Perennial Requiem
The picture above was taken on my birthday in the cafe where my parents first met. Despite the fact that it was my birthday , I was not overcome with the celebratory emotion that I usually felt. I had the opportunity to drink a mango smoothie at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul Parnas, South Korea. Unfortunately, it also cost me 22 dollars to buy one cup: 22$ for which I will never get a refund. I felt at the time that life was ripping me off not only emotionally, but also literally. It only made me feel worse about the situation at hand. On the table stood the smoothie, along with red bean cookies, sugar packets, and a paper straw that remained in its wrapper. At this moment, I remember being in the presence of my father, who also ordered something seemingly overpriced - a cup of coffee for 20 dollars! Maybe he was getting ripped off more than me....