Poverty Changed into Property
201003120 Jeong Seonghwa
Even one generation before, Korea was a nation suffering from poverty. For instance, there were many families worried about their meals every day and students who cannot deal their school expenses. My parents were also children in the hard times of Korea. At that time, in the middle of 1960's, South Korea was about to overtake North Korea's GDP. Therefore, for their generation, life wasn't easy from the childhood.
Preparing the interview, I desired to know about my parents' experiences about the difficulties and endeavors to overcome the hardship. These days, my family lives well. We have our home and cars, and the house is large enough. So it is kind of hard to think about my parents' poverty in my position. That's why I decided to interview my mother.
When I started the interview, my mother and my younger sister was watching TV seated on a comfortable couch. First I demanded a brief introduction about herself.
"I was born in 1964 and 50 years old now. I lived in Namhae for 20 years and came up to Busan after the high school graduation. Wow, I have lived almost 30 years in here!"
Mother seemed to be surprised by living in Busan for a long time. She didn't think about that usually. Then, I asked something I had hoped to hear about. "Then, mom. Tell me about your daily routine in your adolescence."
"My daily routine? Because my hometown is a small countryside village, I went to school and after finishing classes, I needed to go to farm to help my parents. Also, I went to the sea, located in front of my home, to gather lavers or clams when it changed into mud flat. Since we had no our seafood farm, I and my sisters just picked up those things spread on the flat. Then they were usually used for our meals. Oh, your father's routine was nearly same with me maybe."
I could imagine the scene because I often went my parents' hometown and played on the mud flat with mom or aunts. According to her, my father moved in my mother's village in her 5th grade of elementary school so they were friend since their early age.
"Then, both of you liked each other from that time?" I suddenly wondered and asked. "No," she answered, "We were just friend and even never had been a same class due to the gender division classroom. Moreover, after the high school days we worked in Busan but couldn't see each other. We started to get along with when I and your father met in our hometown on national holiday. That was in 1988 and then 2 years later, we finally married."
It was the first time I heard my parents' love story. Nothing was so special indeed. I don't know why but I always thought that my parents loved each other for a long time, from their adolescence. Anyway, it was wrong. Back to the point, I focused on the poverty. "Mom, was there a memory specifically related to poverty in your childhood?"
Mother thought short time and started to say. "Well, my family didn't suffered by poverty a lot. But, yes of course I have an episode. My school was very far from my home. I had to walk 30 minutes to get to the school. Sometimes I wanted to come back to home with a bag of snacks since the trip was so boring. The snack cost about 100 won at that time. But every time I asked my mother to give me 100 won in the morning, she scolded me and never allowed me to take that 100 won. So I often went to school with crying." At this point I strongly sympathized with her sadness and sorrow. Because I know her appetite. "So I cheated my mom several times. I told her I would buy a notebook and got money. Since a notebook also cost 100 won, I could buy a snack with that money."
"Grandmother only gave you money when you said you would buy a notebook." I got a point. "Yes she did. I needed something educational purpose to get money. Your grandmother didn't want her children be suffered in studying, likewise I hope it to you."
At least I have been able to eat something whenever I want, I felt more thankful to my parents.
"Then, what about the expenses? I saw lots of cases on TV that there were students who couldn't deal their expenses."
"Yes. In my middle and high school days, there were some friends who couldn't pay their expenses in time or even gave up their registration. But I wasn't. My two elder sisters already came up to Busan and earned money. Thanks to their efforts, I could pay my all expenses in time. I also came up afterward and sent some money for my younger sisters' school expenses. That's what my friends normally did. After school days, they came up to a big city and earned money for their own life and also their family members."
It was an impressive part: most people in my parents' generation did like that. They worked hard for not leaving the poverty in their family and to next generation. That was the biggest source that leads South Korea to overcome the extreme misery after the Korean War. I was proud of my parents who contribute to the nation in the important period.
"So, after the high school days you also came up Busan right? What did you do?"
"You know, I don't have a special ability to show off so I entered a factory which made electronic components. Have you ever seen the workers of Gaesung Industrial Complex in North Korea? I did those things in my 20s until I got married. Before the marriage, I lived in Busan with my sisters. They did similar jobs."
In 1990, mother and father got married. There was a video tape in my home which contained the ceremony. Two looked exactly people in 90's. They got a big congratulations from the guests. Mother rested work about 10 years after the marriage for raising me and my sister, and restarted work at father's company. Their devotional efforts made my family live better life. Wrapping up my interview, I lastly questioned what mother misses in a passed time.
"One thing I'm missing about is: peace. I could see beautiful nature in my childhood. Although I definitely suffered by poverty, I could feel nature and find peace in my mind with seeing the mountains and sea. In other words, I don't have to hurry, or busy, or worry because of being rested, even the poverty. But it is hard to do in a city. I already adapt myself to this city life long time ago, but sometimes I miss the countryside where the peace is still there."
The growing background of me and my mother was totally different. I thought I knew much about my parents but it wasn't. I could see my parents' steps of life through the interview. They made their poverty a stepping stone to living better. As a result, the poverty changed into property.
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