TELL EACH OTHER TALES — free as the sky

“Kick off your shoes. Unburden yourself with song. Tell each other tales. Dance around the table. Leave the cleaning up for the morning. Then go outside and look at the stars.”
Noble Smith, The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life

We are back at Shire again. After an uneventful flight, which translates to great, from Korea to the US, we were welcomed by our children with warm, long hugs and kisses. We “met” our first grandchild, Jaelen Yunseul, for the second time as we departed for Korea when he was less than two months old. We were familiar with his development over the months since we last saw him in October, thanks to almost daily uploads on Google Photos. But to Jaelen, we were strangers who could not stop smiling at him. Perhaps our persistence won him over; thankfully, he warmed up to us quickly, giving us his signature smirk and his shy, curious eyes shining. (A day later, Jaelen let me hold him for a whopping thirty minutes during a boba run!)

For the first time, we met our second grandchild to come (name to be revealed soon), still in her (yes, it will be a girl) mommy’s (Hannah) tummy. As I lowered my head and put my hand on Hannah’s tummy, I whispered, “Hello, Grandpa Chong is here. I can’t wait to meet you.” Hannah’s due date is July 18, and it could be any day, as she has been experiencing Braxton Hicks (false contractions) regularly. My lover, Remy, Elizabeth’s Chihuahua, was also there to greet me, wagging his short, thick tail rapidly. A few nights before, I dreamt of hugging Remy so you could feel my love for him.

Our first meal was none other than In-N-Out burgers. I mean, what else? Other than authentic LA tacos. . . I devoured double meat, animal style, with raw onions, along with a chocolate milkshake. With my happy belly, I went to bed after 10 pm, which was a success, popped a melatonin, and slept close to 7 hours on our first jetlag night.

The next morning, we briskly walked through the Pasadena neighborhoods, aided by perfect walking weather, talking about our plans and dreams for our time in the US and for the rest of the year. On the morning of our departure for the US, I submitted my manuscript to a publisher in Korea, hopefully paving the way for my second Korean book. My plan was to be fully present with our children and family in the US.

After taking care of Grace’s passport photos, since she needs to renew her passport, we wanted some caffeine to get through the day. We drove to Peet’s Coffee at Hastings Ranch, Pasadena, once my office coffee joint. During the pandemic (which coincided with our sabbatical) and onward, I did most of my work and writing here. Needless to say, I am very fond of this humble, neighborly joint.

As we entered, I told Grace, “I wonder if my baristas are here.” Upon entering, I saw Paul, one of my favorites, and immediately felt happy and at home. He, a smooth operator, makes my coffee right, a medium Americano with extra room, with crema at the top. His voice range is similar to mine, a low baritone. He dons long, wavy hair with enough gray streaks to suggest he is probably in his late 50s. Except for our voice tone, our hairstyles are polar opposites.

“Hey Paul, good to see you; it’s been a while.”
He replied, “Hey, good to see you too. Where have you been?”
“Korea.”
“How is Korea treating you?” he asked.
“Very well. I am good and happy there.”
“Glad to see that you are still here, Paul.”
Paul responded in his low, booming voice, “I am a routine guy and happy to be here.”

Feeling connected, we both smiled, and I sat at my usual seat, the same cushioned chair and the same table, feeling strangely familiar, like being back at Shire after an epic journey.

As I was writing this blog, our oldest, Elizabeth, walked in. “How did you . . . ?” Before I finished my sentence, she said proudly, with a grin, “Mom’s phone location.” She just finished a yoga class nearby and swung by to say hi. We chatted for a while about her work, relationships, and other important family get-togethers while we are in town. I was happy that she swung by and, at the same time, felt sad that she or we could not do that in Korea.

Feeling good on caffeine, we hit the gym, our old LA Fitness, to get the blood flowing in the afternoon. LA Fitness has a different usual suspects list than Peet’s mellower one, though it is within a stone’s throw. Greeting styles are noticeably different from those in Korea. Here, you greet each other with chin-raising nods or fist bumps. In Korea, you greet with a full bow. For the first time since moving to Korea, I shot some hoops. After sinking a few baskets and hearing the swish, I murmured under my breath, “Oh my love, I missed you too.” The truth is, basketball saved me during the most trying times of my life. After the gym, we went to Trader Joe’s to shop for our dinner. Incidentally, hours earlier, I lobbied the Creative Director of TJ’s to consider opening in Korea, telling him I would gladly stand in line for its grand opening.

My day unfolded as naturally as my body remembered, and I was in autopilot mode all day, shifting from one thing to another seamlessly. I am back, singing my old, familiar song, dancing my way through, telling my tales, and looking at the stars.