[Opinion] Kimchi and Athens

When traveling abroad, there are things that we miss as much as home. These are ramen and kimchi. If we have ramen and a small pack of kimchi on the dinner table, we can enjoy a meal as greatly as we would a feast. I once endured over three months only eating hamburgers, but, now, I cannot stand meals without kimchi. While being aware that continuously eating ramen is not good for one’s health, I cannot suppress my desire for it. It may be, I assume, due to the poisonous elements within ramen and kimchi. Anyway, it goes without saying that ramen and kimchi are true vitamins and refreshers to give solace to travelers who are in danger of mental, physical, and economical crises.

A few days ago, I visited Greece. I enjoyed sightseeing in Athens and traveled in a local guide’s car. Suddenly, an odd smell came out from somewhere. We found that small packs of kimchi that my friend had brought from Korea were exploding due to the hot weather in Greece. Speechless, the local guide was wearing a deep frown. We struggled to come up with solutions, but we could not throw them away because we had not even tasted them yet.

At night on the same day, we took a ferry bound for Crete. The moment we stepped into a stateroom, the smell of kimchi began to taint the air again. The guide flung his bag into the room and left. After taking care of the exploded packs of kimchi, we were scrambling to ventilate the room and spraying perfumes. Once the situation was settled, my friend took ramen out and said, “Why don’t we eat now?” After getting hot water from the dining room, we went up on deck. My friend brought three packs of kimchi that we concealed on the deck. Dinner that night was an unforgettable feast and one that I will remember for the rest of my life. Afterwards, we secretly told every Korean we met during our travels, “Look for a kimchi jar we concealed on the deck of the Knossos Palace Ferry bounded for Crete, because we hid seven packs of kimchi there.”

Those who travel abroad know how valuable kimchi is. A few days ago, Korea’s Olympic players left for Athens. To take care of their menus, a dietitian accompanied them. Even though kimchi is not a calorific food, we cannot leave it out from our meal times. We expect amenities such as fresh kimchi to be given to Korea’s athletes who are working hard for the glory of the nation under the blazing sun of Greece. Eat kimchi! Go for it, Korean athletes!

Guest editorial writer and novelist, Kim Mi-jin, usedream@yahoo.com