I went for omurice in a Korean fast food place. It was the first time I'd ordered that dish there, not being a regular customer because of the bare naked windows on all sides of the shop, meaning people can see me inside, like kids from school who then come in and demand 1,000 when I just want to eat in peace, hehe.
Last night it happened again, hearing a knock on the window, seeing two people I know from my neighbourhood, luckily adult, one a Korean guy and another a middle-aged foreign teacher. I was tucking into my omurice, which was unfortunately laden with ketchup, something I'd never seen done to these omlette rolls before. Yucky.
They sit and we have a great conversation, and the teacher mentions she's leaving Korea after 5 years (!), finding it too lonely. She is an intriguing woman who's lived around the world, who always seems to have a dreamy pull behind her stoic young face, the fragile with the firm, plus an African accent accustomed to ruddy British slang. I ask her to explain.
'It's really tough for foreign women here, it's just so transitory. All the guys just want Asian girlfriends... This country seems to change men.'
And listening to how she'd been misused over the years, I found I couldn't meet her eyes, just looking down at my plate with guilt, seeing a glint of
The White Flash.
No comments:
Post a Comment