Armed and Dangerous

I finally have a map and a “dictionary”. The book has helped me shop for furniture, find a public bathroom for my desperate child, find and use a public telephone, and say goodbye with a bit of finesse. I love the book, in fact sometimes it is so entertaining to look through that I become distracted and lose all sense of time. I wonder why I didn’t buy one before I came. I guess I couldn’t understand the value of communicating through language until that ability was lost. I couldn’t have understood until I was immersed in it, how complicated the foreign characters, the tones, and the honorific changes would be for me. Most of all, I couldn't understand how the most simple needs and desires can't be met without the ability to speak. It is all very overwhelming. I am getting by though. The other day, I was able to ride a cab from across town. In Korean I was able to say, “Please take me to the fire station” (which is near my home). Then, when we neared the fire station I was able to say, “turn right” then “turn left” then “straight up there” and last of all “here please”. I was quite happy with myself that I have come so far. I have been so completely helpless and pathetic. I am gaining self-sufficiency bit by bit. What a relief!