“But, How…

…do you learn so-yae if teacher doesn’t speak English? Because you not *really* speak Korean,” a Korean friend asked me.

Well, I understand enough Korean phrases. Like, well, Ee-row-kay. Like this. And he shows me what to do. And if I do it wrong, he says, Ani-o. No. Or, if I do it right, he says, Cho-ha-yo. Good. Or Chaaaaal Sa-shee-mee-da! Good writing.

As I exclaimed this last phrase my friend stared at me in disbelief. Then burst into hearty laughter.

What?

“Don’t say that again.”

Why?

“That is so country. That – dialect. You sound, you sound, oh. Don’t say it.”

But, how do you really say it, then?

And he told me. But I can’t remember. Because everytime I think of “good writing” I hear all of the grandfathers exclaiming heartily, “Chaaaaal Sa-shee-mee-da!”

I even have a country accent in Korean.