Sexual Slavery-Part I

When I first heard the name "Comfort Women" almost 4 years ago I wanted to know the story. I wanted to learn the history of a painful event that lives with us still in our Halmonis(Grandmothers). I don't speak Korean so I never felt comfortable with trying to find these women. A month ago I received an email about a place called the Sharing House where a few of the women were living and being cared for. A group of passionate, selfless, young Bilingual Korean Americans and Koreans volunteer their time to serve as translators for foreigners who want to visit the Halmonis.

So last Sunday found me up early on a cold morning preparing for the journey I had wanted to take for some time. I met the other folks going on the visit at Gangbyeon Station. We trickled in causing some eyes to linger for long moments as the group of foreigners grew. Having come alone I had no one to talk to and in some way I had designed it to be that way. I wanted to make this journey for myself. I didn't want to cloud it with socializing. I wanted to simply experience the visit with as little interruption as possible. People left me alone for the most part.

We all boarded a bus together and I did meet a wonderful woman on the way to the bus stop. We talked all the way to our next stop. When she discovered I was a Baha'i she told me the most amazing story of how she had heard of the Faith. She is not a Baha'i but has very positive, fond memories of the Baha'is she has met.

Soon we arrived a the Sharing House which is located out in a very remote area only accessible by car. The Sharing House itself is actually a compound of sorts with living areas for the Grandmothers, The Historical Museum of Sexual Slavery by the Japanese Military, and a common meeting place for visitors. The visit started out heavy and remained so for me until I came home and fell asleep from emotional exhaustion.