Do you know Choco-pie?

by Laura Chinde (Korea South)

I didn't expect to find Korea South

Seoul subway stations have names that resemble to me as the names of mitical creatures. Itaewon, Beotigogoae, Anam and Dongmyo are some of them. But it was in one called Cheonggu, when I found my angel. Being teased because of my weight in the exigent Korean society, I felt sick of going to do shopping and not find anything my size, or to be stared upon by the local sellers who told me that they had nothing for me. I was 70 kilos and 1,60m which was slightly over the suggested weight for someone my height. "It's Asia, afterall", was what I told myself. But every time I began feeling unattractive, strange, a paria. I went to see a weight loss Korean doctor, who introduced me to the world of keto, and gave me a full box of traditional Korean medicine aimed to reduce my appetite. I felt relieved after feeling that my 'obesity' days were over. So, I got into Cheonggu station with the unconfortable stare of people who stared at my box of medicine, ready to start. In the Korean society, it is okay to say you are trying to lose weight. So I was forcing myself to believe it was okay, they were not judging me untill someone kept staring me with a sad, but intense face. It was an ajumma. Ajummas are the most feared members of the Korean society. Due to the Confucianism that still rules, the eldest are the most respected. She approached and told me "you are not fat". As my Korean is not good yet, I struggled to understand what she was saying, yet she kept trying to mix the few words in English she knew. "You are beautiful. You are not fat", she kept saying. Everyone else kept staring while I wanted to faint. "Who pays for this? Your husband? Is your husband Korean? He is silly. Tell me his number and I will tell him not to do this to you". Then, I realized that she was an angel. No, I had paid for the treatment, and I wanted thisnfor myself, but to hear these empowering words and attempt for helping me was all I needed. I just told her "it's okay, thanks", while kept carrying that box. I lost weight after that, and reached a healthy level, but still remember that lady telling me I was beautiful and think that, despite the society, women support themselves regardless language or cultural stereotypes.