Broke In Daegu

Changing money is a real problem here. I have never been to a place where it is so hard. I guess it's because we are off the beaten track.

I changed all of the cash I had at the airport and have spent it all. On Saturday we were downtown and we went to the one bank I know that has an ATM that works with foreign credit cards for cash advances. I only got 100,000 won, which was about $86.00, thinking that it would be enough to get me through the week. It lasted me until today. Where did all of my money go? I guess eating out is costing more than I think.

Well, anyway, I tried a nearby bank today that has a sign outside saying Foreign Exchange and their ATM did not work with my card - it is only for Domestic accounts (they why do they say Foreign Exchange?).

I went with Sonja downtown this evening and ran to the bank where we got money on Saturday, inserted my credit card, asked for money and it was denied. It said something like "you can no longer use this card". I assumed my credit card company had frozen my account, like they had been doing on just about every third purchase I made a few months ago until they got tired of me calling them and chewing them out. I supposedly now have the highest security clearance on my account.

Well, I didn't know what to do, so I went across the street where Sonja was waiting for me and told her I needed to find a pay phone. I thought I could call them and they could unfreeze my account and I could go back and get the money I so desperately needed.

We found a pay phone and I dialed 0, and a little voice told me to insert a coin. I inserted a coin, and dialed 0 and a little voice told me first in Korean, and then in English, that my call was "delayed" and I should try again. I tried again and the same sweet voice told me my call was delayed. What the hell did that mean?

I was getting really frustrated.

Sonja said, "let's find some young people and ask them if they speak English". I hate doing that, but I was desperate, so I followed her as she approached a trendy looking young couple and said, "Do you speak English?" and they just looked at her like they had seen a ghost and shook their heads. She asked if I wanted to try someone else and I told her it was too embarassing for me and for them.

We went into Debec Department store which was right there to see what kind of restaurants they had on the top floor. Fortunately, Sonja had just changed money at the bank today during lunch, so she had cash.

There were several restaurants in Debec that had plastic food. We decided on one that had bi bim bap, some soups and Korean pancakes - one with scallions and one with seafood and another one that maybe had long green peppers. Fortunately the menu had English translations.

We ordered a bean sprout soup with rice and a seafood pancake.

The soup came bubbling in a stone pot and was really, really good. It had rice, seafood and some other stuff like pieces of rice cake (chewy mochi like stuff). I think it was among the most delicious thing we have had so far.

The pancake unfortunately had pieces of octopus. Sonja picked out what she could and I imagine ate some. She is afraid to eat octopus since she got sick after eating it in Mexico (if I stopped eating everything that I've gotten sick from, I would not be eating at all).

It was a good dinner and a nice place.

From there I suggested we go to the basement and see if anyone spoke English. The last time we were there a guy gave us samples of this black rice bread and he spoke some English. I thought they could tell us how to call the operator.

When we got there I didn't see black rice bread and was afraid to ask just anyone (in Japan major face-losing happens when you try to speak English to people and they can't answer). Instead, we sampled some things and walked around until we came to some strange looking candy-like substance. As we looked inquisitively, the woman said, "it's Korean candy" and gave us a sample. It tasted like molasses and peanuts. It was good (my dentist would not like me eating it though).

Sonja picked out a few pieces and when she was done paying, I asked the woman if she knew someone who spoke English (after she spoke to us in English, we had asked her and she said no).

She told me, "wait a minute" and went over to an older man who was standing near another stall. He got on his cell phone and the woman came back and told me, "please wait". She gave us a sample of some molasses like substance while we waited.

Soon, a younger guy in a shirt and tie holding a cell phone came walking through the market area and walked directly towards us. He asked, "Can I help you?"

I told him I needed to call my credit card company but didn't know how to call the operator. He didn't understand. I said I needed the operator on the telephone. I dialed zero but nothing happened. He was thinking and discussing it with the older man and the candy lady and Sonja said, "He needs to call his credit card company because there is a problem." I think they were getting really confused.

Finally, he said, "I don't know". Woops. Face lost.

I told him not to worry about it, I could call when I got home. I thanked him and we left.

From there we explored a little of Daegu. I took Sonja underground to show her the other world there. There is an entire pedestrian shopping mall under the main street that goes to the subway station. It is like a parallel universe. We found a complete store dedicated to Hello Kitty, along with lots of other gems.

When we came up above ground, there was a little concert in the small park at the edge of the trendy area of downtown and we were close to another park I remembered from last time.

The park is the Debt Repayment Park and was built to commemorate the time in 1907 when Koreans contributed small amounts of money so that Korea could repay its debt to Japan and maintain its national sovereignty. Amazing. Women sold jewelry, people contributed the cost of a pack of cigarettes and the debt was paid off. Can you imagine the US government asking Americans to pay the cost of a pack of cigarettes to pay off our debt? There would be outrage.

We walked through the park, which is really pretty. There was a really nice basketball court, lovely little benches and paths, and a pagoda with a big bell in the center. Trees were lit and music played out of speakers on the lamp posts. It was a beautiful evening, clear, not too humid, cool and with a gentle breeze blowing. It was really a great night to be out.

Finally we took the bus home and I skyped my credit card company. They told me there was no hold on my account, so I don't know why it didn't work. I have some cash I can exchange tomorrow at the bank and tomorrow evening I'll go back and try again. I am hoping it will work. Otherwise, I may resort to begging or singing for change on the street.