Ramen and two daughters
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By Chang Soon-hee
Lim Chun-ae was born into a poor family in Korea. She lost her father when she was young and was raised by her mother. She was skinny and always hungry and envious of other girls who ate fine food, wore pretty clothes and giggled a lot. Lim rarely giggled. During her elementary school years, she found that she could run much faster and longer than other athletes in school.
Lim finished first in a 800m race in her middle school year. She then set a new record in the 3,000 meter track at the Korea Sport Tournament and another new record in 1,500 meter track with 4 minutes 19 seconds. Miss Lim Chun-ae finally won three gold medals at the 1986 Asian Games in the track events of 800 meters, 1,500 meters, and 3,000 meters respectively. She was 17 years old, 1.63 meters tall and skinny, weighing 43 kg.
"I exercised and ate a lot of ramen (ramen in Korean). I was envious of my friends who drank milk,” the track runner responded to the reporters’ questions. "I thought of my poor mother who worked so hard in a restaurant to feed us. And I thought of my late father, who said I’m sorry we are not rich, but please don’t be indebted to others but try hard to stand with your own feet.” Her eyes were wet when she said, "Dad told me before he died; my dear girl, please always become number one. I know you can do that.”And she did and people started calling her "Ramen girl.”
Senorita Maria Carmen was 17-years-old and lost her father early and her mother raised her in a village near Amazon forest. She was skinny and always hungry. Her thought about the society grew with defiant every time when she saw lovely girls attending fine schools wearing fashionable dresses in Lima, Peru.
Then, she joined a Peruvian revolutionary terrorist organization called MRTA which wanted to establish a socialist state. When MRTA decided to invade and occupy the Japanese Embassy in Lima in December 1996 Maria volunteered. Fourteen members of MRTA took hostage of all the high-level diplomats, government and military officials who were attending a party at the Japanese ambassador’s residence celebrating Emperor Akihito’s 63rd birthday on December 23. All together 600 dignitaries were held as hostage. The terrorists immediately realized that there were too many hostages to feed. They released 225 of women and elders first.
In the list of the second release Archbishop Juan Luis Cipriani was included but he declined to be released. During a long hostage stand-off that lasted 126 days, the terrorists and the hostages had become rather friendly each other. The MRTA members ardently explained that they were doing it for justice in the country.
A lot of instant ramen were delivered to the residence for the hostages and the MRTA members. Maria had never tasted such tasty noodle and she decided to go home alive, not hurting any hostage. She picked two packets of dry ramen and hid them in her backpack for Mom’s birthday present and Maria was happy.
After a four months’ siege, teams of 140 Peruvian commandos mounted a dramatic raid on the residence and saved the most of the hostages, and killed all of the 14 MRTA members armed with a machine gun. Senorita Maria Carmen was found lying face down near the exit door without a machine gun but holding a backpack stained with her own blood.
"They are all god’s sons and daughters,” said Archbishop Cipriani.
The writer is a grandmother whose email address is ham1940@gmail.com.