Moving On

Our neighborhood in Korea changed dramatically the last few months we lived there. Our neighborhood comprised of row after row of tiny storefronts selling everything from clothing to ping pong tables. It seemed that every week a store closed like the one above. It just struck me funny that they filled the front window with naked mannequins. It was sad to see this happening.

Our favorite yang yung (sweet and spicy) chicken shop were forced to relocate and the entire block was demolished. Luckily, I had kept their phone number and when one of my girlfriends came to visit, she called them so I could order over the phone and have it delivered. We always ordered the same thing so I would call and say, "Hi, how are you?" She would respond in Korean and her hubby would deliver the chicken about 20 minutes later.

But I miss walking to their little shop and ordering in person. While I would wait, sometimes her husband would try to talk to me (in Korean) and their son would peek at me with his friend and then when I smiled at them they would run back upstairs to their living quarters. I also shocked customers when I entered. It wasn't every day you see a foreigner in your neighborhood especially that neighborhood.

She would always send me on my way with a free Pepsi (how did she know!) and a plastic bag of chopped up veggies which smelled horribly. Another thing I miss about Korea.