Whenever I see young radish kimchi, thoughts of alcohol just come to mind

"Whenever I make young radish kimchi, thoughts of my lover naturally come to mind. Easing the worries of those with many concerns. Hey Manggong(a small round frog), why are you crying and comforting those with many worries? Oh my, Manggong, what can I do?" These are the lyrics of Park Jae-ran's "Manggong" song. I don't know the details of what happened to her lover, but it seems that her lover really liked young radish kimchi. Just like me.

 

My wife went to church for a prayer meeting, and I finished exercising and showering. Suddenly, the thought of the young radish kimchi that Mr. and Mrs. Choi bought for us the day before yesterday came to mind. Even if it's just a few strands of young radish kimchi, I opened the refrigerator with the intention of eating some, and there, quietly tucked inside the door, was a soju bottle left over from drinking. Young radish kimchi with unexpected soju... Should I call this an unexpected blessing? Anyway, since I couldn't reject the unexpected grace that poured down, I decided to have a drink alone. Young radish kimchi goes well with makgeolli. It was a bit disappointing that there was no makgeolli, but I thought, "Well, at least there's soju," and made the most of it.

 

As I sipped soju and chewed on kimchi, my thoughts went back to an incident from a long time ago when I was six years old. Vivid memories of the past came to mind, specifically an incident that happened when I was just six years old. It seems I often forget recent events - could this be a symptom of getting older? It was right after entering elementary school, around the time I was six years old. After living with relatives for a long time, my parents bought a house and moved. Shortly after, they had a housewarming party and invited many people, celebrating happily.

 

My mother, who was excellent in cooking, prepared abundant party dishes, and there was plenty of makgeolli as well. The gentle aroma of alcohol wafted from the large jar of makgeolli in the living room for a few days before the housewarming. My mother was busy entertaining the guests, and she had no time to pay attention to what I was doing or eating. I got carried away and wandered around from room to room, from the yard to the kitchen. Sitting down at the kitchen range, I picked up some young radish kimchi with my hands and took a sip of makgeolli from the jar on the hearth. Why I specifically craved young radish kimchi and makgeolli among all the festive dishes is still unknown.

 

At first, I would take a sip of alcohol, eat a little kimchi, then take another sip of alcohol and eat a little more kimchi... As I continued, the young radish kimchi called for the makgeolli, and then the makgeolli called for the young radish kimchi. Gradually, I must have drunk quite a bit. When I got up and went outside, I couldn't control the center of my body. Stumbling across the street, I collapsed on the roadside. The son of the owner of 'Hanil ' inn across the street, came out, made fun of me for being drunk, and the neighborhood kids gathered, poking and teasing. I couldn't even budge. Staggering, I went back into the house and collapsed in a corner, falling asleep without realizing it.

 

When I woke up, it was morning. The adults either didn't know what had happened to me the day before or pretended not to know, and they didn't scold the young kid for drinking makgeolli. The incident was buried and forgotten just like that. Even if they knew, the atmosphere at home was lenient towards alcohol, so they might have overlooked it. This is how my drinking history, initiated by young radish kimchi, began. So even now, "Whenever I see young radish kimchi, thoughts of alcohol just come to mind!"