if you've been following this blog over the last six months, you will have read all about the banking issues i had when i first arrived. things got much better after i found a great banker at the bank down the street. JJ spoke excellent (for a korean) english and kept all my information for me, making things so easy for me that i guess i got kind of 'soft'. i forgot to write about this last month - what with the million and one posts about seoul - but JJ was transferred. far away. today it hit me like a ton of bricks.
i transfer money home once a month. i go to my bank, withdraw cash, and bring it to JJ, who, exchanges it and transfers it for me. last month i walked into the bank popped my head around to where his desk is - all ready to tell him about my trip to seoul - but he wasn't there. i thought that since i was there earlier than usual that maybe he was on lunch. so i left, intended on returning in an hour or so, but i had nothing else to do, so i walked back in to pay my bills with the regular teller.
when it was finally my turn i paid my bills and tried to ask her about JJ. was he on lunch? or was it possible that the man sitting at his desk was just replacing him for the day? well, the 'new guy' (who was the guy who used to sit next to JJ) recognized me and brought me over to his (JJ's) desk and said, "mr. jin go".
"what?" i asked.
"mr. jin go," he repeated.
just as the tears were welling up in my eyes the 'new guy' passed me the phone, it was JJ.
"hello?" i heard him say.
"hi."
"oh, long time no see," he said.
"i know, but i only come once a month, you know that."
"i'm sorry," he said, "i had to leave that place."
"what do you mean? where are you?" i asked.
"i am in seomyeon now."
"oh, well, that's good for you. it is much closer to your home." i tried to sound happy.
"yes, it is good for me, but not for you."
today i really realized just how 'not good' it is. i had to go in to make my transfers again and the 'new guy' just doesn't know what he's doing. he had to call JJ again - at his new branch - to find out what i wanted/needed. then he spent the next hour doing what JJ always did in about twenty minutes. not to mention that he barely speaks english and isn't very nice. he was talking about me with the guy who sits next to him. i don't (obviously) know what they were saying, but there were a lot of funny looks, laughter, and "canada" being thrown around. it sucked.
it was just one little thing that made life here a bit easier - JJ, my awesome banking guy. plus he made going to the bank kind of fun, since we'd chat and he'd get me coffee and snacks, and give me presents like calendars and clocks. it seems like i'll be talking to him on the phone once a month regardless, since the new guy doesn't know what he's doing and has to call JJ every time i'm there... like today. but it just isn't the same.
more importantly, i hope that he did everything correctly and that the money will be in my account in the next few days like it usually is... who knows what he did, since he didn't do the same thing that JJ always did... with my luck, my money will probably get stuck somewhere in cyberspace... (knock on wood).
:(
i transfer money home once a month. i go to my bank, withdraw cash, and bring it to JJ, who, exchanges it and transfers it for me. last month i walked into the bank popped my head around to where his desk is - all ready to tell him about my trip to seoul - but he wasn't there. i thought that since i was there earlier than usual that maybe he was on lunch. so i left, intended on returning in an hour or so, but i had nothing else to do, so i walked back in to pay my bills with the regular teller.
when it was finally my turn i paid my bills and tried to ask her about JJ. was he on lunch? or was it possible that the man sitting at his desk was just replacing him for the day? well, the 'new guy' (who was the guy who used to sit next to JJ) recognized me and brought me over to his (JJ's) desk and said, "mr. jin go".
"what?" i asked.
"mr. jin go," he repeated.
just as the tears were welling up in my eyes the 'new guy' passed me the phone, it was JJ.
"hello?" i heard him say.
"hi."
"oh, long time no see," he said.
"i know, but i only come once a month, you know that."
"i'm sorry," he said, "i had to leave that place."
"what do you mean? where are you?" i asked.
"i am in seomyeon now."
"oh, well, that's good for you. it is much closer to your home." i tried to sound happy.
"yes, it is good for me, but not for you."
today i really realized just how 'not good' it is. i had to go in to make my transfers again and the 'new guy' just doesn't know what he's doing. he had to call JJ again - at his new branch - to find out what i wanted/needed. then he spent the next hour doing what JJ always did in about twenty minutes. not to mention that he barely speaks english and isn't very nice. he was talking about me with the guy who sits next to him. i don't (obviously) know what they were saying, but there were a lot of funny looks, laughter, and "canada" being thrown around. it sucked.
it was just one little thing that made life here a bit easier - JJ, my awesome banking guy. plus he made going to the bank kind of fun, since we'd chat and he'd get me coffee and snacks, and give me presents like calendars and clocks. it seems like i'll be talking to him on the phone once a month regardless, since the new guy doesn't know what he's doing and has to call JJ every time i'm there... like today. but it just isn't the same.
more importantly, i hope that he did everything correctly and that the money will be in my account in the next few days like it usually is... who knows what he did, since he didn't do the same thing that JJ always did... with my luck, my money will probably get stuck somewhere in cyberspace... (knock on wood).
:(
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