I spread out my sleeping bags on a road construction site on the outskirts of the city and went to sleep. I knew it was going to be cold when I went to sleep, but it was really cold that day.
I took off my jacket and put it on my legs, but it was still cold. Every time I turned over, I had to put my jacket back on, otherwise my back would get cold, and I had to put my head in my sleeping bag with a hoodie over my head.
Anyway, I woke up every time I turned over, I think I woke up about 20 times. The sky is finally brightening, the sleeping bag is damp and the dew I see is covering the bag in a film of ice, not frost, but ice. It must be cold. It’s still cold and I stick my head in my sleeping bag, when I hear footsteps approaching. I poke my head out of my sleeping bag and see a man standing beside it.
“xxxx!” in Hangul.
I have no idea what he is saying, but I am sure he is saying something like
“Why are you sleeping here?”
Then he sits down beside me, touches my frozen sleeping bag and says again
“X X X X! ”
Isn’t it freezing? I think.
“Chonun ilbong sarang im nida” (I’m Japanese in Korea language).
which I had just learned, and then he found out that I couldn’t speak Hangul(Korean language) at all. I guess I looked pretty miserable.
“Coffee?”
he says, pretending to drink a cup with his hand.
“Kamsahamnida!”(Thank you in Korea language)
I said without hesitation. He went away and immediately brought me a cup of coffee in a paper cup.
He was Seeing this, he went away again and gave me a bag of snacks and yoghurt.
I wave my hand in the air as if to say “No thanks”.
He pretend to say, “Take it. ”
I waved my hand in the air to indicate that I didn’t want it, but he pretended to want me to take it. The old man handed me the bag, looked satisfied, raised his hand lightly and went away.
It was a cold early morning.
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