I sounded like a lesbian stalker

How embarrassing.

Yesterday I was waiting for some Korean friends at the bus terminal downtown, and out walked my friend from South Africa with his newly-arrived sister. It’s her first time in Korea. We said hello and about five other words, and then they left.

Today I called up my South African friend to invite him and his wife along to Goldfinger Bar for my  final "one for the road." (Just remember, Hite is shite, OB for me, and there should be no hangover issues the next day!)  So, my friends aren’t home but his sister answered the phone. We both said hello. Then a pause. I started to say, "It’s nice to…"  but halfway through I realised you can’t say it’s nice to see someone again if it’s over the phone, but I’d already committed to saying something about it being nice, so I finished with, "… to hear your voice again, Desiree."  

"It’s nice to hear your voice again, Desiree"??!!

Oh my god.

I carried a watermelon?!

She’s a stranger. I have barely said five words to her. What happened to, "Are you having a nice day? What do you think of Korea so far?"

Somebody shoot me, that’s embarrassing.

She probably thinks I’m a lesbian now. A lesbian stalker.

I made the mistake of telling my friend Mel.

I’m never going to live this one down.

It’s nice to hear your voice again.

The last thing I heard as I went out the door of Mel’s apartment tonight after dinner, was her laughing her head off and her husband calling to my retreating back, "It’s nice to hear your voice again!"