KOR Version: https://sheismia.tistory.com/94
The Woman called Ms. “Geung”, at the apartment 3-413
Geung, from the word Geungjung-means positive in Korean- teaches children, also draws and writes.
1) Basic Info
- Location: Wonjong-dong, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
It is downtown Bucheon, but it takes much shorter to get to Gangseo-gu, Seoul than to other parts of the town. It takes 15-20 minutes to get to the nearest subway station, Hwagok, by bus. Despite of this inconvenience in public transportation, it is a quiet neighborhood without any case of noise for the past 3 years, close to a traditional market and a big supermarket, and 2-minute walk to 2 different convenience stores. This is why Ms. Geung calls this area “Prodigal son”, as it is an area you just can’t hate.
- Population: 1 (born in May, 1991. Biologically woman. Hetero sexual. Majored in Art but likes writing and speaking better. Currently preparing for an Instagram Cartoon about her father’s battle with illness, which however, intended to be carried in a cheerful tone.
- Size: about 60 square meters
- Language: Korean, Japanese (as Geung has lived in Japan for 8 years)
- History: As the father’s battle with an amyotrophic disease lasts long, the city where the family home was felt like a cold wasteland. The mother decided to move to countryside for taking better care of the father and a relaxed life, with saying “In the city, everything costs money”. However, there was one obstacle in the plan; Ms. Geung, the youngest of 2 daughters and 1 son, the only single in the whole family, who also always says she enjoys her life now without marriage. Because of her job in the city, she couldn’t follow her parents but at the same time, the rent in Seoul didn’t even let her live in the metropolitan area. Also, the parents couldn’t leave her alone in other areas where she doesn’t know anyone. While Geung was forced to ponder where to live by herself, the father who could barely talk due to the disease started to write something on the paper with his comparatively less stiff hand; “The front building of this apartment complex is smaller than this but the rent is also cheaper. Check that out”. The beacon does not shine on its own base but it was the moment that it did shine its own base with the father’s wisdom. Everything went well afterwards. With a perfect timing, all-repaired 60-square-meter apartment was on the market and she was able to get the government loan for it. Otherwise, she didn’t have any money to afford because of the 8 years of tough living overseas. Moreover, the landlord was very cooperative, too. That way, she moved from the apartment 6-106 to 3-413, which is less than one minute walk, and the parents could move to the countryside after a month feeling so relieved to see her settle down in a new place.
- Important memorial days: Geung’s birthday, May 13th.
After she started to live alone, she enjoys baking. She celebrates her own birthday with self-made food.
- Additional information: Thanks to the security guards in the apartment complex, it has such lush gardens. There are colorful flowers in spring, trees with green leaves in summer, and the leaves turn their colors in autumn. Also, in winter, there are cold and white tree branches. They all make Geung’s commute pleasant. The only annoying thing is that the dog downstairs constantly barking all day. As far as she knows, the owner doesn’t walk the dog and is always out for long time. This strengthens her belief that it is animal abuse if you are not fully responsible for your pet. For your information, the owner also didn’t pay the bills for 6 months, so the collector visited him a while ago.
- P.S.: It doesn’t really matter in this COVID-19 time, but if your job requires a lot of business trips to either Japan or China, living in her neighborhood is recommended as it only takes 10 minutes to get to Gimpo airport by bus.
2) Main Attractions / Things to Enjoy
- Bookcase1: Perfumes
Geung doesn’t use them often but she buys whenever she finds good scents or pretty bottles. The collection is made like that. It will be nothing in the real perfume collector’s perspective but it is a memory amplifier for a person like her, who is talented in remembering all the details of the past memories.
- Bookcase2: The Autograph of the Legendary Animator from Disney, Eric Goldberg
After she came back to Korea from Japan, she worked for an animation film festival for a while. Among all the guests she met at the festival, Eric and Susan Goldberg were the warmest and the most memorable. She respects their work which must have been obtained from great amount of time in training and practice, as well as their wonderful personalities, all of which transcend the difference in language and culture. Although it was two brief times she met them, they showed her the reason to be a good person. Every morning, she promises herself looking at Eric’s drawings and messages on the shelf facing her bed, “I will be a brave person and will be grateful for everything.”
- Bookcase3: The Three Nutritional Supplements
2 years ago, Geung had a surgery for endometriosis. She always thought she would be forever healthy but the arrogant belief was just broken in her late 20s when she was diagnosed with 7-centimeter cyst and 5-centimeter cystic teratoma on each ovary. Health became the biggest issue and after all the information gathering and trials to improve her immunity and strength, she finally found this best combination of the three supplements; Vitamin B, Omega-3 and Magnesium.
- Bookcase4: Stormtrooper
Thanks to her friend’s information, Geung could get it for only KRW19,000. It shows the real cost-effectiveness. With about thigh-high size and imposing look, it became a bodyguard protecting the home and the woman living alone there.
- The Shoe Shelf
There used to be many pretty dolls on it but for some sad reasons, these are the only remained. The photo is to remember her father’s young and healthy look and the statue of Virgin Mary was given to her by a woman who really cared about her in the church when Geung was finally converted to Catholic from Protestant. By the way, the woman passed away in May from hematologic malignancy and went to the God she worshiped so much. Geung hopes that she is now resting in peace with full of happiness as much as the love she spread to the world.
- The Bed
This is Geung’s favorite place and is full of warmth from all the people’s love sent to her. Her big sister bought the bed for her as a support for the little sister’s living alone. It is decorated with mood lights that were a birthday gift. Sometimes when alone-time gets longer, Geung feels like she is drifting around the vast sea and it makes her anxious. However, as soon as she becomes aware of that the place she belongs to is full of love from the people who cares about her, it cheers her up and gives her strength to overcome the intense loneliness.
- Cooking
(Caramel cheesecake, sponge cake, brownie, rare cheesecake, brownie cheesecake, self-prepared birthday dishes, Kimchi Sujebi, Chicken-mayo rice etc.)
According to her confession, when Geung was living overseas in her 20s, she lived unorganized life; she just ate either instant food or convenience store food, didn’t clean her house thoroughly and didn’t take care of herself well. When she started to live alone again at the Korean age of 30, she promised to herself not to live the self-destructive life again. Therefore, she tries her best to cook with healthy ingredients and enjoys baking with the oven she bought from secondhand market. In the process, she found the joy of being healthy and creative as well as feeling rewarded and the happiness of sharing when she shares her food with other people.
