The Jehovah Method: Educate, Harass, Stalk, Repeat.

Wow, two months since my last blog! Time flies when you get settled into a routine I guess.

Today's blog is brought to you by the power of the Jehovah's Witnesses. As you know, when I first moved to Seoul, they came to my apartment and attempted to 'educate' me with a 15 minute conversation in which I could not get rid of them. Since that time, I have arrived home nearly monthly, to a friendly post - it note raising awarness of the fact I missed them and a copy of both 'The Watchtower' and 'Awake' taped over my door handle, so I had to physically have them in my hand before I opened the door. Very clever Jehovah's... very clever indeed.

So apparently, I narrowly avoided any further encounters with them for months. Today my luck ran out and I got a double dose of 'Why I need more God in my life' and 'why I need to follow with the Jehovah's.' I thought I was safe. I was caught completely off guard, in two different moments where I was unable to avoid or escape from them. This is the story of how a simple trip to the convenience store (at the end of my street) and back, went so terribly, terribly wrong.

After a lovely dinner at Burger Hunter, my apparent craving for a Coke Zero had not been satisfied, so I decided to bypass my apartment and keep going to the end of the street to pick up a pop and a snack (Thursday nights are the nights I catch up on all my 'North American' T.V. shows, snacks are mandatory). I walked into the store as I normally do, blissfully unaware I was actually being followed. How long had I been followed? Who knows. As I closed the fridge doors, I turned around to hear "Sarah! How are you??" As I look in her direction I recognized her instantly. I tried to continue to walk to the cash, but she had me blocked. Trapped in the back of the store; there was no escape. I made awkward conversation, still wondering just how long she had followed me for and how on EARTH I managed to not see a bright lemon- lime colored blazer following me down the dimly lit street. Apparently, I need to go to an eye doctor. Eventually she handed me over an obligatory copy of the Watchtower and backed away to finally give me a passageway to the cashier to pay for the crap I was buying that I didn't really need anyways. I walked out of the store laughing at the entire encounter as I replayed it in my head. Little did I know, there was about to be a round two.

I left the store and walked down the street, laughing to myself about how ridiculous the whole situation was. I made it all the way down to the end of the hall to my apartment building and opened the lock for my door code. All of a sudden, out of no where, I hear "Excuse me!! Excuse me!! Sarah? How are you!" Instantly, I recognize her too. It's Becky, the one that leaves me the post it notes to let me know that, yes, I too, can still be saved! I heard roughly the same lecture for a second time, and make her aware her counterpart nabbed me first at the store. I held up my new copy of the Watchtower from Sara (good thing I didn't trash it outside) to refrain her from handing me a second copy. She continued to talk my ear off about God and why I am never home when they come by. I actually AM never home when they come by, thankfully. But I still think she believes I'm putting them off and no wonder, I can only imagine how much rejection they get everyday. As I tried really, really hard to not burst out laughing in her face, she could see I really wanted to get inside and said her goodbyes. She asked me if she could still leave me magazines, I said yes. Why? Because: a) Have you ever read one??? They are downright hilarious and even have an activity / coloring page in the back. and b) I get great amounts of entertainment from her post-it's. I'll just have to continue to 'be out' when they stop by. :)

Cheers for now,

Sarah