask?"

"Ron!"  She yelled in the phone, "next time tell me you are taking a trip!" She then started laughing and setting up a lunch schedule with me Friday.  She was laughing hard and hung up that way.  She seemed so relieved!

I found out only later while sharing this call with Phuong that the word "gone" means "GONE!"  Like in not coming back!  That was why my tutor was so upset.  She interpreted my word "gone" as "going away for good"!  Phuong also had a good long laugh as I told her this story.  Lesson learned:  NEVER, EVER USE THE WORD "GONE" UNLESS YOU MEAN IT!  So I am gone for now, oops, sorry....I am away from the blog for now doing other things."  Gee!  That is such a long sentence when I could have just said "Gone."