One With The Garbage

-View from our kitchen window

We had a garbage problem up until today. In fact, out entire neighborhood and most of Korea had and still has a garbage problem. The apartment my room mate and I just vacated had over 10 years of accumulated English teacher goods. Amongst countless other items, we found eight umbrellas, five modems, four computer monitors, 3 TVs and two dirty magazines. Three quarters of the stuff we moved out of the old apartment never made it past the door of our new apartment. Instead, our boss had us offload the extra furniture, electronics and garbage into some farmers field right across the street.


-The smoldering remains

Over the last week scavengers have helped themselves to our abandoned treasure while stray cats have taken refuge amongst our old mattresses and sofas. I'm a little sad to say the garbage sanctuary outside our house has now been burnt to the ground. All the plastic, upholstery and circuit boards have been reunited with the soil again. Come spring, pepper trees will be thriving on the nutrients left behind in these ashes. And on some Sunday in the near future, I'll buy peppers off an old Adjuma at the local street market and be one with my garbage again.