A Walk in the Park

One night I went on a run and was not that far out when I got a text message from Julie, one of the other ETAs placed in Hwacheon. Living in the same military apartment complex, she was playing with her host siblings in the playground and invited me over. Turning around for a quick stop to say hi, I had no idea that decision would be one of the best I had made all week.

My pit stop started out with Julie and I standing off on the outskirts of the playground with her pointing out her new home stay siblings from afar. Although we stood out as the 외국(waygooks - foreigners), the children were far too shy to incorporate us into their games. However, that did not last long. Within five minutes, Julie’s host brother came our way and started “shooting” me with his laser pointer. It would have been against my personality and core beliefs to just stand there and laugh as a four year old beamed me with his deadly weapon. No, instead I over-dramatically swooned in a horrific death by the dreadfully painful sting of the human-killing laser pointer. As I fell to the ground breathing my last breathe, I began a new life as a celebrity amidst the children of the Desian Apartment Playground.

          In about 3.5 minutes, after my resurrection from the sunbeam murder, all the children had bombarded us one by one, attacking us with their mystical spider webs, make believe machine guns and real life tickling fingers. The hour ensued with tickle fights, follow the leader, some sort of monster tag, and fits of giggles. As Julie and I captured the attention of twenty children, we would just look at each other in disbelief that this was really happening. We were the center of attention for that hour. Although they were confused beyond measure that we did not understand their language, some of them soon got the picture and started miming the next game to play. Regardless of the thorough charades of instructions, all game requests essentially ended up in an endless game of tag. Needless to say, I got my miles in that day, and my endorphins sky rocketed as I laughed more in those sixty minutes than in the last two months combined. Julie and I surely made a name for ourselves amongst the below-ten-year-old community. If this is where I make the biggest difference with my year in Hwacheon, I would say I accomplished something.