The Portrait
I was recently reunited with a box of my belongings that I shipped from Korea when I left nearly 4 years ago.
It was an absolute treasure trove of memories. One standout was a hand-drawn portrait that was gifted to me by a local artist.
I lived in three different provinces during my time in Korea.
In 2016 I moved to Gongju, which is in Chungcheongnam province. It is a very peaceful, farming town where you could truly stop and smell the roses. Or chestnuts in the case of Gongju. Each Korean city is known for something and gets a deserving nickname. I lived in Chestnut City!
Now, before moving there, I had no knowledge of the journey of the chestnut or its life cycle. I only knew they were lovely roasting on an open fire. Let me tell you, chestnut blooms have a very…distinct odor. Like something you’ve never smelled before and will not soon forget. I can best describe it as yeasty.
The air was thick with that yeasty smell for ages, and only after the chestnuts nutted did I realize that’s what the offending odor had been. Ha! The blooms are incredibly gorgeous by the way.
*Video by my dear friend, Liz, who went chestnut picking with some colleagues.
Living in the countryside definitely gives you an appreciation for all things agricultural.
Believe it or not, by pure luck of the draw I was placed in an even more rural area than Gongju my first year in Korea (shoutout to Donghae!). I had a front row seat to the extraordinary labor involved in farming and came away with an unwavering appreciation for farmers and where our food comes from.
Whether it’s rice paddies, corn, strawberries or chestnuts, it is a labor of love. I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Korea one day to eat my way through the country. Mmmmm….bulgogi, bibimbap, samgyeopsal, japchae, pajeon, mandu and all the jjigaes. Get in my belly!
Another thing Korea does well are the four seasons.
My job wasn’t far from my apartment, no more than a 30 minute walk, and when the weather was nice (i.e. not winter) I preferred to take the scenic route. In my opinion, winter is far too long and dominates the year and on the flip side the summers are unbearably hot.
However, spring and fall…gahhhh. Love at first sight, but don’t blink because before you know it, you’ll be plunged back into the deep darkness of winter. But while they are around, they are simply stunning and make the walk to and from work memorable with the ever changing landscapes.
Walking to work in winter 1/10 - Would Not Recommend
Taking ‘The Scenic Route’ in any other season - 10/10 Absolutely Recommended
I met him on my way home from work.
He was dressed in traditional clothing, yellow tinted glasses, a hat and was riding a bike. Normally, I would just acknowledge passersbys with a slight nod, mind my business and hope they did the same. If you’ve ever been ‘The Foreigner’, you know how exhausting it can get being on display all the time.
After my initial head nod, not the American one where your head would go up, but the Korean one where your head goes down, reminiscent of a bow, without bowing…he greeted me in English and flashed a big welcoming smile. Ahhh, he wanted to talk. Depending on the day and my mood, that could have gone either way. I was in a good mood that day.
He asked the normal questions about what brought me to Korea, then told me he was a retired English teacher and now dedicated his time to his art. Ooooo, how I love artsy people!
The Artist and I
“Can I draw you?” he asked.
He got off his bike and we walked along the tree lined street aka The Scenic Route, and happily chatted away. When it was time for us to split, me continuing straight, him turning right, he asked if he could draw me. “Huh? Like one of your French girls?”
I didn’t really say that, but this was not an every day request and I was totally caught off guard. I made my “Sure!” sound as upbeat as I could, but I’m positive my dang eyebrows gave me away. I do not have a poker face. Of course, he needed a picture for reference, so he took out his cell phone and right there on the corner of Janggi-ro and Hanjeok-gil he snapped my photo. I went away with a feeling of, “Well, if I never see him again, he was an interesting character and I loved his style.”
Color me surprised when the very next week, we bumped into each other again and he presented me with…me! It was such an amazing portrait and so true to the original photo, I couldn’t believe it. I am forever grateful to have this drawing and the memory of meeting Mr. Hong. Sometimes it’s okay to talk to strangers. And now that I’ve found it again, I’m never letting it out of my sight!
