December - Sweater - Jin-In-Seoul

Thursday, 1st December

It’s already the last month of the year. So many memorable things have happened but I’ve decided to think about them after the end-of-term exams. For now I just have to do well. Hee-jeong has no reason to love a boy who’s rubbish in class. And if someone were to say to her ‘What? Your boyfriend isn’t even in the top ten?’ how would she feel? No. Impossible.

Apart from chinese characters and science my marks should be decent. Still with the studious mood in class these days you never know. In my classmates’ lives once you take away school private academies and video games there isn’t much left. I don’t go to academies and I hate games so my life is much more dynamic.

Luckily my close friends don’t go to academies and don’t like games much either. Well. Maybe it’s the other way round. Maybe we became friends because none of us go to academies and none of us like games and we had no other choice.

Friday, 2nd December

In autumn dead leaves rolled everywhere.

And now winter rain soaks them through.

I think of the homeless in Seoul and in Paris.

I hope this winter won’t be too cold.

There’s so much money and food in the world. If only there were free canteens everywhere. Then poor grandpas and grandmas wouldn’t have to wander from dawn collecting cardboard…

Saturday, 3rd December

I got into the lift to go to Aunt Jeong-su’s and a high-school girl—at least she looked like one—spat on the floor of the lift. So when people say morals have collapsed in the age of heroes it’s not just a figure of speech.

I solved all the maths problems Aunt had given me. She says I’m a hundred times better than the pupils in the gifted class. I know she’s not just saying that to please me. Wasn’t it only recently that I solved a problem even Hee-jeong couldn’t?

Mr Jamie still hasn’t managed to go to Boston. He keeps postponing and now winter has come. He plans to go next spring. Travelling in a wheelchair probably isn’t as easy as it sounds. I encouraged him. ‘Keep at it sir. In spring it’ll be warmer and even better.’

Sunday, 4th December

Because Aunt Jeong-su summoned me I went over early in the morning to do maths. In the lift I ran into the family of that high-school girl who spat yesterday. Her mother was blocking the buttons with her body so I struggled to press the button for the 7th floor. Once I’d pressed it I hurried to stick myself in a corner.

The girl’s father shouted ‘Aren’t you going to press it or what?!’

The mother said ‘Press what?’

The girl yelled ‘What on earth are you doing!’

The father muttered ‘Honestly. What’s wrong with your mum these days?’

The mother said ‘Oh dear my head…’ Only then did she press the button for the 12th.

I thought my legs would give way. When I told Aunt Jeong-su she said there were lots of nasty kids around these days. My uncle added that it was all the parents’ fault. Aunt gave me a glass of red ginseng juice and I came back to my senses. They’re much richer than we are. They drink red ginseng juice like water by the crate. Supposedly it stops you catching colds…

Aunt said that if I get 100/100 in maths in these exams she’ll buy me whatever present I want. I’m staking everything on maths.

Monday, 5th December

Tomorrow is finally the decisive day.

Maths wait for me!

I’m coming!

And you weekend where Mahler awaits… hurry up and come!

Tuesday, 6th December

- First day of exams -

Korean. Clearly studying paid off. My mark will go up a lot.
Social studies. I studied seriously out of respect for Mr Kim Su-yeong. It should be good.
Ethics. Far too easy. Is it normal that there was no discrimination at all?

What if I ended up top of the class? That would be awkward. I’d have to keep it secret.

Wednesday, 7th December

- Second day of exams -

English. The paper was far too hard. I’m not the only one who found it tough right?
Music. Might as well sit it singing!

Well at least I no longer have to worry about coming top. In fact I had no reason to worry in the first place.

Thursday, 8th December

- Third day of exams -

Science. Was it a bit easy today? In any case studying was worth it.
Chinese Characters. The teacher must have set an easy paper because he’s afraid the subject will disappear. There’s no other explanation!

The hope I abandoned yesterday is fluttering again. Even if I’m not first there’s still a ranking right? Tomorrow it’s maths. The easiest subject. I mean… easy maths? Have I gone mad?

Friday, 9th December

- Fourth day of exam -

Maths. That last question… the teacher must have made a mistake setting it. Why put out something like that? Unless he mixed it up with a third-year paper I’m finished!

In the evening I went to a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 with Dad and Hee-jeong. Mum couldn’t come. Too busy. For the first time in my life I went to a place called the Arts Center. We parked then walked for ages uphill. Later I learned Dad had parked on the opera house side not the concert hall side. Thanks to him we wandered shivering for more than twenty minutes looking for the hall. Good thing Mum didn’t come.

Dad looked very smart. Well-cut suit immaculate coat. Hee-jeong wore a white sweater, a duffle coat and a furry hat. I had a black sweater, a wool coat and a white bun-shaped hat. In that sense we were all respectable. Well. Hee-jeong wasn’t just respectable. She looked like an angel. Among hundreds of people she shone the brightest. I wanted to wear a badge saying Kim Hee-jeong’s Boyfriend.

At the ticket desk the clerk asked Dad’s name.

‘Heo Su-jeong.’

She searched in a box but our tickets weren’t there.

She asked again. ‘You are Mr Heo Su-jeong?’

He replied ‘Yes. But it’s Category C.’

‘Ah yes sorry.’ After placing the pre-printed envelopes for VIP and R seats on the counter she printed our Category C tickets on the spot and handed them to us.

Hee-jeong giggled. I was a bit embarrassed but pretended nothing had happened.

Dad said without caring at all that we were in C. ‘It’s fine. At the Arts Center C seats are the best. Dad’s been here loads of times. I know what I’m talking about.’

I asked ‘Then why did you park anywhere?’

He replied ‘Do students have cars? It’s my first time driving here that’s all.’ Thinking about it he wasn’t wrong. We were about to see whether C seats really were the best!

The stairs up to the third floor were steep and high. On the way Dad said ‘Honestly it’s much more fun to come to a concert with a C ticket you paid for yourself than with a VIP or R invitation. I swear!’ That too we were about to test.

On the balcony near the third-floor stairs there was a lounge for VIP clients of a bank. Drinks food smartly dressed people in small groups… clearly guests. I understood at once. Maybe Dad was right. Even a thatched hut if it’s mine is the best. Our C seats cost ten thousand won but at least we’d paid. We’d come truly for the music! After a month of being fed Mahler to the point of nausea.

Our seats were at the extreme end far right. It was cramped. No place to put coats except on our laps. The musicians came up one by one and started tuning. Dozens of people tuning at once. What a racket. And to the side of the stage there was a ladder. The concert was about to start and they hadn’t even removed it. I found that outrageous.

The conductor arrived. From my seat he was the size of a fingernail. And I could only see the back of his head! Yet the moment he raised his baton the orchestra’s sound rose up to this distant third floor with astonishing clarity. Nothing like Dad’s old player or the rubbish stereo in my room. Even the majestic sound I’d heard in Dong-wan’s dad’s study couldn’t compete. This was real music filling the whole hall.

Midway through the first movement a musician climbed the ladder with a mallet in his hand and struck a long metal bar. Ding… ding… A deep heavy sound rang out. It was a funny sight. It left more of an echo in me than the music itself.

At the end of the first movement during the interval latecomers came in looking for their seats. Couldn’t they have arrived a bit earlier? Some terrified by the second movement even grabbed their coats and fled straight out of the hall. During the break Dad told me the instrument played on the ladder was called the bass chime.

The second movement began. It was much brisker than what I’d heard in Dad’s workshop. The strings were unbelievably soft and light as if they might fly. The winds were crisp without any distortion. This wasn’t the same music as in recent weeks. It was another music. Real sound raw sound living music.

By the time the third movement started I had pins and needles all over. The music felt less new. The excitement had faded. I’m trying to be honest. So I tried to count the musicians to concentrate. But from my seat I couldn’t see the cello desks so I couldn’t count properly. Roughly there must have been about a hundred.

Towards the end of the fourth movement I was desperate for the loo. Mahler is Mahler. Sitting still for over eighty minutes isn’t easy. I hoped the percussionist would climb the ladder again to strike the bass chime once more but it didn’t happen. I’d like to recommend to all composers that symphonies be kept under sixty minutes.

At last the fourth movement ended. It was time to applaud. I know perfectly well. I’ve read Daniel Hope’s book When Should One Applaud? I clapped with all my strength. The more I clapped the more I felt my stress evaporating. The stress of these past weeks of exams melted into the applause. I stood up to clap. People on the first and second floors stood too. We clapped until it hurt until the conductor came back several times. Everyone seemed to be letting off steam. Many were surely clapping out of relief as well. That mad music was finally over. You could even feel sighs of deliverance mixed into the sound of hands. I know. Honestly if that long boring music hadn’t ended… what would we have done?

When I stopped clapping, palms swollen, hunger hit me.

Saturday, 10th December

When I woke up Dad immediately put Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 back on. Compared with last night’s excitement the old machine’s sound felt rather dull. Yet I had the feeling I knew this music well. The winds once so shrill now sounded almost warm. Mahler’s music had become familiar to me.

In the morning at Aunt Jeong-su’s during maths she told me that the last problem on the test… I’d already learned it. Then she opened the exercise book and pointed ‘Isn’t it exactly this one?’ I had nothing to say. My present evaporated into thin air. I begged ‘I only got one wrong, couldn’t you give me even a small present?’ But Aunt refused. In these matters she’s always a blade. No compromise she never changes the criteria. On the other hand what she promises she keeps. So as she said I console myself by thinking. Next year.

Sunday, 11th December

In two weeks it’ll be the winter holidays. Wow. I’d love to go back to Paris with Hee-jeong but that’s impossible. Luckily as soon as term ends we’ve decided to go to Sokcho with Hee-jeong’s family and Dong-wan’s family. We went there in spring on the school trip but that doesn’t count. It’s null and void. We’ll leave on 30 December watch the first sunrise on 1 January then return to Seoul. Mum and Dad don’t really fancy going back because they were there not long ago but Hee-jeong’s family and Dong-wan’s family insisted on Sokcho. Of course I didn’t take my parents’ side. That’s the price. They went to Sokcho without me.

Should I get into Hee-jeong’s family’s car? Or Dad’s? Actually there’s nothing to think about. I get into whichever car Hee-jeong gets into.

Monday, 12th December

The winter holidays are still too far away. Exams are over and yet I wish the headteacher would declare with flourish that the holidays are open.

Tuesday, 13th December

The headteacher is off with a nasty flu. In that case I’d like the deputy head to declare with flourish that the winter holidays are open.

Wednesday, 14th December

At breakfast Dad said the secret of the universe would probably be cracked soon. Usually Mum would say ‘Just eat’ but this time she asked ‘What do you mean?’ Dad explained that at CERN in Europe they’d already found the Higgs boson—the God particle—and that it was only a matter of time before they discovered dark matter and dark energy.

I asked what the Higgs boson was. Dad said it was a hypothetical particle proposed by a scientist called Higgs and that it was discovered in 2012. He added that without the Higgs boson the universe would collapse. He said dark matter makes up 27% of the universe and dark energy 68% but all of it is still wrapped in mystery. If that veil were lifted we’d understand the origin of the universe we live in.

Honestly I can’t understand any of it. Even without dark matter and dark energy we live perfectly well. Why go hunting these things so desperately? And if it turns out they don’t exist what then?

I went to bed then got back up. Because of this dark matter and dark energy business I couldn’t sleep. If they don’t exist the universe collapses. And if the universe collapses that means it’s over with Hee-jeong too. No that won’t do. I have to help find them as well. But where do you even look?

Thursday, 15th December

At breakfast Dad said it would probably be difficult to find dark matter and dark energy for now. So I decided to leave them alone for now as well. But then Dad suddenly said ‘They say the universe might have eleven dimensions… how on earth are we supposed to prove that?’

I would very much like Dad to go back to working in a company.

Friday, 16th December

In science class Jong-gu asked Ms Kim Nan-ju if it was true the universe keeps expanding. The teacher said ‘Jong-gu you’ve been watching the news recently haven’t you? Physicists who won the Nobel Prize showed that the universe is expanding faster and faster. But why it’s speeding up nobody knows yet. Researchers hope a lot of questions will be answered when they uncover the secret of dark matter and dark energy. Whoever among you discovers them could win a Nobel Prize.’

The words dark matter and dark energy felt oddly familiar. Which makes sense. I’d been wracking my brain for days trying to find them. So without thinking I raised my hand and asked a question I shouldn’t have. ‘Miss… and when will the eleven-dimensional universe be proved?’

The whole class burst out laughing. The teacher smiled and said ‘We’ll study that later.’ because the bell had just rung.

Since then the pupils have been calling me Eleven Dimensions.

Saturday, 17th December

Hee-jeong asked where I’d heard the universe had eleven dimensions. So I told her what Dad said at breakfast the day before yesterday. And then Hee-jeong said ‘My dad believes in the eleven-dimensional universe too. He says there could be as many universes as you like in addition to ours. In another universe there could be people exactly like us except there we might not be pupils but teachers. And we might have three hands instead of two with an extra hand on our chest. He says the whole universe is made of particles and the combination of particles is basically a question of probabilities. If the universe has eleven dimensions it’s because six tiny dimensions are added onto our four familiar ones. So small you can’t see them. And then one more dimension made of a huge membrane. So that makes eleven but our eyes can’t see them.’

Of course all of that came from her father. Hee-jeong says she’s heard it so often she can practically recite it now. She didn’t even breathe while she was talking. I thought I was the one who was going to suffocate.

Honestly who cares how many dimensions there are? The love between Hee-jeong and me is far more important. Sherlock Holmes didn’t even know the Earth goes round the sun and he didn’t even know it was round. And yet how many cases did he solve? I need to let go of the universe’s dimensions.

Sunday, 18th December

Jong-gu called first thing in the morning. ‘Good morning Mr Eleven Dimensions.’ I wanted to rip the battery out of my phone in one clean motion.

Monday, 19th December

A traffic accident happened on the pedestrian crossing in front of school. Two first-years coming to class were hit and the emergency services 999 came. Luckily their lives aren’t in danger but they’ll have to walk on crutches for a while. The cause is ridiculous. The driver was looking at his texts instead of the road. That idiot didn’t even notice the lights had gone red and didn’t brake.

Our form teacher lectured us during morning assembly. There are too many people looking at their phones while driving and everyone needs to be more careful.

The smartphone curse? Whenever people do something they’re always doing something else on their phone at the same time. In the cinema during a film while driving walking down the street. Did Steve Jobs imagine humans would end up like this?

Anyway it’s sad. In a few days it’ll finally be the winter holidays and those kids won’t even be able to enjoy them.

Tuesday, 20th December

Heavy snow fell from dawn. In the garden it piled up to knee height. You couldn’t even open the gate. If only school had been cancelled just for today! The bus didn’t come. I shivered at the stop for over twenty minutes. I arrived late. But most of the latecomers were from Gugil-dong so we didn’t get told off.

Wednesday, 21st December

Here is this year’s Christmas present list. To buy everything I think I’d need to put on a mask and rob a bank.

- Christmas Present List –

Hee-jeong: A scarf (It absolutely must be wool).
Mum: Lotion (Luckily the brand she uses isn’t expensive. Good skin is definitely genetic).
Dad: A nail-clippers set (He strictly needs this).
Grandfather: A set of socks.
Grandmother: A set of socks.
Aunt Jeong-su: Volume 1 of One Day (I asked her frankly on the phone. Aunt hates useless gifts more than anything. Better to ask straight out and buy what you’re told).
My uncle: Volume 2 of One Day (No need to ask him. Just buy what Aunt picked).
Dong-wan: A Christmas card and a diary (A recommendation to write a diary in the New Year).
Jong-gu, Hye-seon, Min-a: A small notebook each (This is a gift significantly beyond what you deserve).
Mr Sisina: Warm woollen gloves (Compared to Sri Lanka just how cold is Seoul!).

Thursday, 22nd December

I emptied my entire piggy bank to buy the Christmas presents. To make it worth it I need to draw up the list of gifts I want to receive as soon as possible.

- Christmas Gifts I Want to Receive -

Hee-jeong. From you I want nothing but love. If it’s a kiss on the cheek I will accept it gratefully.
Mum. A Pelikan fountain pen would be nice.
Dad. What can you expect from an unemployed father? A bicycle would do. I want to keep it at Aunt Jeong-su’s and in spring I want to ride it with Hee-jeong. I don’t want to keep borrowing Hee-jeong’s brother’s bike.
Grandfather and Grandmother. A bicycle helmet would be nice. Hee-jeong’s brother’s helmet is too big. I want to stop wearing it.
Aunt Jeong-su. She teaches me maths for free. I can’t ask for anything more.
My uncle. He earns loads so he should buy me the latest smartphone. It will bring him inner peace. I’m his only nephew on earth aren’t I?
Dong-wan. I leave it to your conscience.
Jong-gu, Hye-seon, Min-a. Prove you have a conscience!
Mr Sisina. Save up quickly and go back to your family in Sri Lanka. When I’m an adult I’ll come and see you.

I stuck the list of gifts I want in a very visible place on the fridge door. This Saturday is the start of the Christmas holidays so no maths or English lessons. I wish Christmas came twice a year. Three times would be even better.

Friday, 23rd December

I don’t understand why nobody reacts to the wish list I stuck up. Have Mum and Dad already got presbyopia?

Saturday, 24th December

Mr Sisina gave me black tea sent from Sri Lanka. He said he’d also given some to Hee-jeong’s family and Dong-wan’s family. I gave him warm woollen gloves. Seeing him happy made me happy too.

Sunday, 25th December (Christmas Day)

It’s Christmas. In our house nobody believes in Jesus Christ as a god but nobody really hates Jesus either. What did Jesus ever do wrong? The problem is the people who believe in him.

As soon as I woke up I gave Mum and Dad their Christmas presents. Mum was pleased to have an extra lotion on top of the one she normally uses and Dad was pleased to have his own nail clippers. In fact whatever I gave them they’d be happy.

Mum and Dad handed me a small box with a bicycle key inside. They said a bicycle was waiting for me at Aunt Jeong-su’s and that I must ride only on the cycle paths of Bamseom and along the Han River and nowhere else. In our neighbourhood of Gugil-dong there are no cycle lanes so I promised I’d never ride there.

With the bike key in my hand I wanted to dash straight to Aunt Jeong-su’s but first I stopped by Grandfather’s. I gave Grandfather and Grandmother a set of socks each. They were delighted. They said I could check my present when I got to Aunt Jeong-su’s. I hurried over.

I gave Aunt Jeong-su Volume 1 of One Day and my uncle Volume 2. Aunt gave me a Pelikan fountain pen. Wow. My uncle gave me black ink. It looks like that miser is trying to buy yet another house. The pen Aunt gave me is a Pelikan M150. The filling system is unbelievably simple. I didn’t get ink on my hands at all and it holds a lot. My uncle explained in English that the nib is an EF nib. Which must mean it’s very fine. You only have to draw one line to understand that. I have the feeling my uncle will give me nothing but ink for ten years. I’ll have to take measures soon.

I tried riding the bicycle Mum and Dad gave me—picked up from my uncle—but it was so cold I didn’t even make it a hundred metres. Even wearing the helmet from Grandfather and Grandmother I was freezing so I retreated back to Aunt’s. Until spring the bicycle will stay on Aunt Jeong-su’s balcony.

After leaving Aunt’s I went to Hee-jeong’s. Her mother made us hot cocoa. While drinking it I gave Hee-jeong a scarf. Hee-jeong gave me a men’s skincare set and everywhere it said in huge letters For Men and HOMME. Whoa.

Goodbye Johnson & Johnson baby lotion.

Farewell Nivea.

Monday, 26th December

Hee-jeong came to school wearing a white wool scarf round her neck. If only I were that scarf.

Tuesday, 27th December

Aunt Jeong-su and my uncle have decided they’re coming on the Sokcho trip too. They wouldn’t suggest we do maths in Sokcho would they?

Wednesday, 28th December

From today it’s the winter holidays. But after school I went to Aunt Jeong-su’s with Hee-jeong. Aunt said if we skipped maths this week too that would make two weeks in a row. So today we do maths. My mind was miles away and being forced to solve maths problems made me mad with boredom. Hee-jeong however doesn’t seem to care. She solves everything perfectly.

Aunt gave me a mountain of maths homework. I have to come back tomorrow morning for marking. Ah… what a life.

Thursday, 29th December

Yesterday I spent the entire day doing Aunt Jeong-su’s maths homework. I completely wasted the first day of my holiday. Early this morning I went to get it checked. Me. Approved. Hee-jeong. Approved too.

Hee-jeong and I went to see a film we’d been waiting for since last week. At the cinema entrance the older girl checking tickets asked how old we were. We said fourteen but she didn’t believe us. We had to show our student cards. She looked like she had a cold. I don’t put on Nivea like a little kid anymore and yet I’d generously applied the for men products all over my face. She clearly couldn’t tell the difference.

When I got home I packed my bag for Sokcho tomorrow. At first I wanted to travel light because it’s only two nights but since we’re going by car there was no need. Mum saw my things and told me to remove half. So I took out a spare pair of jeans, a spare padded jacket, duvet parka, spare trainers, hiking boots, a small daypack, spare towels, spare underwear, pyjamas and so on.

Friday, 30th December

We decided to travel as twelve people in three cars. Luckily I’m not in Aunt Jeong-su’s car. Our car has seven seats so there will be five of us in it.

Car 1. Hee-jeong’s dad, Hee-jeong’s mum, Hee-jeong’s older brother
Car 2. Dong-wan’s dad, Dong-wan’s mum, Aunt Jeong-su, my uncle
Car 3. Dad, Mum, me, Hee-jeong, Dong-wan

07.00 Everyone meets in the car park of Hee-jeong’s apartment. Baduk was taken to Grandfather’s early in the morning.

07.05 GPS set departure. We decide to drive without worrying about the others.

07.10 The road is already busy. Dad says they’re people heading to the East Coast to see the sunrise.

07.15 Mum starts dozing. We speak quietly and Dad says he doesn’t mind if he talks loudly. Mum eyes closed says she does mind. Dad corrects himself. She minds.

07.40 We enter the motorway.

08.05 Mum wakes up saying she slept well. She asks why we’re so quiet. She says Dad can talk now. But when it’s time to talk we have nothing to say. I think I need to learn to drive quickly.

08.15 Hee-jeong starts dozing her head against my shoulder.

08.25 Half-asleep Hee-jeong takes my arm.

08.30 Dong-wan is dying of jealousy.

09.45 Hee-jeong shakes me awake. I’d been sleeping with my mouth open.

09.50 We arrive at the village below Baekdamsa. All twelve of us have breakfast at a dried pollack soup restaurant. The non-drivers each have a glass of makgeolli. Dad doesn’t drink because he has to drive. One glass becomes two and we lose a lot of time.

11.10 We pass through the Misiryeong Tunnel. We stop take souvenir photos.

11.15 A two-shot photo with Hee-jeong majestic Ulsanbawi behind us. We both do V-signs.

11.20 Hee-jeong’s older brother and Dong-wan also take a V-sign photo. I am not jealous at all.

12.00 We arrive at the Seoraksan condo. I panic for a moment thinking we’ll share the same space with Aunt Jeong-su. But Dad says we’ll sleep in groups according to which car we came in. Hee-jeong and I approve vigorously. Dad whispers in my ear. ‘You’ll repay me later.’

Room 507. Mum Dad me Hee-jeong’s dad Hee-jeong’s mum Hee-jeong’s older brother Hee-jeong

Room 508. Dong-wan’s dad Dong-wan’s mum Dong-wan Aunt Jeong-su my uncle

14.00 Lunch. Naengmyeon. The adults love it saying Sokcho naengmyeon is delicious. Hee-jeong and I don’t quite understand the taste and eat very little. Hee-jeong’s older brother eats extremely well.

15.40 We arrive at the Seoraksan car park.

16.10 We decide to take the cable car up to Gwongeumseong.

17.15 We reach the top. The wind is fierce. I say all the trees have Elvis Presley hair—slicked back. Hee-jeong bursts out laughing. She says she’s cold and clings hard to my arm.

18.00 Back to the Seoraksan car park.

18.45 At Sokcho Central Market we buy sashimi and various seafood.

18.50 Cars 1 and 2 leave first for the condo.

19.10 Car 3 leaves too carrying the prepared fish.

19.40 Dinner. The dads drink soju and beer with the sashimi. The mums drink wine with elegance. Hee-jeong’s dad gives a beer to Hee-jeong’s older brother to praise him for working hard. He downs it comfortably then drinks with the adults. Dad says he has to drive tomorrow so Mum allows only three shots of soju. Dad saves one shot as if it were an entire bottle.

20.40 Hee-jeong Dong-wan and I play cards.

22.00 Dong-wan says he’ll go to sleep first and returns to Room 508. What a friend. Quick on the uptake and wonderfully so.

22.30 The heaviest things in the world. Eyelids. I’m exhausted and can’t play any more. I wash and go to bed.

Saturday, 31st December

07.00 I’m the first up and take a shower just in case the bathroom gets crowded.

07.15 Sitting alone on the sofa I watch TV. A documentary about travelling in Spain is on. Hee-jeong comes into the bathroom her face all crumpled.

07.30 Hee-jeong returns and sits next to me perfectly dressed. Southern Spain doesn’t look cold even in winter. I think I’d like to go to Spain on a honeymoon with Hee-jeong. Of course I don’t say it. But Hee-jeong suddenly says a honeymoon in Spain would be nice. A smile spreads across my face.

07.45 The adults get up and start washing.

08.00 Hee-jeong’s dad comes to the sofa and watches the documentary with us. He asks Hee-jeong. ‘Shall we go to Spain next year?’ Hee-jeong and I answer. ‘Yes!’

08.35 We go to Haksapyeong for breakfast. We eat sundubu and gomchi soup. Gomchi soup costs more than twice the sundubu. The adults order it as a hangover cure from last night. Hee-jeong’s mum says in the past nobody even ate gomchi. They threw it away. It was soft ugly cheap fish. Now it’s rare and very expensive.

09.40 We set off for Naksansa. We pair up to walk around. Dong-wan pairs with Hee-jeong’s older brother. I walk with Hee-jeong taking the icy sea wind full in the face.

10.45 Hee-jeong’s dad discreetly signals Dong-wan’s dad. ‘A shot of soju?’ Dong-wan’s dad looks at his watch and signals back. ‘Too early.’ Sophisticated communication with no words. It’s like sign language. It must be a language you learn naturally once you become an adult.

11.05 My uncle says it’s cold and we should stop walking. The mums agree. My uncle suggests. ‘Shall we go somewhere warm for a shot of soju with some yangmiri?’ Aunt Jeong-su snaps. ‘Alcohol in the morning?’ My uncle alarmed says he was joking.

11.10 Everyone gets coffee in the Naksansa car park.

11.20 We head for Hwaamsa Temple in Goseong.

12.00 We arrive at Hwaamsa. They say the original name was Hwaeomsa and that the temple was founded in the Silla period. And astonishingly. The very spot where Hwaamsa stands is said to be the far end of Geumgangsan. I thought Geumgangsan existed only in North Korea but apparently not.

12.20 Aunt Jeong-su stares at the fermentation jars for a long time then finally lifts a lid. Hee-jeong rushes over too to see what’s inside. I signal for Aunt to stop worried a monk might scold her but she doesn’t care at all.

12.35 Aunt Jeong-su Hee-jeong and Dong-wan climb onto Subawi Rock at Hwaamsa. It’s slippery so they don’t go very high.

13.10 Lunch. We eat mulhoe in a coastal village in Goseong. The dads desperately want soju but the mums refuse. We decide we’ll drink in the evening.

14.05 Hee-jeong’s mum Aunt Jeong-su Hee-jeong and I don’t go back to the condo. We go to Yeongrangho Lake. The others return to the condo for a nap.

15.00 We arrive at Yeongrangho. We go to Beombawi Rock. But it doesn’t look like a tiger rock. It looks more like a dinosaur egg. Hee-jeong and I promise not to call it Beombawi anymore but Dinosaur Egg Rock. We invent a word that’s only ours.

16.05 We arrive at Yeonggeumjeong. The East Sea spreads out. Vast and fresh. I ask Aunt Jeong-su. ‘For us it’s the East Sea but for Japan it’s the West Sea. So why does everyone have to say East Sea?’ Aunt Jeong-su pulls a stern face and says. ‘The original name is East Sea. We can’t abandon it. If we give it up and call it something else Japan will claim even more strongly that Dokdo is their territory. And even the undersea place names could be imposed according to Japan’s will.’ Hee-jeong’s mum adds that Dokdo and the East Sea issue is an extension of Japan’s invasion war on the peninsula and that by Japan’s claims that war isn’t really over. I’m stunned and say I don’t understand. Then she explains that Dokdo was the first land Japan took when it launched the Russo–Japanese War even before the Eulsa Treaty and that it was the starting point for invading the whole peninsula. She says Japan apologises all the time but they’re just words without sincerity. And that Japan’s claims over Dokdo and the East Sea are used to justify its past colonial domination of Korea. It’s sovereignty we can never give up. When I go ‘Wow!’ she tells me that at university she did activities in a Dokdo study club. My future mother-in-law is unbelievably classy.

16.25 Thanks to Dokdo and the East Sea I’m completely frozen.

17.30 We buy sashimi and local specialities at Sokcho Central Market then return to the condo.

17.55 Dinner begins. The dads drink soju with the seafood. Since Mum will drive tomorrow Dad also drinks a few beers. Hee-jeong’s older brother drinks extremely well with no distinction between soju and beer.

19.55 We go back to the room and I read a book with Hee-jeong. Well. I read and Hee-jeong listens.

22.30 Since we’re going to see the sunrise tomorrow everyone goes to bed early.

December - When Should One Applaud?