My Kind of Bed

South Korea is a sure more prosperous country, with a picture of wider streets and highways, faster trains coming to and fro in subway stations, as well as statuesque buildings housing Korean workaholics who constantly work in doubling their money and wealth. But these don’t exempt this country from the slightly unpleasant reality called poverty.


I paid a quick visit to the Namdaemun Market, famous for its cheap prices and the variety of items that can be bought there. I’ve been meaning to buy myself a bed or anything I can more comfortably use for sleeping at home, to somehow help me start the new month right. My, it sure tickled my natural bargain inkling of the place when I got there! It has the same atmosphere as that of our very own (and my beloved) Quiapo and Divisoria. I got there on a Sunday night, just when most of the stores were about to close.

I was lucky enough to find a mattress and pillow store, where I finally rewarded myself of a ‘sleeping set’— a pillow, thick blanket, and a mattress. All with a touch of pink! Haha.








Then on my way back home, carrying two big plastic bags, I caught sight of this at the subway station:

I suddenly caught myself in my own picture of life's two ironic facets. So here I strive in building my comfortable shelter in a country not mine, and I see someone from this nation, with barely any comfort to provide for himself. It's not like I haven't seen a poor man before, I sure have encountered more morose situations back home. There was just that sudden twitch inside of me, making me feel ashamed of carrying my new bed purchase to my house, when in front of me is a man with just cartons to sleep on. Sometimes, no matter how you may feel so burdened and so holed-in, there sure is something that will make you feel so selfish for thinking that life is not treating you feel. I sure felt the exact, same way.