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| Samia Mounts |
By Jon Dunbar
As U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Yongsan continues to relocate, its far-reaching effects on the surrounding society are emerging.
Samia Mounts grew up and went to school on the base, later writing the young adult novel "Frunk the Skunk," uniquely set on post at the Seoul American High School, published in 2008 by 4N Publishing.
Mounts moved to New York where she sings and acts under the stage name Samia Xi, but returns to Korea often.
On Oct. 30, she will share the experiences that inspired her to write, in a talk with Yongsan Legacy, a collective of historians working to unearth the cultural contributions of USAG Yongsan.
"When you live on a military base, there is a constant flow of people going in and out," she said in an interview with The Korea Times. "Every school year brings a new social circle and new opportunities to reinvent or redefine yourself. All of this has prepped me well for a life in the entertainment industry in New York. I have Yongsan to thank for that."
She moved with her family to Seoul aged six in 1989 and has moved back and forth between Korea and America several times.
"Frunk the Skunk" is loosely autobiographical, describing the life of teenaged Tarryn Frunk at a school walled off from Korean society. Yet the book rarely comments on the strangeness of this setting, instead living out normal teenage problems here.
"There are whole sequences of the book that I could walk you through in real life," she said. "At least one person is going to get a Frunk the Skunk tour while I'm in town!"
The relocation plan has been discussed for decades, but now that it's happening, Mounts is among those who are sad to see it go, including her former school, which may shut down next year.
"I love Seoul. I love the base. When I was a teenager, it sometimes felt like a prison, but looking back, it was the closest thing I ever had to a hometown," Mounts said. "The thought of it all being torn down is heartbreaking. That base represents my childhood and adolescence. Almost all of the experiences and memories that most define who I am today happened there."
Aside from the talk, she also plans to sing at Leo's in Haebangchon on Nov. 4. She will perform with RaeMe, a fellow singer visiting from New York.
"Because this is the last year students will be going through my high school, I convinced my best friend RaeMe to visit Seoul with me so she can see where I grew up," Mounts said.
The talk is Monday at 6 p.m. on Camp Kim, located a couple of minutes north of exit 10 of Samgakji Station on lines 4 and 6.
Visit facebook.com/yongsanlegacy for more about the talk, or samiaxi.com for her music.
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