if you've been reading this for a long time, you might remember my troubles with getting a mobile phone when i arrived in korea. i, of course, finally did get one - it's a pay-as-you-go, which has never posed any problems for me, and is actually better since i don't really use it enough to justify a monthly bill.
i've only had to fill it with air time about four times, i usually put around 20 or 30,000 W on it and that lasts me for months. (a lot of text messaging and not much actual calling)... in fact, i couldn't remember the last time i put money on it, so i knew the time was coming... anyway, this morning i tried to send a message and it failed... this is the only way i have of knowing that i'm out of credit. i'm sure there is some procedure, but not speaking the language doesn't afford me that option... oh well.
this afternoon i headed to the phone store to pay up. i went into the store that i went to last time, and the guy told me that i couldn't put any money on it cause you can only do that from monday to friday. i knew this was a load of crap as i know that i'd done it on a saturday before. i know that sundays are a no-go, but saturday? this was the first i was hearing of it. i HAD to get time so i moved on to the next store down the street (there are 3 phone stores for every person in korea).
i arrived in the second store and the woman told me the same thing. i was flabbergasted. had they changed the rules? was i imagining that saturday afternoon that i had topped up my time? i was getting paranoid and upset... i need my phone tomorrow for a very important call in the morning... and then i started thinking, what could i do without it? until monday? how can i possibly live with no means of communication for almost two whole days?!?!
i decided to try a third store, where the clerks have always been very nice to me and where i know i've paid before as well. i didn't go straight there in the first place cause it's a little farthe and didn't want to get sucked in by all the other shops around it. (can't afford to go shopping this weekend!)
i walked in and there were about 15 of my students "oh! elizabeth teacher! hello!" etc... for a couple of minutes. when i finally made it to the back of the store, i looked at the woman expectantly, and, naturally, waiting for a "sorry not today", but she just asked me how much i wanted to pay. "ee manon" (twenty thousand won) two minutes later i left the store to more choruses of "elizabeth teacher, hello!" fully paid up and ready to text or talk as much as i wanted.
i had half a mind to go to the other stores and show them, but i didn't... what would be the point? i just don't get why they told me no. there's surely a good explanation... i just wouldn't understand it... since it would be all in korean.
i've only had to fill it with air time about four times, i usually put around 20 or 30,000 W on it and that lasts me for months. (a lot of text messaging and not much actual calling)... in fact, i couldn't remember the last time i put money on it, so i knew the time was coming... anyway, this morning i tried to send a message and it failed... this is the only way i have of knowing that i'm out of credit. i'm sure there is some procedure, but not speaking the language doesn't afford me that option... oh well.
this afternoon i headed to the phone store to pay up. i went into the store that i went to last time, and the guy told me that i couldn't put any money on it cause you can only do that from monday to friday. i knew this was a load of crap as i know that i'd done it on a saturday before. i know that sundays are a no-go, but saturday? this was the first i was hearing of it. i HAD to get time so i moved on to the next store down the street (there are 3 phone stores for every person in korea).
i arrived in the second store and the woman told me the same thing. i was flabbergasted. had they changed the rules? was i imagining that saturday afternoon that i had topped up my time? i was getting paranoid and upset... i need my phone tomorrow for a very important call in the morning... and then i started thinking, what could i do without it? until monday? how can i possibly live with no means of communication for almost two whole days?!?!
i decided to try a third store, where the clerks have always been very nice to me and where i know i've paid before as well. i didn't go straight there in the first place cause it's a little farthe and didn't want to get sucked in by all the other shops around it. (can't afford to go shopping this weekend!)
i walked in and there were about 15 of my students "oh! elizabeth teacher! hello!" etc... for a couple of minutes. when i finally made it to the back of the store, i looked at the woman expectantly, and, naturally, waiting for a "sorry not today", but she just asked me how much i wanted to pay. "ee manon" (twenty thousand won) two minutes later i left the store to more choruses of "elizabeth teacher, hello!" fully paid up and ready to text or talk as much as i wanted.
i had half a mind to go to the other stores and show them, but i didn't... what would be the point? i just don't get why they told me no. there's surely a good explanation... i just wouldn't understand it... since it would be all in korean.
1 Comment:
oh that's so frustrating!! Sometimes the phone stitch drives me nuts here...at least I have a house phone though...if you weren't able to top it up, u could have always used skype...
Hope you have a good day tomorrow!! I might give u call.
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