Letters from Korea – I
Dear Momma,
The plane ride in from home was fine, but really long. When we left Charleston, we had to take a shuttle flight over to D.C. and then a bigger jet to San Francisco before we went to Seoul. If I’d a known that we was gonna have to wait 2 hours through baggage check, security, and waiting at the gate and all that just to go to D.C. I’d a had the school fly me out of there. We could of drove together to D.C from Coalwood just as well as we could of to Charleston. Once I got to Seoul I had to take a shuttle bus to another airport before I got on a jet to Ulsan. That was a full day of travel, for sure, Momma.
Anyway, I’m here now and I’m settled into my apartment. The Korean lady who picked me up at the airport seems really nice. I didn’t have to work the first day I came ‘cuz I didn’t get in until 9p.m. and they knew I’d be whipped from a day in the planes. But by Tuesday they had me in the classrooms from 1:30 until 8:30. I probably could of worked on Monday, but the school owners said I should rest. They gave me a couple of papers with the Korean alphabet said I might want to study some. How ’bout that Momma? I ain’t even been to school yet and I already got homework!
I got up real early on Monday (I guess it takes a few days for the time difference to kick in) and figured I’d get some shopping in. The little fridge in my apartment was empty. So I went out around 8 and found a little grocery store. It didn’t open until 10 and by then I was getting real hungry. I bought some milk and cereal and some juice, but it was kind of hard to shop. I don’t think it would have mattered even if I could of read the labels on most of that stuff. Momma, there’s a whole lot of things I ain’t never seen before. I asked a few people what this or that was, but even when they understood what I was asking I didn’t understand the answer. I can see why they want people to teach English here, Momma, ‘cuz there ain’t many people who do.
Most of the people so far have been pretty normal, but that was in the airports and what not. Once I got down into Ulsan people didn’t seem quite so friendly. Most of the ladies are real nice, but the men, especially the middle age ones, kind of sneer at me and give me the whole up and down look. Momma, I know I ain’t the ugliest thing around, but you can see it in the men’s eyes how they feel. They’re not real good at being discrete.
When I went to the school, the kids were real polite. They’re cute, too. Most of them are curious about foreigners and a few of them stared at me the whole time like they ain’t never seen one before. I know they did, though, ‘cuz the school owner told they had a Australian guy the last year. Whoever he was, he didn’t have boobs ‘cuz some of those kids were sure staring at mine. One little boy told me “teacher! chee-chee big size.” So, there you go Momma – my first Korean word: chee chee – and I didn’t even need a book to learn it. I never thought my chee chees were all that big but compared to most of the women here, I guess they are.
Momma, I really miss you and Daddy. I know it’s only been a few weeks, but it already seems like a lifetime. I’ll send some money home when I get paid. I know you’re gonna need it what with Daddy’s lung cancer from the coal mines and all. I’m really glad you and Daddy pushed me to finish college ‘cuz I wouldn’t be able to have come here to and help pay Daddy’s doctor bills unless you did. Course, it ain’t like there’s many jobs back home these days anyway. Tell everyone I say ‘hey’ and tell Aunt Babe that the pickled cabbage is pretty good. She was afraid I wouldn’t like it. She told me that Uncle John tried it back in the Korean war and he said it was terrible. Well, you know how she likes them big green garlicky onions – ramps – so I figure she’d like the kimchi, too.
I love you Momma and I’ll write again soon.
Love, Sandy
I’ve got a whole series of these. If people like it, I’ll post some more