"You better not turn your back on a Paradise"

1987 in Busan, South Korea

September 20
Sunday. We didn't make it to Taegu. We hung out. Yesterday too, nothing. To Xanadu for free with two women whom I didn't want to be with. Tonight to 쉼표 for the last time.* Young-sook called later and she is my Sister of Mercy.** Mr. Shin's mum died.

September 23
Yesterday to Seo-myeon with Young-sook. She is box. Today to Yangsan and I met Miss Kim the goddess of KHI. I love her.***

*Certainly these are hollow words of empty promise. I most definitely kept going to 쉼표 for the culture and society. Oh, and obviously for the rest ;-)...

** "No Sister of Mercy oh don't cry for me. (Sister of Mercy) No Sister of Mercy it's all awright for me."

***I must've mentioned this goddess Miss Kim 10 times by now. Sadly, I have no recollection of her at all. I'm not even sure what I meant by "met" in this case. I already knew her by this time so I am not using the "nice to meet you" sense of "met." I don't recall any one-on-one "미팅" either. I am guessing I just ran into her in some unexpected fashion. Still, I wonder what it would be like to meet up today and talk it over. Prolly more awkward than cool I imagine.

My little sister got married nearly three weeks ago. After the wedding there was a reception/party where all the old school folks from the hometown come around to greet the new couple. It's a nice reunion of faces not seen for many moons. Lots of laughs, a few tears, the mini donut maker from the Saturday Farmer's Market was there making mini donuts. Go figure.

I caught up with a nice lady from the old hometown. Her husband is in Afghanistan with the Guard. Her son is home from Iraq missing one leg. Her sister is there with her. Many people thought I would marry the oldest daughter of that sister. Nope. I told her I see her son Jed (I didn't tell her I see him pulling hard and long on the hookah), she just rolls her eyes and says "Jed."

Later, I'm standing by myself loading carbs via the cinnamon-sugar mini donuts, and my Mom's old friend Marilyn walks up. She says, "Do you remember me"?

I think to myself: Of course I do; I had the biggest crush on you when I was younger. Should I tell her that? It might be funny...

But she's standing with her grisled old farmer husband, and my brain can't compute any mathematics that would have made it OK for me to have a crush on her when I was younger. So I holster the "I had a huge crush on you" line and we exchange pleasantries for a few. Mom later tells me Marilyn is 13 years older than I. She married in 1978 or 9. I would have been 13 or 14 when I was crushing. Nothing wrong with that I suppose...?

Maybe it wouldn't be such a great idea to "meet" the KHI Goddess Miss Kim again.