Highlights of my Day... Wednesday, May 28

1. I am officially a level 3 Korean language student… in full effect, baby!!! Today I whipped open my level 3 text and dove in with my teacher. The textbook is thicker, harder,… and I’m such a geek for saying that I’m loving it.

2. Bought my first pair of flat shoes that aren’t either sandals or running shoes. With my left foot STILL killing me, I figured it was about time I listen to the doctor, give in, and try to at least like flat shoes. I give them about a week before Mi Nam either eats them or I realize I’m just too stubborn to give up my high heels.

3. About a month ago one of my friends named Chung Hong, a coworker of Jae Min’s at Mbar, went missing. He had gone fishing and just never returned. Today he came back… in a body bag. Some fishermen had discovered his body as it raised up to the surface after a month of being on the bottom of some random lake.

4. I found this out when I returned from my Korean class. Usually I just go straight home but today I dilly-dallied and did some eye-shopping at Yawoori. Upon arriving at my apartment, I ran into my friend Jung Hyuk. He was all dressed in black and sporting some mad baggy and sad looking eyes. I questioned him what was wrong and he broke down, right in the middle of the GS 25 store with customers all looking at us. I stayed with him for some time, trying to comfort him but stumbling on my Korean.

6. When Jung Hyuk’s ride pulled up to GS 25, the window rolled down and inside I could see it was packed with Mbar staff. Jae Min’s sister and my Korean Mbar mom were also inside the car. It was then that I realized just how much I wish my Korean was better. If only I could have better express my sympathy to them… if only….

7. Chung Hong was Jung Hyuk’s best friend. He was a young guy who I had met when I first came to Korea. I met him at Mbar and he’s been working there ever since. With his sexy style, cool hair, posh glasses, and smooth lines, he’s no stranger to the admiration of girls and jealous guys. Regardless though, he always complained of having a sad heart. I never understood this and joked about wanting to meet his mom so I could tell her to lock him away. He had more looks than one should be allowed to have… that was our ongoing joke.

8. Needless to say, at boxing tonight I was very distracted and in no mood to chit chat or wear a smile. I felt sick having heard of Chung Hong’s death and I felt so stressed. I pounded away at the pads and heavy bag.. it didn’t really help though. It just left me exhausted but still sad and stressed.

9. We had driven way out into some far corner of Cheonan where it was super dark and the street lamps were limited. Down the road was the hospital, although it’s not really a hospital. It was kind of like what we’d consider a funeral home except it was hidden in the country and definitely had a gloomy and sickening feeling that you couldn’t help but feel as you approached it.

10. I finally met his mother, at his funeral tonight… not exactly how I wanted to meet her. She approached me, took me by the hands and so I told her who I was. Her pudgy hands loosely held mine and were shaking. I thought to myself, “Oh God,.. what could I possibly say to a mother who’s lost their child?! This is terrible.” I cried as she held my hands. I wanted so bad to tell her all my memories with Chung Hong but all that I could say was, “He was my friend… I am so sorry.” Here in Korea, funerals are very different compared to Canada. On the day that the person dies, they have a funeral. Friends and family meet to give money, drink away their sorrows, and eat. Because Chung Hong was a young guy, no older than 25, unmarried and with no children, his funeral will only last one day. One day… that’s all he’ll get. It breaks my heart cause he was so young. His life hadn’t even really started. Older people however, those who are married with children have a three day funeral. I found little comfort in noting how many people had come to pay their respect to Chung Hong. The place was packed. Q and I didn’t stick around for very long despite Jae Min wanting us to. On the way out, Chung Hong’s mother approached me again, thanked me for coming and reached out for my hands. I stood there holding her hands, just looking at her. I had no idea what to say. As we walked away, I looked back at her and waved. She remained standing there, alone, and so I thought to myself, this is wrong… this is so wrong.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What do you say to make it better?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.
--Danny Kaye