I got inside. Cameras were everywhere. I counted one, two, three along the low ceiling.
I carefully made my way around the room, understanding my objective, but always keeping an eye towards the front for the slightest bit of movement.
Where was it? I didn't have much time. One never does in these situations.
Get it and get out. That was my plan at the outset. Something so hard to do in a place that can be so strange and confusing. Everything was in different places. Very unfamiliar. Very small.
I had been caught before. Actually, I'd never not been caught. When it comes to getting got, I'm more unlucky than a baby born under a ladder on the wrong side of the DMZ. That goes for most things in life.
Getting caught in this situation was really not a terrible thing, just very awkward and incredibly annoying.
All of a sudden, my phone went off. I tried to reach into my pocket and mute it, but the Korean jeans I had on were too tight around the waist. I could barely get a finger in there, let alone my entire hand. In a panic, I checked my body up against the wall to stop the blaring ringtone. But I was too late. My cover was blown.
The female employee poked her head out from behind a pile of shoe boxes and rushed over to me. She began speaking in Korean (oddly enough) and guiding me along the stacks of jeans, socks and soccer jerseys.
I turned away, embarrassed I couldn't respond in her language and confident I could find a green shirt for St. Paddy's Day on my own. But I couldn't shake her. I would walk five feet, turn around and see her eyeing me from the end of the aisle. If I took an item off the shelf to check the price, she would rush over to me and say something. I would mutter "camsamnidad" (thank you) and sometimes throw in a "kimbap toogue" (two kimbap rolls), hoping to show her I have no concept of the Korean language.
But she would not give up. She was determined that she could break this unbreakable language barrier. Even when I thought I lost her, she would pop up behind a counter of boxer shorts or pose as a mannequin and unfreeze back into the smiling employee.
Eventually, I became so frustrated that I left. Even after walking about a block down from the Adidas Department store, I was still turning nervously, expecting to see the store clerk stalker.
I know she was just trying to be kind and helpful, but I've found that especially in Korea, it can really become almost comical with the way that store employees watch/follow foreigners. They probably see us as needing the most help, which is sometimes the truth. But trailing me through the store and talking to me in a language I don't know makes me both uncomfortable and paranoid. It has become my mission to attract as little attention as possible to myself when entering these arenas. I guess it's either that or learn more Korean. I'll go with that.
These situations happen when I'm buying something or even when I'm simply browsing through a store. Being hounded by store employees while simply browsing is something that anybody can relate to. Especially LD. Go to 4:09 of the clip:
Paddy Party:
In the end, I did not find a suitable green shirt for the Paddy's Day party. My friend suggested buying a head of broccoli and carrying it around for the entire night. I thought about it, but decided it wasn't the best idea. Instead, I bought some Guinness, chips and threw on my green Gangwon FC hat. The party was excellent. Near the beginning of the night we were playing a tame game of trivial pursuit, but by the end we had switched gears and a full-blown game of spin the bottle/truth or dare was being conducted in the small apartment. A dangerous game I never thought I'd play after the age of 12, but one I'm happy to have been a part of.
Beginning of the night:
Trivial Pursuit:
Last Picture taken before Spin the Bottle/Truth or Dare:
