Kerry

When I told him that I'd just walk since my house is right down the street. He tipped me off that the President will be at the market.  I assumed that it may be a joke because it was not a national holiday or anything special. I joked back, “She is coming to see me” and we laughed.
 
During holiday seasons, each President often makes an  unannounced appearance at the market where he asks about the price of vegetables and has photos taken with the intention to get a sense of the lives of the common people.

It was during one such an appearance that the little granddaughter who accompanied a former President was criticized because she wore an overly expensive jumper.
As I walked down the street, I noticed that there were more guards than usual. When I entered the market, there were American guards as well.  
 
I decided to wait around for a little while and chatted with the amiable district delegate who hinted that the U.S. Secretary of State will be there soon after the end of formal talks with President Park. I opened up a conversation with the American attendant by asking, “Are you from Washington? That’s my hometown.  It must be less cold than Seoul by now”.
 
A handsome guy, Sam showed me a photo of snowy Washington and remarked to me, “It’s terrible”  Come to think of it I also experienced some rare heavy snowstorms in Washington which made it impossible even to step outside. “It seems like they are having an official dinner. I have to get going” I said.
“They will be here soon” Sam insisted.
 
Soon John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State with his silver hair and a sky-blue tie strode right in front of me, guided by U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim.   I wasted no time in introducing myself to him and I mentioned that I lived in Washington for a long time and attended Georgetown University.  With his friendly and easy-going American attitude he asked when it was that I went to Georgetown. I presented to him my mother’s book of poetry in English which I happened to be carrying with me.
 
He approached a fruit store and asked where the fruits come from.
The owner of the fruit store who had just a moment before described the noble character of my mother, who had been his frequent customer to the district delegate explained, “These are from China and Chile and these are from U.S.A.”   Hearing the word U.S.A., Kerry smiled.
 
He proceeded to step into one of the two famous fried tteokbokki houses, the local specialty at the Tong-in market. He asked what the difference between the white ones and the red ones was and the lady replied with an expressionless face that the red ones are seasoned with chili powder and the white ones with soy sauce.
 
Without asking the price, Ambassador Kim handed over cash out of his pocket and the old lady skillfully fried rice cakes and heaped both kinds onto a plate.

“Good, this (the red one) is good too” casually he said that after a bite and offered them to the people around.  In the morning paper on the next day it was written that he repeatedly let out exclamations of delight at its good taste.
 
When Kerry ran as the presidential candidate against Bush he demonstrated himself to be good with people and now he is an effective world leader who deals  with about 200 countries, mediating amongst them and exhibiting the power of the U.S. in the position of the Secretary of State.
 
There is no way that he could have remained silent or said the food was bad in front of the cameras.  Having studied TV Journalism in America and worked in that field for a long time I know that whatever journalists say, readers and viewers would just take at face value.  
 
Before the upcoming meeting between President Park and the U.S. President Obama, who is taking one day out of his visit to Japan in April to come to Korea, Kerry may have some strong suggestions for the mediation of the recently worsening relationship between Korea and Japan. That unfortunate development must be burdensome for the U.S. President. 

With his tight schedule they must have guided him to the market nearby to show some cultural experience in Korea.
 
Was it a pure coincidence that I was there at that moment?
It was eight-thirty in the evening.
There were hardly any ordinary citizens present besides the attendants and reporters with cameras.

For the twenty years I lived in the States I missed my country and my neighborhood where I grew up.  Now back living in my neighborhood I miss the days when I used to pass by the U.S. Department of State and by the White house on the way into the city from Georgetown.
 
When I saw the Secretary of State and the old lady facing each other with tteokbokki in the middle, I recalled the two periods of my life, two countries, separated by the Pacific Ocean that I love, the ties between me and those two countries and one line poem of my mother’s desperate hope for peace in the book of poetry that John Kerry accepted from me.

           One desperate hope that I hold dear May countries be without strife
 
                                                                                    Son Hoyun