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일 chapter one- a christian jock

We're learning about Isabella bird at school for religion class. I go to a Christian school. The problem is, we've just learned that she was under five feet in height, which makes her, a British woman, even shorter than your average Asian. This makes everyone in class completely crack up or get angry and the whole class is not calming down. I'm pissed because I actually want to learn about this because Isabella visited Korea, the country of my birth. I want to know more about her life and her impressions of Korea in the 19th century. I'm not great at history but at school in Australia we've never studied korean history before.

Our teacher, Mr. Cameron is trying to calm everyone down. "Not all Aussies are tall then," says 민호 (min-ho) who is a classmate. His English name is Matt Kim. I know how to write his Korean name because we once went to Korean school together. He makes me uncomfortable. When there's racism, he's quick to get angry and retaliate while I like to just... turn the other cheek? According to him, I'm a coward and don't stand up for myself.
"First of all," says Jacinta Jones, "Isabella bird was born over one hundred years ago. Everybody was shorter then, including you guys. Second she was British not Aussie and you're not even making sense Matt Kim."

"She was shorter than a doorknob," snickers Matt, nudging his friend Ethan lee. Ethan lee is biracial. Ethan Lee doesn't speak a word of Korean and is a bit aloof.

"Mate, calm down," says Ethan. But he snickers too.
"Just because you're a rare tall Asian doesn't mean you have to rub it in all the time," says John Anderson. "You're rare."
I wait for Matt to yell, that's racist! It seems that Matt will find any reason to call people racist, and it makes me nervous. John is definitely being a little racist by calling Matt rare as though he's a Pokémon but I don't want there to be a huge fight.
"No wonder she was a virgin until she was fifty," says matt, laughing.
"Are you for real?" Says ethan
"Read her biography." Says Matt excitedly. "She got married when she was fifty, and was a devout Christian. Add two and two..."
"That's if she stayed a virgin," says John. "You guys haven't even done the readings. Have you read her book about the Rocky Mountains? Or done the additional readings? It's implied she hooked up with one eyed mountain Jim—"
He turns to me. "Ask Lydia. She'll have done the readings."

I shrink in my chair, embarrassed about being in the spotlight. I haven't actually done the readings but of course John Anderson will assume that I have. I'm second in English, after John. John is good at all topics including math and sport but that doesn't make him a nerd because he's John Anderson. John Anderson, smartest and yet most popular guy at school. Also probably a seventeen year old virgin because he's a devout Christian.
"I..."

Everybody looks over at me. I wish for new technology so I could google the answer with my eyeballs. I haven't looked at a single page in the textbook, haven't done a single reading. I've been so busy trying to catch up on my maths homework so I can catch up with John Anderson that I haven't been able to. I'm still trying to get my head around basic chemistry as well, and embarrassing as this is balancing chemical equations is still confounding me. I'm not as smart as everyone thinks I am.
I am however great at making things up. I swallow hard. "She was definitely not having an affair with one eyed mountain Jim," I say, intrigued despite myself. Who is one eyed mountain Jim? Who is this woman? Why didn't I do my readings?"
"The biographer got carried away."
"It's an autobiography," deadpans John Anderson.
Oh crap.
"Exactly," I say.
"What, so she got carried away and imagined some kind of affair with him, like a teenage girl? She would've tried to hide it, being a Christian."
"Then why'd she write a book about herself?" I retort. "She obviously wanted her life to sound interesting."
"I agree with Lydia," says Matt Kim, even though I haven't even done the readings unlike John Anderson.

I look over at Ethan lee. I'm sort of curious if he's going to get involved in the discussion. He's looking at Jacinta Jones. Of course. Why would he look at me?