random luck

today is june 15th, which for other expats like me, marks the 2008 tax return date. even though i had a 2 month extension, look at me, i turned it in, as on time as i possibly could be, on the final day. i shipped my documents via fedex and once i left the store, i made my way towards my house, a quick 5 minute walk away. like other koreans near me, i walked with purpose and with my cell phone in hand.

in the midst of texting my friend, 2 korean men approached me. they began to talk to me and since my vocabulary is a bit limited, i had no idea wtf they were saying. i excused myself and explained that i didn't know korean very well and it tickled me to see their puzzled expressions.

dude 1: where are you from?
me: i'm from america.
dude 1: oh but you speak korean well!
me: thanks but i still have more to learn.
dude 2: you have a lot of 복! (pronounced bohk)
me: huh? what is 복?
dude 1: it means luck.
dude 2: yes, you have a lot of luck.
me: (amused) oh really?!? how can you tell that i have a lot of luck?
dude 2: we can sense it.
me: (i think i rolled my eyes to myself) oh reeeeeaaaallllyyy?
dude 1: yes. you are lucky.

then dude 2 goes off on this spiel which i infer is about luck, and how i can better harvest IT if i come with them to listen and learn more about their special sort of religion. i thanked him but (lied--how non religious is that?!?) and told him that i was on my way to meet my friend. i think he really wanted me to harness my luck because he seemed disappointed when i told him i had to go. i don't know if i like the push-factor of their religion, but i did appreciate the random awareness of luck, in the sense that it's good to remember that being lucky can be as easy as simply recognizing it in the everyday. how RANDOM!