A Slippery Slope

Busan, South Korea

June 15, 1987
Class. Home. Carrie came over. She gave me Hawaiian shorts. We talked and kissed. She was nervous and inexperienced. I dig her. We left and I was to be late for class. Trying to take a taxi. Mr. Shin came and I was shaky. I rode off. She loves me which I want for now but later who knows.

June 17
Carrie came again. She is cool. She wanted to learn the French Kiss. After some hesitation...Today I went to Mr. Park's nice house. Went to Haeundae with him and his sister and Mr. An. We may go to Kyoungju to play.

June 21
Thursday Carrie came. Friday night met Carrie for a late night. I enjoy just being with her. Saturday haircut and to Kyoungju with Mr. An too. To the Condo and about. Lots of Japanese. Miss Hwang came. She seems like a good friend to them. A little easy. At night to the night club. Absolutely no one there. Back and I was pretty bored. Sunday up late and came right home.

June 22
Class and spent another day with Carrie. She is rad. Next month it looks like I will get all new students. I will miss some of my cooler students. I wasn't excited when I first heard it but I am OK. Recently I have felt like going to America but today I felt like I could stay for the time. Also I felt Mr. Shin is milking for the joint class concept (한미 합동).

June 23
Class and Carrie and I cruised downtown and around. Nothing much. She is cool. I lost control once today on Miss Kim [institute secretary]. For no reason. I was sorry.

2009. March 5. What I wrote and what I didn't write.
There was a little convenience store right across from my apartment building. I would buy the occasional Ramen or Choco-Pie there (secretly I ate tons of Choco-Pies, but only the Orion brand; not the Lotte brand). What I bought at that store was never enough to please the really old woman who ran the place. She often asked how I survived, what I ate, who cooked for me, etc. I never understood most of what she said, but I tried to use her for local knowledge; looked like she had nothing better to do...

I asked her where to get my comforter washed and she told me to just give it to her and she would take care of it. The next day she returned it. Not only was it washed, but she had hand sewn a matching pink sheet onto it to work as a duvet cover. She never asked for anything in return, just to shop at her store more often. Too sweet.

One day I walked over to the store and she was plucking the gray hairs out of another woman's head. They cackled out loud without covering their mouths and took great joy in trying to teach the foreigner how to say: "새치를 뽑다."

One afternoon Carrie left my apartment and I went across to the little store. The old lady was holding her bible and looking very concerned. The gist of her message to me that day was that if boys and girls spend too much time together, eventually their skin will end up touching and it's all downhill to hell from there.