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February 20, A win
I went into The Beautiful Store (a Korean Goodwill type chain) with the intention of buying matching plates but the $4 charge per each turned me away from the dinnerware and toward the clothes. I ended up bringing a purse, cardigan, and powder blue blazer to the cashier, a tall young woman with bleached hair styled like 1950s Barbie. While she was calling for her manager, I noticed a cut in the shape of a ring on her finger. A much older man appeared and the three of us stared at each other. “Is… there a problem?” I asked in Korean. The young woman let out an impressed gasp. “I’m…
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In the name of suffering
Every hike I’ve ever done in Korea has ended with me wondering in despair if I have irreparably damaged my knee cartilage. As I struggled through another hike in an attempt to touch grass and see some green in the concrete jungle, I thought about how these trails parallel Korean society. There are no walking mountain trails in Korea. All go in a straight grueling line directly to the highest point. Hikers are expected to endure the grinding of their patellas as they crawl to the top. Suffering is not optional, it’s required. The first time I went on a hike here I was distraught, not only because I was…