Robert Who?

My friend, Tom, and I have had quite a few adventures since arriving in Korea. I should probably start a new blog, The Adventures of Redneck and Suji. This week's adventure is not necessarily the funniest, but it is, by far, the most astonishing.

Two weeks ago, I bought a fabulous new pair or Roberto Cavalli sunglasses from Shinsegae, which came with a one year warranty card and a carrying case about the size of a small country.

Last week, I encouraged Tom to wear my sunglasses as a part of his "robot" Halloween costume. He then wore them out Halloween night in Seoul, with which I had no problem.

The following Monday, I ran into Tom's class to see if maybe he had the glasses at school with him, to which he responded, "Um. Yeah. I think that are at my apartment. And they might be broken."

"What?!? They were really expensive!"
"Well, not really broken. One of the lenses just seems to have popped out."
"Oh. OK. I'm sure it will be fine."
"But they weren't really expensive right? I mean, they seemed to be just plastic sunglasses. I thought you bought them at the costume shop."
"No, Tom! They were Roberto Cavalli!"
"Robert who?"
"You're killing me, Tom."

Then I felt bad for reacting badly over a stupid pair of sunglasses, which I told him to wear, and I remembered that they were still under warranty!!! So I went back to Tom's class to tell him that there was nothing to worry about.

"Oh. That's great, Swilley. I'm sure we will be able to get them fixed then."
"Well, yeah. They're under warranty. There should be no problem."
"(clears throat)...um...yeah...I'm sure it will be fine."

Fast forward to 30 minutes later....Tom enters main teachers' office...

"So, Swilley, the glasses aren't so much broken as broken and missing."
"Wha..."
"But I'm sure I will be able to find them! Don't worry! All will be well!"
"OK, Tom. If you say so."

Fast forward to two hours later...Text message from Tom...
"Good start. I have the lenses. Now I only need to find the frames."

I was seriously cracking up at this point.

Fast forward to one hour later...Message from Tom to random friends on facebook....

"Just a shot in the dark......has anyone found the gold rim glasses that I was wearing on Saturday night? They belong to Swilley and I've found out that they have an equivalent value to a villa in Monaco.......any ideas give me a shout. cheers."

Fast forward to this morning's cab ride to work...
"Swilley, I've work out a plan. I'm just going to bring the lenses in the case, with the warranty card, to Shinsagae. I will just explain that my girlfriend was wearing them, and the frames fell off of her face into a river. I will bring Lynn, and she will cry threaten to break up with me if I do not replace the glasses."
"Tom, you don't speak Korean. That is NEVER going to work."
"Sure it will, Swilley. I'm English. They'll love my accent. I'll wear a trench coat and be very British."
"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."
"No, Swilley. It's golden. It's gonna work."

We continued to have the same conversation over and over again throughout today, and I seriously tried to talk him out of wasting his time, but he is one persistent Brit!

Lo and behold, I got the following text earlier this evening...
"Good news. Just saw them at Shinsegae. They're gonna put new frames on for you:)"

Now, seriously, raise your hand if you thought Tom was going to be successful in the previous venture. Oh, put you hands down, liars!!!! You know, as well as I do, that most stores in most countries, ESPECIALLY Korea would not have replaced frames that had gone MIA. I mean, the warranty serial number was on the frames, not the lenses!

I guess it just goes to show that Tom and Lynn are thespians extraordinaire.

Bravo, guys! And many thanks!

PRE-SOJU=LENSES

POST-SOJU=NO LENSES


(It's so crazy that the lenses, instead of the frames, made it back home!)