SeoulNicole 서울니콜

Surgical Masks: What are they good for? (Absolutely nothing?) Depends on who you ask... Many Westerners are unfamiliar with the habit of wearing surgical masks, and may even be internally alarmed at the sight of people wearing them in public. (Admit it!) On a recent flight home from Korea, I wore a surgical mask along with (borderline obnoxious) sunglasses during the long flight from Seoul to Vancouver. No one commented on my appearance. Once I boarded my next flight from Vancouver to Newark, I was met with apprehensive stares by other passengers. Honestly I was also surprised to see them: With the brief exception of a 2 week stint home between my teaching contracts, this was the largest group of white people I had seen in 2 years. As I made my way to my seat like a zombie, a woman in front of me asked (loudly):"I hope we don't have to worry about that?" There was a long pause as I realized when she said "that", she was talking about me and my mask. ...

The rain brings out the smell of kimchi as I stand with my umbrella and stare at my feet. I'm waiting to go home. I hear the bus before I see it, groaning around the corner. I stick my hand out, palm down, wave my fingers toward my wrist. The rain jumps off my beckoning hand.  The bus stops for me and I smile at the driver while trying to close my umbrella and swipe my T-card against the reader. “Kamsahamnida” the meter says in a female voice as it deducts my fare. I search for a seat but the bus jolts forward and I lose my balance. My soaking umbrella brushes against an old man’s knee and he recoils, except for his blank stare which stays fixed on me.  I stutter my apology and the Korean words fall clumsily out of my mouth.   My shoes squeak as I sit down. Already we are going downhill, soon I will need to get off. Shops, bars, restaurants, salons, cafes, pet stores, all built on top of each other. All whizzing by. The windows are speckled with raindrops and ...