I had a lovely exchange this afternoon with my landlord and who I think is the maintenance man for this apartment building, who both came up after school because of what could only be described as a "merciless fucking bad smell" coming from the sink. Seriously, a couple nights ago, I walked over to it, sniffed, and nearly swooned. Last night it got so bad, I woke up from it and had to open a window even though it was cold out. That's how bad it was.

When the three of us popped up at around 5p.m., sure enough, there was no smell. None. I sniffed it deep; I did not pass out.

The two men talked back and forth, looking at the sink, opening up the bottom and showing me the connecting pipe, which was clear, and said, "clear!" They seemed good-natured about the whole thing, but I wanted to let them know that it was bad last night, real bad, but I understand that it's not bad now. What to do? What to do?

Babelfish translations! I know they are generally pretty inaccurate, what with not being able to discern the subtle nuances of a language, making translations sound pretty damn silly, but my point will get across, yes?

I think it did, but it must have sounded pretty amusing. Maybe that's why they laughed. Here was their response:

The condition is not not bad now. Also the smell is not born almost. From upper layer is caused by probably occasionally with food logic and with cultural difference food the smell is the same thing temporarily every the country is probably caused by and does not become the adaptation not to be and from isn't a little nauseating smell born. And is ordinary now is caused by with mobility of the being revealed refrigerator about sound arresting problem and to the slight sound arresting outside is not born. About sound arresting problem when to speak….

Can you figure out what they were trying to say? I think I got it. I think.

The conversation continued, concluding with an invite for food. To Lotteria, a Korean fast food joint, I think. I politely declined because I had to go for acupuncture:

If now being revealed when the hereafter problem which comes to think with the fact that does not have an above occurs, liaison staring, does a best, to take a measure. The opinion which will bite strangely comes to other country and the suffering is many. Does a best and assists. A little be piece which is inconvenient and school side and coat and a liaison give. Evening is a time takes a meal and the soup bowl. If the time is okay,…. 

Had I taken them up on the offer, I surely would have brought my laptop with us. Oh, the conversations we could have had...

In other news, I bought my first plant ever in Korea, an orchid. I also put up the calligraphy pieces I made at the Buddhist calligraphy class I attended yesterday afternoon. I will show them once I finally get my camera (and backpack) back from an apartment I left them at two weeks ago.