Haves and Have Nots

This past Saturday afternoon I volunteered for a few hours at the conference of a group called FAWCO (Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas), at the Hilton in Seoul. Afterward, I decided to treat myself to a meal at the least fancy restaurant in the hotel. There was a sandwich with feta cheese on the menu, which seemed like a really good sign. I knew it'd be overpriced (the hotel spa offered facials for a mere $200), but decided to splurge anyway. (An aside-the episode of "Lost" I'd watched most recently featured a flashback scene in a fancy Seoul hotel, so my eating in one somehow seemed fitting).

Unfortunately, the sandwich with feta also had ham, so I opted for grilled veggies instead. They were yummy. But it was one of those dishes where a small amount of food is beautifully arranged. So, although it was nice to look at, I was still hungry after eating. So, more splurging- I got a piece of cheesecake, which was less satisfying-neither a true Italian style cheesecake with Ricotta, nor a Junior's style creamy one.

So, approximately $35 poorer, I ventured back out into Seoul. Inside the subway station an older woman squatting against one of the walls had two cardboard boxes in front of her. One had two puppies, which looked like cocker spaniels, and the other had three baby rabbits. I knelt down to pet the puppies, of course, and picked up the smaller one, which immediately nestled against my chest. The woman started talking to me, and I had to fall back on my phrase "Korean language. No," while pointing to myself. She understood, though I was frustrated that I don't remember how to at least form a full sentence to express this, like "I'm sorry, but I don't speak Korean." She pointed to the money belt around her waist, which I understood to mean she wanted to sell the animals. That, and her general appearance of poverty.

Anyway, I was tempted to buy the puppies. I have to admit I was partly worried that they'd become food rather than pets. But, already having a cat in my tiny apartment, I thought better of it. Plus, a lot of other people had stopped to look at the animals and were making "aw, aren't they cute" sounds, which I imagine exist in every language. So, I was reassured that someone would take them as pets. I got up and started walking away. But then decided I couldn't just do nothing, so I returned and gave the woman 10,000won to help her take care of the animals. She gave me a great big smile in return.