Painting from Memory
I was born in Damyang, a beautiful place known for its bamboo forests in Korea. I spent much time in the forests painting pictures of the1. Painting is one of my talents. I lived there until last year when my family moved to New York. My mother, a scientist, was asked to come work here.
There are no bamboo forests, I said, there is nothing to 2 in NewYork. Don't worry, you will find many things to see and paint there, my mother said. I still felt 3 . But I will miss home, I said. Then you can paint pictures of your favorite places. They will make you feel at home even in New York, she said. So when we moved, I brought my forest paintings with me.
New York was not easy at first. I missed home a lot. Yet when I looked at my paintings of bamboo, I felt much better. I soon 4 friends at school too. They also like painting, and we now paint in a group after school.
Last month, we had a new neighbor, Varvara, an old lady who moved from Russia, to be closer to her daughter. She was sad to leave her home. My mother and I often visited her. She told us her unbearable homesick and everything about her hometown Vyborg. I could 5 her home in my head.
Varvara missed her home so much that she became ill. I worried about her and I wanted to do something for her. I had ever been in her 6 before. At least, I had my forest paintings of home. However, she didn't even have that. Unless …
A few days later, I met Varvara on the stairs. She looked better but still sad. I gave her my gift: a painting of Vyborg. I had painted it from her 7 .
She began to cry as she saw the painting. At first, I was worried that she didn't like it. Later, she told me that those were tears of joy. I knew just how she 8 wherever you go, hometown is always with you.
