누군가 이번 여름 동경에서 한 달을 지낸다고 하니 여름의 동경은 후덥지근한 곳이라고 염려를 해주었습니다. 하긴 휴양지로서 동경을 선택한 것은 아니니까 지역을 바꾸거나 물러설 수도 없었습니다. 교단의 선교사님 한 분이 모처럼의 두 달 휴가를 얻어, 고국에 들어와서 부부가 건강검진을 하고, 치료받기 위해서 귀국하는 빈자리를 채우기로 한 것입니다. 한 달은 울산매곡교회 현재우 목사님, 이어서 제가 그다음 달을 맡기로 했었습니다. 내일이면 선교사님이 들어오고, 이제 한 주간 후면 우리는 귀국을 하니 주일설교는 한 주일이 남아있습니다. 임무교대가 가까워집니다.
동경에서의 여름 나기가 어땠냐고요? 여러분 모두가 아시는 대로 여름은 덥습니다. 동경이든 서울이든 울산이든 여름이 더운 것은 공통적입니다. 게다가 동경에서 듣는 한국의 여름날씨도 만만치 않았고 가을이 시작한다는 ‘입추(立秋)‘인 오늘 뉴스도 전국 대부분이 35℃ 안팎으로 오르는 ‘한증막’ 더위이고 밤에도 열대야가 이어진다는 소식을 전하고 있습니다. 여기도 여름더위는 계속되고 있습니다. 하지만 새벽에 일찍 일어나서 아침을 먹고 시원할 때 교회까지 걸어가서 아침기도시간을 갖습니다. 그리고 낮시간에는 에어컨이 있는 집안에서 온종일 읽거나 쓰거나 하면서 지났습니다. 저녁을 먹고는 우에노 공원까지 산책을 다녀오다 보면 하루가 지나가고 만보는 채웁니다.
아침저녁으로 오가는 골목길에는 걷는 사람보다도 자전거를 더 많이 만납니다. 물론 집집마다 주차된 차량보다 세워진 자전거가 더 많은 것도 이곳의 풍경입니다. 울산에서도 자전거를 심심찮게 볼 수 있지만 대개는 여가용 자전거입니다. 헬멧과 자전거 복장을 하고 태화강을 달리는 사람들이 대세를 이룹니다. 그렇다고 어느 겨울에 대구 신천에서 보았던 생계용 자전거가 아니라 일상생활용 자전거들입니다. 거의 예외 없이 앞뒤로는 물건을 실릴 수 있는 바구니나 아이들을 태우는 바구니가 있습니다. 자전거가 일상생활에 자리 잡은 이유로는 출퇴근에 자전거를 활용할 수 있는 교통시스템, 비싼 교통비, 어린이집이나 유치원뿐만 아니라 초중고 학교가 자전거나 도보로 갈 수 있는 거리에 배정되기 때문이라고도 합니다.
그러나 저러나 나그네의 눈에는, 승용차가 꼭 있어야 한다고 생각하지 않는 검소한 삶도 들어왔지만, 아이들을 자전거에 태우고 가면서, 뒤에 앉은 아이가 엄마에게 쫑알쫑알 이야기를 하고 거기에 엄마가 반응하는 모습이 부러웠습니다. 주말이면 온 식구가 자전거로 골목길을 달리는 모습이 참으로 부러웠습니다. 아주 어린아이는 부모의 자전거에, 조금만 크면 자기 자전거로 함께 달리는 모습은, 저녁이 있는 동네의 모습이고 가족이 있는 동경의 모습이었습니다. 우리가 살았던 이 지역은 자전거의 도시이고 자전거에는 가족이 보이는 곳이었습니다. 그리고 “따르릉” 소리를 거의 들을 수 없는 배려와 양보가 자리한 동네였습니다. 게다가 큰 차를 탄다고 거들먹거리는 인간들이 거의 눈에 띄지 않는 곳이어서 여름 나기가 그나마 좋았습니다. [글·사진 정근두]
When someone heard that I would be spending a month in Tokyo this summer, they expressed concern, warning me that Tokyo's summer is notoriously hot and humid. Of course, since I had not chosen Tokyo as a holiday resort, there was no changing destinations or turning back. A missionary from our denomination had received a rare two-month furlough to return home with his wife for health checkups and medical treatment, and I had agreed to help fill the vacancy. Pastor Jae-woo Hyun of Ulsan Maegok Church covered the first month, and I took on the following month. Tomorrow the missionary returns, and since we will head back to Korea in a week's time, only one Sunday sermon remains on my schedule. The handover of duties draws near.
How was spending the summer in Tokyo, you ask? As all of you well know, summer is hot. Whether in Tokyo, Seoul, or Ulsan, sweltering heat is the common denominator of summer. Moreover, the news we heard about Korea's summer weather from here in Tokyo sounded equally daunting. Even today, on Ipchu (the onset of autumn), news broadcasts report that most of the country is enduring a "steam sauna" heat hovering around 35°C, with tropical nights continuing unabated. The summer heat lingers on here as well. Yet, waking early at dawn to have breakfast, I take advantage of the morning cool to walk to church for morning prayer. During the day, I have spent the hours reading and writing in the air-conditioned indoors. In the evening, after dinner, taking a stroll to Ueno Park brings the day to a close and easily fills my ten thousand daily steps.
In the alleyways back and forth morning and evening, I encounter far more bicycles than pedestrians. It is a signature scene here that parked bicycles far outnumber parked cars outside each home. While bicycles are not uncommon in Ulsan, most of them are recreational. People donned in helmets and cycling gear riding along the Taehwa River form the overwhelming majority. Nor are these the livelihood bicycles loaded with heavy cargo that I once saw along Daegu's Shincheon stream in winter; they are bicycles for everyday living. Almost without exception, they are fitted with baskets in the front and back for groceries or child seats. It is said that bicycles have become so firmly rooted in daily life because of a public transit system accommodating bicycle commutes, high transportation costs, and a school district zoning system where daycares, kindergartens, and primary and secondary schools are all within walking or cycling distance.
Be that as it may, through the eyes of a traveler, I certainly noticed a frugal way of life that does not insist on owning a car. Yet what I envied even more was seeing a mother riding her bicycle while the child sitting behind chattered away, and the mother gently responding. It was deeply heartwarming to see whole families riding through the alleys on weekends. Very young children riding on their parents' bicycles, and older ones riding alongside on their own—it showed a neighborhood that cherishes its evenings, a Tokyo where family life is truly present. The neighborhood we lived in was a city of bicycles, and upon those bicycles, one could see the warmth of family. It was a community filled with consideration and courtesy, where one rarely hears the sharp ring of a bicycle bell. Above all, it was a place where people swaggering around in oversized cars were scarcely to be seen—making this summer sojourn all the more pleasant. [Text and Photography by Rev. Keun-Doo Jung]
Toe iemand hoor dat ek hierdie somer 'n maand lank in Tokio sou deurbring, was hulle baie besorg en het gewaarsku dat Tokio se somers drukkend warm en bedompig is. Natuurlik het ek Tokio nie as 'n vakansieoord gekies nie, so daar was geen sprake van bestemmings verander of terugstaan nie. 'n Sendeling van ons kerkverband het 'n welverdiende twee maande lange verlof ontvang om saam met sy eggenote na hul tuisland terug te keer vir gesondheidsondersoeke en mediese behandeling, en ek het ingestem om die leemte te help vul. Ds. Jae-woo Hyun van die Ulsan Maegok-gemeente het die eerste maand waargeneem, en ek sou die daaropvolgende maand oorneem. Môre kom die sendeling terug, en aangesien ons oor 'n week na ons vaderland terugkeer, bly daar nog net een Sondagpreek oor. Die aflos van pligte kom nou baie naby.
Hoe was dit om die somer in Tokio deur te bring, vra u dalk? Soos u almal goed weet, is die somer warm. Of dit nou Tokio, Seoel of Ulsan is, die somerhitte is iets wat hulle almal gemeen het. Boonop het die nuus wat ons hier in Tokio oor Korea se somerweer gehoor het, ook nie juis ligter geklink nie; selfs vandag, met Ipchu (die aanbreek van die herfs), berig die nuus dat die kwik in die grootste deel van die land omstreeks 35°C draai soos 'n ware "stoombad", met tropiese nagte wat onverpoosd voortduur. Hier duur die somerhitte eweneens voort. Tog staan ek vroegdag met dagbreek op, eet ontbyt en stap in die koelte van die oggend na die kerk vir my stiltetyd en oggendgebed. Bedags het ek die tyd deurgebring deur heeldag binnenshuis in lugversorging te lees of te skryf. Ná aandete neem ek 'n wandeling na die Ueno-park, en so gaan die dag verby terwyl ek maklik my tienduisend treë volmaak.
In die stegies waarlangs ek soggens en saans stap, kom ek baie meer fietse as voetgangers teë. Dit is natuurlik ook kenmerkend van hierdie omgewing dat daar buite elke huis veel meer fietse as geparkeerde motors staan. In Ulsan sien 'n mens ook gereeld fietse, maar dit is meestal vir ontspanning. Mense met helms en fietsryklere wat langs die Taehwa-rivier ry, vorm die oorgrote meerderheid. Dit is egter nie die soort swaarbelaaide fietse vir 'n mens se daaglikse broodwinning wat ek een winter langs Daegu se Shincheon gesien het nie, maar fietse vir die gewone alledaagse lewe. Byna sonder uitsondering het hulle mandjies voor en agter om inkopies in te laai of kinderstoeltjies om kleintjies te vervoer. Daar word gesê dat die fiets so 'n integrale deel van die daaglikse lewe geword het weens 'n vervoerstelsel wat fietsry na die werk akkommodeer, duur openbare vervoerkoste, en 'n stelsel waar crèches, kleuterskole asook laer- en hoërskole binne stap- of fietsryafstand toegewys word.
Hoe dit ook al sy, deur die oë van 'n reisiger het 'n mens wel die spaarsame leefwyse opgemerk wat nie glo dat 'n eie motor noodsaaklik is nie. Tog was ek selfs meer beïndruk deur die gesig van kinders agterop die fiets wat vrolik met hul ma babbel terwyl sy sagkens antwoord. Dit was waarlik hartverblydend om te sien hoe die hele gesin oor naweke saam deur die stegies ry. Baie klein kindertjies ry saam op hul ouers se fietse, en sodra hulle 'n bietjie groter is, ry hulle op hul eie fietse saam—dit is die beeld van 'n woonbuurt wat sy aande koester, 'n Tokio waar die gesin 'n tuiste vind. Hierdie buurt waarin ons gewoon het, was 'n stad van fietse, en op daardie fietse kon 'n mens die warmte van 'n gesin sien. Dit was 'n gemeenskap waar 'n mens byna nooit 'n luibakfietsklok hoor nie, danksy hoflikheid en wedersydse inskiklikheid. Bowendien was dit 'n plek waar mense wat met groot, spoggerige motors pronk, skaars te sien was—wat hierdie somerverblyf soveel aangenamer gemaak het. [Teks en foto's deur Ds. Keun-Doo Jung]