Last Day in Korea

The last day of my Korean adventure is here. So Gee, Mom, and I took our baggage to be checked in at the Kangnam City Airport. Then the ladies got their nails done, while I poked around an Apple store and braved one of those Korean versions of a Supercuts, simply because I didn't want to end up spending money on gadgets I couldn't afford. After my haircut, which lasted about ten nanoseconds, I took the ladies to a Mexican joint, where my Amani (Mom) got to try her first spot of guacamole. "Gooood!" she exclaimed.

"Yes," I agreed in Korean. "Now have a jalepeno."

"Oh!" she scowled. "Spicy!"

"See! Kim chi is spicy for me, but I can eat this stuff all the time."

"Spicy," my Mom shook her head and took another bite. "Spicy."

We are now taking a break while we wait for the whole clan to arrive and see us off.

I don't feel particularly sad to leave Korea, but it will be sad to not be around my new family. They welcomed me like their own and made me feel so loved. I will miss them.

We touch down in Los Angeles at 140 p.m. on February 2nd. If you see me walking Hollywood Boulevard, then come say hi. I'll be the guy with the same smile and heart he had the day he left. Who knows? I might even surprise myself and you. 

I could order a bomb shot with kim chi chegay. 

I could show you the secret of Kyochon's garlic chicken. 

I could handle a cab ride of reckless immensity.  

I could walk up a mountain with boots two sizes too small for my feet. 

I could show you how to make the proper bow to respect one's ancestors.  

I could call you ardishie or agassi, depending on your age. 

I could do five-finger push-ups. 

I could dance to Beyonce's "All the single ladies..." with seven old Korean men. 

I could turn backwards into a dragon on Seorak Mountain. 

I could take the first breadth into a bear made human evolution. 

I could be salt and light walking towards you.

I could be like dust shifts into nothing and something again.  

I could come back as a butterfly inside a caterpillar.

I could eat leaves and bamboo shoots and be given a cover on National Geographic.

I could be in the middle of China in an animal sanctuary.

I could live out my days in black and white.

I could be Audrey Hepburn's favorite coat. 

I could be auctioned at S0theby's for 9 shillings and six pence.

I could end up on a wax stiff at Madame Tartou's museum.

I could be staring at the reflection in the glass.

I could see myself.

I could say, "You're getting old."

I could turn around. 

I could see you.

You could say, "Nah, just starting to get ripe."

We could be Greta and Garbo.

We could be the subject of fantasy.

We could outsell Harry Potter.

We could get a six figure deal.

We could go on a diet.

We could make an 'S' shape.

We could claim insanity.

We could draw it with out fingers.

We could keep going until we snapped.

We could see Sunflowers again.

We could paste back an ear.

We could make two halves into a heart.

We could point to the sky.

We could say epooda and saranghayo and olmayo.

We could go for broke and open a pub in the Phillipines.

We could head to Tirinidad in search of Derek Walcott.

We could start a protest and lie in bed.

We could dream of bulls in Spain and vials of mestizo.

We could let tractor blades up-turn the earth like commas of red silk.

We could collect miniature flags in Beijing.