She was a waitress at a Mexican restaurant
Her husband a mechanic at the local dealership
Both could hardly speak English. It was enough to communicate
with the aide of hand and facial gestures.
Her husband a mechanic at the local dealership
Both could hardly speak English. It was enough to communicate
with the aide of hand and facial gestures.
"Boat People" or "Boat Folks", that is how they were known in a small
southern town. They were from Korea and not Vietnam. They did not see
the need to clarify that.
A rusty, old trailer, parked on a farm few miles away from the town was their home.
The locals were not that warm towards them in the beginning. But warmed up to them when they saw how hard working and harmless this couple was. They became Jim and Jane Shin. Soon they were the proud parents of twin daughters..Dotty and Debby..Perhaps the first oriental babies of the town.. they were welcome by the whole town, showered with gifts, some hand made with lots of love and care.
Jim was a mechanical engineer in Korea. He longed to work in the profession he loved. Working at the dealership 6 days a week, he also worked on improving his proficiency in English, both written and spoken. One day, with an envelop in his hand, he surprised his family. He had secured a job as a mechanical engineer in a big city and had made up his mind to move out of the small town.
Jane did not want to move away from the community she now had become a part of. She told him about their plans to move out of the trailer and buy a small home of their own to raise their twin daughters. Jim would not hear any of it. He left thinking Jane would not have any choice but to follow him, specially with two young toddlers.
"That was years ago" she tells me and pours me my drink.
"Most restaurants make money on liquor.. you are very generous" I tell her.
"People are very generous to me here.. I never forgot I was a waitress here in this restaurant."
" But, I am just a transient here."
" Does not matter..so were we. Every body is equal to me."
"Great thought."
" Great Country."
"Yep, where else would one see an Indian drinking scotch in a Mexican restaurant owned by a Korean lady whose chef has roots in southern plantation and who prepares the best stuffed peppers in the entire Parish?"
-Bharat Shah
A rusty, old trailer, parked on a farm few miles away from the town was their home.
The locals were not that warm towards them in the beginning. But warmed up to them when they saw how hard working and harmless this couple was. They became Jim and Jane Shin. Soon they were the proud parents of twin daughters..Dotty and Debby..Perhaps the first oriental babies of the town.. they were welcome by the whole town, showered with gifts, some hand made with lots of love and care.
Jim was a mechanical engineer in Korea. He longed to work in the profession he loved. Working at the dealership 6 days a week, he also worked on improving his proficiency in English, both written and spoken. One day, with an envelop in his hand, he surprised his family. He had secured a job as a mechanical engineer in a big city and had made up his mind to move out of the small town.
Jane did not want to move away from the community she now had become a part of. She told him about their plans to move out of the trailer and buy a small home of their own to raise their twin daughters. Jim would not hear any of it. He left thinking Jane would not have any choice but to follow him, specially with two young toddlers.
"That was years ago" she tells me and pours me my drink.
"Most restaurants make money on liquor.. you are very generous" I tell her.
"People are very generous to me here.. I never forgot I was a waitress here in this restaurant."
" But, I am just a transient here."
" Does not matter..so were we. Every body is equal to me."
"Great thought."
" Great Country."
"Yep, where else would one see an Indian drinking scotch in a Mexican restaurant owned by a Korean lady whose chef has roots in southern plantation and who prepares the best stuffed peppers in the entire Parish?"
-Bharat Shah
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