Kimchi in Alamos

A primal instinct compelled Eunkyong to look up from her laptop. Two figures stepped into the island of light that defined the outdoor café. The woman was much younger. They were both white. The woman was slender, and her face was quiet and kind. The man looked powerful, wore a salt and pepper beard, and grew shoulder-length curls. The new arrivals greeted the café owner in fluent Spanish and sat at the adjacent table. Eunkyong returned her attention to the email she was writing to her sister. She has been writing these letters since she left Korea two years ago. She hoped that by writing detailed descriptions of her travels, her family would eventually accept her decision to leave home, leave Korea, and abandon all prospects of a well-matched marriage. Maybe they will understand why she chose to travel with Isaac, a Weguk (foreigner) and worse, twenty years her senior. She wrote about meeting Isaac's friends in California, about the meditation seminar she attended, and about the jar of Kimchi she bought to keep a taste of home during their trip. She smiled thinking of the effort to keep it refrigerated while exploring Mexico.

She started writing about Alamos, their present location. She recalled her feelings at dusk, as she and Isaac entered Alamos main plaza. The bell tower of the large Cathedral was illuminated by the sun, while the other colonial buildings enclosing the plaza were dark outlines against the red sky. In the central garden, a couple sat on a bench holding hands. On the opposite side of the garden, a young man was softly strumming his guitar. A thin dog lazily moved between the two benches. They lingered in this romantic place, and then wandered off into a narrow cobblestone alley. It was getting dark. The only noise they heard was their footsteps echoing off the high walls. It was the perfect atmosphere for a town that is designated as one of Mexico's "Magic Pueblos". Ahead, a café sign illuminated the tables placed in the alley. The comfortable chairs predicted good coffee and the "WiFi" painted on the wall made the place ideal. They sat down besides the colorful cactus mural, she, to work on the laptop, Isaac, to study Lonely Planet.

"Do you live in town?"

The question-mark interrupted her concentration. She asked the bearded man to repeat. He did so. However, the alley acoustics still made communication difficult. She got up and approached his table. After a few sentences both couples were seated together, engaged in casual information exchange.

Fellow travelers develop a quick and efficient way of describing themselves. Andrea and Allandra were also world travelers. Andrea is from California, Allandra is from Louisiana. They have been travelling for four years. They too do not have a home base. They are not married. As the foursome exchanged questions and answers, Eunkyong felt an increasing sense of excitement and anticipation. Each new detail revealed another unlikely similarity between the two couples. Soon, everyone was caught in her excitement. The questions became more personal and the answers more detailed. Eunkyong could not stop herself from asking about their age difference, and was startled to hear that they were twenty years apart. When Eunkyong cited Korea as her origin, it was Andrea's turn to be excited. He described his intimate connection with Korea. He was a practitioner of Kuk Sul Won, a Korean martial art that emphasized the control of Ki (Life Energy) rather than physical force. Students of Kuk Sul Won can demonstrate incredible gymnastics skills such as running up a wall all the way to the ceiling. Through his Korean master, Andrea learned to love Korean philosophy, culture, and food.

"I felt there was something special waiting for me here" said Andrea looking at Eun Kyong. "I felt your Energy even before I saw you".

Eunkyong remembered her involuntary glance into the darkness, but said nothing.

With each question, Andrea's answers became more elaborate. He spoke eloquently, using his arms and hands to illustrate his story, while Allandra affirmed his descriptions with her active silence. Eunkyong listened intently.

Under the tutelage of his Korean master, Andrea attained a sixth-level black belt and opened his own Kuk Sul Won school. After twenty six years of practice, he knew he had to change his life. He closed the school, parted from his wife and grown children and left home. "Another similarity." thought Eun Kyong. One night, on an Alaskan ferry, he felt restless. He got up to the stern and watched the sea churning. Besides him he saw a young woman doing the same thing. As he learned later, Allandra felt a similar urge. That night they stood in silence, shoulder to shoulder, feeling each other's presence as they watched the water. They have been together since then.

"Where did you two meet?" Interrupted Allandra.

"We met in Korea, on a tour bus. Soon thereafter, I was in love" Replied Eun Kyong.

Andrea went on. For the last four years he and Allandra were exploring the globe, letting each new place provide them with new knowledge. Their shared belief in a higher power, and their common interest in spiritual development, made their twenty year age difference, irrelevant. He continued to develop his mastery of the Energy force, using his own understanding, rather than the methods of his former martial art. However, individual practice has it dangers. One day while practicing, he inadvertently directed an energy field towards Allandra. He watched in trepidation as it hurtled forward and entered her chest. He could see Allandra flailing at the entry point. She then became weak and started shivering. He knew she was dying. To his frustration, nothing he did made her better. Eventually, he summoned his old Korean master, who brought Allandra back to health. This incident did not deter him from continuing to practice. With time he gathered
more power, while at the same time growing more comfortable with the world around him.

While listening to Andrea, Eunkyong reflected on her encounter with Ki. During meditation practice in a Korean temple, she managed to generate an Energy ball between her palms. She could move it, spin it, and change its shape. She did not repeat the experiment, despite Isaac's encouragement to improve this skill. Now, listening to Andrea, she could remember the exhilarating feeling of this energy field. She could almost feel the texture, the pressure it exerted when she pressed her palms closer and the pulling force when she separated her hands. She told Andrea and the others of her experience.

"Please generate the Energy now"

Eunkyong extended her hands across the table, closed her eyes, and started feeling the Energy gathering between her palms. Andrea put his hands above and below hers.

"I feel it." He said. "Relax. Breath"… he guided her gently.

The Energy grew stronger. Eunkyong started sensing Andrea's field, and so they sat for a while, silent, joined without touching.

The café was closing but Andrea and Eunkyong could not part. The foursome agreed to walk a bit. Eunkyong and Andrea strolled close to each other, talking softly. Eunkyong described her sensations and Andrea, in turn, provided her with advice and guidance for future practice. They were almost oblivious to Allandra and Isaac walking in front, obscured by the dark night.

"Do you think our meeting is a coincidence?"

To Andrea it was clearly predestined. He needed to meet a Korean who, like him, rebelled against age- old traditions and went her own way. It will help him absolve the guilt he felt for abandoning his practice.

Eunkyong remained silent. She was not so sure.

Eventually, it was time to say Goodnight and Goodbye, yet Eunkyong felt something was missing. In her culture, a student should always pay for his learning, but what can she gift Andrea that would be meaningful? Then she knew. She offered the jar of Kimchi she loved and nurtured all the way here. Andrea was overjoyed. Kimchi in Alamos was a delight beyond his dreams.

That night, before going to sleep, Eunkyong generated her strongest Energy ball.