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Published: December 15th 2006
Outdoor Mountain Gym
These pictures may or may not have anything to do with this story. I threw them in for aesthetics sake.It's just another Thursday night. A little after eleven o'clock at night and I have just arrived home at my studio apartment in Royal Palace Housevill. As I'm sitting in my chair, drinking a cup of grape juice and checking my e-mail, the phone rings.
"Uggh" (that's how old Korean men answer the phone, and aspiring to be like an old Korean man, precisely how I answer mine)
"Yo, Shawn, it's Dave."
"What's going on Dave?"
"Not much. Me and Mary are meeting a couple others down in Seohyeon at Dublin Bar to get some drinks and hang out. You want to come?"
"Sure."
"You going to take a taxi?"
"Nah, I'll probably walk. I'll see you in about 30 minutes."
"Alright. Later."
(end conversation. Lights fade to black. Begin Scene 2. Open on a dark alley. Enter SHAWN, walking with his hands in his pockets, dressed in a khaki jacket, wearing khaki pants and a black winter ear band.)
So it's been 30 minutes since I hung up with Dave, but instead of looking for Dublin Bar, I'm looking for a KEB ATM. KEB stands for Korean Exchange Bank and it happens to be where Hines Ward and
Playing Go
A friendly game of Go between two older Korean gentlemen. I bank. (Hines Ward! Pittsburgh Steelers? Super Bowl MVP? Anyway.) The reason I didn't take a cab is because I'm cheap. Well, not so much cheap, as I prefer, thrifty. No, not even thrifty. Let's just say I got a thing about saving money. A cab ride would've been no more than $2.50, and probably would've been worth it in the cold. But I'd rather hoof it for a half hour and pocket that $2.50. Well, the reason I didn't take a cab is the same reason I'm wandering around dark alleys looking for a KEB ATM. There are ATMs at every corner where I live and in Seohyeon where I'm wandering around. The reason I'm not just stopping at a convenience store to get some cash is because I'm trying to save that $1.50 ATM service charge. KEB ATMs don't charge their own customers the service charge.
So I know there's a KEB Cash Corner around here somewhere. I've been there before, but at this current situation, I'm having a hard time retracing my steps. I've walked around the same block 3 times now, and I'm only going to be later and later to meet Dave and Mary.
Korean Dog
This little dog was not shy at all. I decide to bite the bullet and waste the $1.50. So I head to an ATM room of a non-KEB bank that has three 24-hour ATMs inside. As I'm walking by the glass window towards the door I see a gentleman inside just kind of loitering. I slow my roll and notice that he doesn't look like a security guard. What is this guy doing hanging out in an ATM vestibule at 11:45 at night? He's just waiting to rob somebody isn't he? It's late at night. Nobody's around. This particular street happens to be sufficiently dark. Man! No way I'm walking into this ATM room to get robbed.
Wait, wait, wait. I'm not in America. I'm in Korea. Korea's safe. Korea's not like America. There are no guns in Korea.
Wait a second! That doesn't mean he can't rob you! Just because they rob you with guns in America, doesn't mean they can't rob you without guns in Korea! You ever heard of a knife? Don't go in there, you fool! That dude is just waiting for an idiot American like you.
These are the thoughts sprinting through my brain as I'm contemplating the fate
Planned River
Planned cities are built around planned rivers. of my wallet for the next day. Then, the final decisive thought comes meandering through my mind as if it doesn't have any place to be: "Yo, Shawn, you only have chon won ($1) in your wallet. Who cares if he robs you? It'll be a cool story."
And just like that, I open the door to the ATM room.
(End Scene 2, Begin Scene 3 exactly where Scene 2 left off - entering the ATM room)
My eyes may be looking at the open ATM to the right, but my focus is on the Korean gentleman clearly trying to act inconspicuous in this close-quarters ATM room. I go about my business and press the "English" button on the ATM in the far right corner. I follow the instructions and fail to withdraw any money. The ATM tells me to take the receipt and to see a bank teller inside. Two problems. One, there's no receipt to take. And two, even if there was, it's 11:45 at night; the bank's been closed for 7 hours now.
Step 2 when working with foreign ATMs - See if you can at least check your balance. I stick my KEB ATM card back in this non-KEB ATM machine. Step 2 fails. Step 3 when working with foreign ATMs - leave.
I've risked my life for nothing. Actually, at this point, I'm feeling pretty comfortable. And it's always when you feel most comfortable that the worst things happen. Is anybody nodding their head at that statement? Did you just nod your head at that question? Well either way, if you did, then you must be American, or American-like. Because if you were Korean, or Korean-like, then that statement might not make sense. Well, though I'm American, in Korea, I have become Korean-like. And you know what a Korean-like American does when he's in an ATM room around midnight with a sketchy foreigner? He pauses on his way out to ask the sketchy Korean gentleman if the gentleman knows where he can find a KEB ATM.
I know full well that there's a good chance this guy doesn't speak English. And no, I don't care at all that he's a complete stranger. He happens to be the only guy I've seen around this area and that makes him the only guy that I can ask the whereabouts of this disappearing KEB Cash Corner. Even if he doesn't know English, he should recognize K-E-B and me shrugging my shoulders and pointing out the window. I rehearse in my head - K-E-B? (point) K-E-B?
Well I've moved away from the ATM towards the door, and he's still acting inconspicuous, like I'm not right behind him. I don't know the Korean phrase to get somebody's attention, so I just say "excuse me" in English. He turns around with a bewildered look on his face. I begin - "K-E-B?" (point out window, shrug shoulders). His expression turns quizzical. "Umm, K-E-B, do you know where?" He's tilting his head slightly forward now with the same wondering, confused look on his face. Then he responds... "You want to know where the KEB bank is around here?" HA! The guy speaks better English than the Korean English teachers at my school! Quickly humbled, I say "Yes, I just tried my card at this ATM and it's not working."
He asks, "what kind of card is it?"
"It's a KEB card."
"No, is it a credit card, or debit card or what?"
(Uh-oh, he
is going to rob me. He just wants to make sure it's a credit card)
"Oh, no, it's just an ATM card."
"Oh, and it didn't work here?"
"No, I guess it doesn't work because this is the wrong bank. I know there's a KEB around here somewhere, but I can't seem to find it."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't know this area that well. This ATM (pointing to the middle one) just ate my card, so I'm waiting for a security guard."
(Oh!... that's why he's just hanging out in the ATM room!... He's not waiting around to rob anybody. He's waiting around because the ATM robbed him!)
"Oh, I'm sorry about that. Well, thanks anyway. I'll just go meet my friends and worry about the money tomorrow."
Then the gentleman responds in such a way that my initial thought that he would rob me becomes true. He responds almost sheepishly:
"Well, do you need money?" literally offering me what cash he has on him.
I'm so thrown back by this question, that I hesitate before I answer. "Oh.... oh, (embarrassed laugh) no... no, no. Thank you very much. No, it's cool. I can just go to the ATM tomorrow... Thanks for your help, sir."
"Yes. Good luck finding the KEB. Sorry I couldn't help."
"Thank you. Good luck getting your card back. Bye."
I
was robbed. I was robbed of my preconceived notions of the world. Good people can be found everywhere. Even at ATM's late at night. Even in strangers in foreign countries. And if you're nice, and respectful, and friendly, these complete strangers in foreign countries may even offer you the money in their pockets, at 11:45 at night, if they think it will help you.
It may or may not be a beautiful world out there. Don't close your eyes.
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Miss Shin
non-member comment
Very beautiful
Shawn, when I saw the headline I panicked. I just finished reading it and I am speechless....