I met Soyoung in London, when her boyfriend Uk stayed at the church flat for a few weeks before heading back to Korea. Soyoung came to visit him for a few days during that time and I got on well with her.
It was a glorious summer that year. Kicheol and family had gone home for the summer and I had a free reign over the flat and the church garden. We had a big BBQ party that summer they were there.
I also had TzuAnne from Malaysia staying at the flat for a couple of weeks as well. So it was a really fun time. And TzuAnne and I began to notice something about our Korean lodger, Uk.
He only ate ramen.
For breakfast, lunch and dinner.
When we asked, he said he didn't know how to cook, so that's all he could eat.
The maternal instincts in us kicked in then and we fed him as much as we could! Sigh. That boy seriously needed a woman in his life to take care of him. He was quite honestly helpless in the home.
When I messaged Soyoung to catch up I didn't really think much of him as I didn't even know whether or not they were still together, but they were. While he was working in another town, he had given money to Soyoung to make sure she took me around town and fed me well.
I had quite forgotten about London that summer until Soyoung told me how Uk was extremely grateful at that time for the kindness showed to him then and he wanted to make sure I enjoyed the best of Busan in return. That was a lesson that acts of kindness can return to you unexpectedly even if this one took 4 years!
Soyoung really made my Busan trip memorable. And she patiently taught me about ahjummes (in Busan, they say ahjumme while in Seoul they say ahjumma; and it means aunty). Busan ahjummes are known to be strong and fierce and no one messes with them.
If Korean men are known to be chauvinistic, it really does not mean Korean women are automatically demure just because the men are chauvinistic!
We encountered some loud speaking ahjummes on the underground train and they are fiercer than any Malaysian/Singaporean aunties wielding umbrellas jostling you to get into the bus/MRT hands down.
Pffft. Malaysian/Singaporean aunties are lambs compared to the ahjummes.
And so, when I read this article, my heart warmed. Go Busan-lites, Go ahjummes and ahjummes in the making!