총 28페이지

23
Blueprint
I
liveinSeoul,Korea,inanapartmentbuildingnotfarfromtheuniversitywhereIwork.IbuymostofmygroceriesattheShoo-
Puhonthecornernearmybuilding.InKoreanspellingsymbols-knownasHanguel-itcomesoutsoundinglike“Shoo-Puh”to
my American ear. The Koreans have borrowed the word from the American “Supermarket” but changed its sound a little and
givenitaslightlydifferentmeaning.Theyhavemadeita“Konglish”word,asyouhearpeoplecallit:awordborrowedfromEnglish
andmadeintoKorean.InKorea,aShoo-Puhisasmallstoreintheneighborhoodwhereyoubuygroceriesandsundries.Ishopatthe
Shoo-Puhalmosteveryday.
AmanandawomanonlyalittleolderthanI-I’mfifty-eight-runtheShoo-Puh.Itisarealmom-and-popstore,thekindthathas
almostdisappearedinAmerica,butyoucanstillfindthemineveryneighborhoodofSeoul.Thebigsupermarketsandconvenience
storechainshaveyettotakecompletelyoverinKoreaandrunthemom-and-popsoutofbusiness.Ibuyfreshfruitsandvegetables,
eggs,soap,lightbulbs,andothersuchthingsfromthecouplewhoruntheShoo-Puh.
As I was leaving the Shoo-Puh this afternoon with my purchases, a woman - advanced in years but spry - came walking in. A
womanyoungerthanher-thoughstillolderthanI-enteredwithher,perhapsherdaughter.Istoodtothesidetoletthempass.
The woman I took to be the mother wore a brilliant white hanbok blouse and bright pastel-purple hanbok pants. This venerable
womantookhertimeasshestrolledintotheShoo-Puh,forshedidn’tseemtobeinahurrytogetanywhere.Fromthemomentshe
walkedin,Icouldnottakemyeyesoffher,foryourarelyeverseeapersonwholooksasstrikingasher.Tome,shelookedlikeshe
couldbeaqueen,orattheleastaprincess.
Thisfineafternoon
atthe Shoo-Puh
LymanMcLallen
-AssistantProfessorDepartmentofEnglishLinguistics
Ipeeredintoherfacedeeplyasshewalkedby,andInoticedthewrinklesthatlinedhereyes,thefewgoldteethinhermouth,her
finelybrushedsnow-whitehairthatsheseemedtowearasacrown.Inoticedherhighcheekbones,forIrecognizethosesamehigh
cheekbones-soprominentanddistinctiveofKoreanfaces-intheyoungfacesofthecollegestudentsIseeeverydayintheclassroom,
whosebrightandjoyous,handsomeandbeautifulfacesseemtoechohers.Shecaughtmelookingather-admiringher,really-and
when she did, I did not look away, and neither did she. We held our eyes on one another, then she began to laugh out loud, and I
laughedoutloudtoo-Icouldn’thelpmyself.
Iwalkedhomewithmygroceriesandputthemaway.ButIhavenotstoppedthinkingabouther.
Itrytoimaginehowshehaslivedherlife,allthepathsshehastakenthatthisdaybroughthertotheShoo-Puh,tothismoment,and
to our brief chance encounter, and I think about Korea in her lifetime: first, the occupation by Japan, then the wars, the attendant
starvation,thechaos,andalltheheartache-andIknowthatshedidnotescapefromanyofit.
Guessingthatsheisneareighty-thoughavigorouseighty-IfigureshewasborninthemiddleoftheJapaneseoccupation,andthat
shewasbarelyoutofchildhoodinitslastyears.Asayoungwoman,sheenduredthehorrorsoftheKoreanWar,wheneveryKorean
familysufferedheartbreakinglossesthroughcruelseparationsandviolentdeaths.Inthehardtimesofthefiftiesandthesixtiesthat
followedthewar,youngwomenofhergenerationcollectedwildplantsinthehillsandonroadsidesoutofnecessityjusttokeeptheir
families-andthemselves-fromstarving,andIimaginehersearchingforthewildedibleplants,andfillingherpapersackwiththem.
Recallingherclearbrighteyesandherjoyousface,IrealizethatshewasborninKorearightinthemiddleofitsmostfrightening
years.NopeopleonEarthhaveeverbeenputthroughmoresheerhellthantheKoreanswholivedthroughthatdarktimewhenthis
womanwasyoung.Lookingathernow,IamascertainasIamofanythingthatshesuffered,too,throughallofthepaininflictedonall
theKoreanslivingthen,andjustthinkingabouttheKoreansofhergenerationnow,itstrikesmethattheyalldidnothinglessthanwalk
throughafirestorm.ThatanyKoreanevensurvivedtogivebirthtothenewgenerationsismiracleenough.
Picturingherinmymind,ittotallyastoundsmethatanybodycouldmakeitthroughsuchdestruction,suchlosses,suchsorrow,and
tears.Andyet,theresheis,attheShoo-Puh,laughing,radiantwithherjoy,andlookingsowonderfullybeautifulthisfineafternoonin
Seoul,Korea.
MAY 2007

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