Mr. Pak meandered his way into our lives on two wheels this week. Although I’m not sure how old he is, let’s just say he’s a little slow on the bike.

[check out my amazing hip-shots]

Upon our first meeting, he offered me a free English newspaper.

Which turned out to be the Korean Herald…just printed in English. It sported such headlines as…

“Korean spy agency denies allegations of hotel room break-in”; “Three Koreans hurt in Lybian violence” and “Mistreatment of minorities likely to foment terrorism” (actual quote).

His sales pitch included the virtues of knowing what’s going on between the two Koreas, understanding Korean culture and the ever-popular Korean stereotype….I’ll talk to your husband about this – you tell him I’ll come by.

It’s just automatically assumed that I, as a woman, would have no interest in the business of men or of the world outside and after all, since the man makes the money it would be his decision anyway.

Yeah, right.

[here he is pointing to make sure he knows which apartment is mine...ah, my husband's]

But he was very sweet about the whole thing.

He toddled off, jotting down his potential sale and like clockwork he rang our doorbell the next day.

It was then that he shared that he was an English teacher, that he’s a published Korean poet & an English poet, too. And he promised, without asking, to bring me a copy of his “first edition” poetry book for me to read.

Said that he would be by again next week to bring me his “second edition”…which has me wondering just how many poetry books I’ll be reading in the next few weeks.

The book is printed in both Hangul & English and the quote I gave you yesterday was from his poem, ‘The Paper Boat’.

 So tonight I leave you with this….

A Bicycle
~ by Pak Chong Man

When the daybreak close then, without a change, rolling pedals open a day, flowing a soul on the pedals.

The sense of touching from the pedals becomes intimate with the spirit, talking each other and rolling years, how long it had been.

Whenever rolling the pedals, gushing power out and over flowing the hope, when get in the trouble, dividing it with pedals and when get tired, the sense of touching which is  transferring to pedals and vitalizing.

When get in joy, with a soft step becomes interested with the pedals, and rolling powerfully. Even if the depth of winter or bad weather, but not grumbling and following which is only one for my companion, the time goes, even though, the machines are getting old, deeply stuck in my heart of the desire’s traces which are more clearer.

Today, also, rolling the pedals, dividing growing old, dividing heart, dividing air, and dividing wind, proceeding to the hope’s post powerfully rolling the pedals and opening the day’s life always.