So, there was an incident involving the stove and me. Well, it wasn’t so much an incident as a battle. Now, there are those that think that you can not battle inanimate objects but, I’m here to tell them that they are wrong.
While we were in training, we had to stay in a hotel. Since the hotel room did not have a kitchen, we had to eat pretty much all of our meals out. We did keep a few things in the room’s refrigerator but, without a stove or even a microwave, it was just fruit and stuff for PB&Js.
So, when we got our apartment, we were more than ready for homemade food. Since it was like 45 degrees outside, I decided to make beef stew. We spent about two hours getting everything ready: we bought pots and pans, we bought dishes, we went to the grocery store, and we got all of the ingredients chopped and assembled.
After that, I put all of the ingredients into a new pot and put the pot onto the stove. Then, I turned on the burner. Nothing happened. So, I tried again…and again. No matter what I did, no flame came out of the burner. Now, the stove is a gas stove and I don’t have a lot of experience with them but, I have used them before. So, I didn’t think it was me.
I decided that it was just that one burner that was broken. I then tried the other three burners. Same thing with each of them. I tried pushing every button and turning every knob I could find in that kitchen. Nothing happened.
By this time, I was pretty sure that the stove was laughing at me. It looked a little smug. I finally had to admit defeat and go looking for reinforcements.
Armed with my English/Korean dictionary, I went looking for the building’s cleaning ladies. I had met them the day before and they were friendly. I bookmarked the words “stove” and “problem” in my dictionary so, I could kinda explain and, hopefully, convince one of the ladies to come to my apartment and help.
I stared roaming the floors of the building, looking for the ladies. I was unable to find the cleaning ladies but, I did find a teenage girl. It’s been my experience that those under 18 tend to speak English the most in Korea. So, I asked the girl if she spoke English. It turns out that she did! The girl was about 14 and her name was Jenny. Since it’s creepy for adults to invite kids they just met into their homes, I asked Jenny if her mother could come and help me use my stove. Jenny took me to her apartment. I waited in the hallway while she spoke to her mother and explained the situation. Jenny and her mother ended up coming to my apartment with me.
Jenny’s mom was a Godsend! She didn’t speak a word of English so, Jenny translated. Jenny’s mom explained that I had left one knob unturned – the gas knob. The stove wasn’t working because I didn’t turn on the gas. She told me to turn on the gas when I wanted to cook and turn it off when I was done. I’m not sure what happens if I don’t turn it back off so, I do each time – just in case the building explodes or something.
Jenny’s mom was also nice enough to teach me how to use the washer/dryer. (One machine does both). I think her instructions averted a second standoff with the washer/dryer. In addition to appliances, Jenny’s mom also made sure that I knew what to do with the garbage (recycling is mandatory here and food remains must be separated from regular trash) and where to buy the required garbage bags.
After all was said and done, I made my beef stew. But, I’m pretty sure that this round went to the stove.
The Competition
