My Good Teacher Is Also My Girlfriend
 
By Kwon Young-Ro

    That I first met Won Sun in Chon-ho Subway Station while I was in the military was my luck. I was a compulsory policeman. I worked in Chon-ho Subway Station. I checked her ID card since she had unique attractions. When I saw her, I felt as if she was an old friend of mine. So, I gave my address card to her. After I was discharged from the service, we went to the library together to study English during summer vacation in 1997. I liked her diligence, appearance and intelligence, and she loved my honesty, kindness and warmheartness. So I fell in love with her. After I had known her for some time, I realized that I had learned a lot of things from her. Also she taught me so slowly that I changed my lifestyle by myself. I often surprised myself at my changed lifestyle.
    Won Sun has always had a part-time job for educational expenses. She earned money as a golf caddie, an English teacher for a primary school student, a salesperson, a waitress, and so on. Sometimes, she went to work at her part-time job after she returned home from school. Because her father has been off sick from his job for five years, she almost never takes a break. Whenever I see her, she is doing something.
    Won Sun is an intelligent woman. It was hard work winning several scholarships to Sang-Mong University when she also had a part-time job. Her major requires her to make new clothes, which is very hard work. She frequently sits up all night making new clothes for fashion shows and homework. Nevertheless, she ranked second in her class last session.
    Once in a while, Won Sun points out and corrects my negative character. I was an insincere, altruistic person. When I was a freshman, I was mostly concerned about relationships with friends, drinking a toast to entering the university, and playing billiards with my friends. Also, I had always helped someone in spite of having an important examination, but most people did not appreciate me. So my grades were low. She disliked those characteristics of mine.
    In those days, she said to me, "Do you like to help people and give pleasure to your friends?"
    "Yes, I like that. I always give a hand to other people. What do you think about that?"
    She whispered, "Well, if you are a success in society, you will give pleasure to your friends and be a greater help to people."
    I found out my mistake, so I exclaimed to her, "Yes!! You're right!  I have made up my mind. I'll become a diligent student and get ahead."
    Last, Won Sun tries to make me take a mature approach to life. I thought like a child about most things. I firmly believed almost all people lived an ordinary life. But it was my narrow view. I talked to her about that. Her life was quite different from my own life. I learned that I had to have a wide variety of views. She helped me to alter my fixed ideas. Thanks to her, I want to read many books in order to learn about people and get a lot of knowledge. Also, I desire to approach everything with a sincere attitude.
    Won Sun taught me in many ways, and changed my lifestyle from bad to good. Although I taught her how to use a computer and study English, I admired her for the way she took care of herself. I tried to reflect on my mistakes, which was that I did not approach everything with a sincere attitude. If I had never fallen in love with her, I could not learn all those things. As I said at the beginning, that I first met her in Chon-ho Subway Station while I was in the military was my luck. She has loved and tutored me since we first met. I have a good teacher whose name is Na Won Sun.

young-ro@hanimail.com


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