Sunflower and People

Strangely, there are more old people than younger ones in the mountains of Korea. Therefore, it is complimentable if a young girl climbs up to the mountain alone. This early morning, I was again walking up to the mountain proudly as always.

No, kick my ass the proud. I actually put on a big floppy cap and walk really fast only looking down. I'm ashamed of my ugly morning face and it is truely dangerous to walk alone in the woods in early morning for a girl. However, it might not be only me who think that way. I found out people who were passing by me never tried to make an eye-contact. Despite all these uncomfortable conditions, those fresh air and a nice breeze pleases me.

When I was walking up to the wooden stairs in mountain as always, I felt a brighter light than the usual. I looked up and there was a pretty yellow sunflower blossoming. It seemed like it was trying to say hello to me. I unconsciously smiled and waved my hand.
What a beautiful summer day! I wanted to say everyone a hello. However, it just stucked right in my throat. Right... I am in KOREA...!

I'm one of people who complain that there is no equivalent of 'Good morning', 'Buenos Diaz', and 'Bon Jour' in Korean. Of course there is a word for Good Morning; 'JoEn AaChim(좋은아침)'. But this is just a literal translation for wetern style of good-morning. It is not only uncomfortable for the listener but the speaker because it doesn't exist in our culture. There is no rule to not to speak it though. But it must be awkward for us; Koreans.

When a beautiful day like this, when someone is trying to start a day with a beautiful greeting to make the others' day, it is shameful that there is no culture like foreign countries. I wondered if it would be a matter of an absence of a culture or a matter of public mind.

I felt more attached to those bright sunflowers that always stay bright and beautiful greeting the sun in the middle of polluted cities than those people who was trying too hard to keep themselves away from polluted people and stay healthy. If there's nothing left on this earth but only people, I wonder what would happen.

J.