What’s on My Plate?

I have often uttered these words while trying to get a handle on what I needed to accomplish at work, or in an effort to sort through the To Do list of life.

But yesterday’s excursion to a Korean restaurant literally left me asking, “No, really… what’s on my plate?”

During the past few months, I’ve become accustomed to not understanding the local language.  And sadly, no one seems shocked that an American can’t speak the native tongue.  But in Korea, it’s a little different — because I look like I’m supposed to know what I’m doing.

When I was in Seoul a few years ago, I stopped into a convenience store to buy a drink.  As I stood at the cash register trying to convert Korean won to US dollars, the man behind the counter started yapping on and on about something.  I was too busy wondering what they could possibly add to bottled water that would justify a price of $27 to pay attention — until my travel companion gave me an elbow to the ribs.

Ohhhhh… you’re talking to ME.
How do I say, “my bad” in Korean?

That was 2006, and 4 years later, I’m not any better.  As a result, I somehow ordered over a dozen different dishes — most of which I couldn’t pronounce or identify.  Some of it was delicious.  Some was downright disgusting.  But I can say this: none of it was boring.