[캐나다에 사는 초등학교동창이 보낸, 전형적인 서양식 연말인사]
친한 사이에는 성탄절카드와 함께 아래와 같은 서신을 보냅니다.
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December 16, 2012
My dear friend,
It has been a while since I last wrote to you. I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am in pretty good shape and seem to have little cause to complain.
As 2012 draws to a close, what thoughts do you have? Was the year eventful to you? If you did many memorable things in 2012, I would appreciate it very much if you would share some of them with me.
As for me, my wife and I went to Hawaii in May to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe that I have been married that long. Where did all those years go? From Hawaii we travelled to Korea. My son’s Hong Kong-based family came to Korea to spend the summer with us. We had a great time with our grandson (6 years old) and granddaughter (4 years old). They are really cute and it is a joy to watch them grow.
We came back to Toronto in late September. We subsequently made two trips to Chicago to see our daughter, son-in-law and grandson (15 months old). We drove and the trip took us 10 hours door to door. I dread such long haul driving, but I chose to drive because it was cheaper than flying. A poor pensioner, I need to be frugal.
I will stay in Toronto until the end of March 2013. In early April I will go back to Korea. I spend about six months in Korea every year. I keep going back to Korea because I enjoy socializing with my relatives and old friends who are there. I don’t know how much longer I will shuttle between Toronto and Seoul, though.
It sure is great that I don’t have to work to earn a living. But I find that retirement is a bit boring. Having nothing better to do, I devote most of my time to reading. I have read countless books and am reading one book after another. But what puzzles me is that I don’t seem to get any wiser.
I recently signed up for Facebook. The name I use on Facebook is Thomas H.S. Lee. By way of explanation, “Thomas” is my baptismal name and my Canadian friends know me by that name. Hence Thomas on Facebook. If you are also on Facebook, I would like to be your “friend” so that we may keep in closer touch with each other.
I would like to wish you and your family a happy Holiday Season and a healthy, prosperous New Year.
Good-by for now. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Hyon Soo Lee