Guest post
'I have lived a pilgrim life' – Monica Macias on missing the places that shaped her
As you will discover in my memoir Black Girl from Pyongyang, I have lived in places such as Pyongyang, Seoul, Equatorial Guinea, Madrid, Beijing, New York, and now I am living in London. Since the age of seven, I have lived a pilgrim life.
I want to write about the things that I miss from these places. Generally speaking, we say we are missing something when our loved ones, and things that we like or are used to in our everyday lives, are no longer available to us.
So, what are those things that I miss from all these different places?
Pyongyang
I will begin with Pyongyang, the place where I grew up. I lived there from the age of seven to twenty-four years old. The reasons why I grew up there are explained in my book.
In the boarding school where I spent the early years, we used to organise trips to the outskirts of Pyongyang, where we would have Korean barbecues of meat and shellfish.
The meat is marinated a day ahead, and each household prepares it differently. The star ingredients – garlic, sugar and soy sauce – are essential. For shellfish, only soy sauce is used.
However, my favourite foods were red bean steamed buns and all kinds of rice cake, in particular a rice cake called Songpion.
Songpion has a half-moon shape and is made of rice flour with very sweet red bean paste, called angum, inside.
The red bean bun is made of wheat flour with angum inside and can come grilled or steamed.
These dishes evoke marvellously my childhood memories and take me back to Pyongyang and time spent with my childhood friends, in parks festooned with flowers and trees, enjoying the moment.
Seoul
Then, I discovered Seoul, a city to which I am emotionally attached almost as much as Pyongyang.
In Seoul I reencountered my childhood foods and discovered a new dish called tteokbokki. Tteokbokki consists of plain rice cake with spicy pepper paste sauce, fish cake, onion, garlic and egg.
I also miss eating the fish cake soup sold from street stands in the cold Seoul winter. It warms you up instantly.
Beijing
Like all other cities I have lived in, Beijing also has its own unique qualities. Beijing is a fusion of ancient traditions with modern comfort. Walking through the forbidden city evokes the memory of a favourite childhood read, the eighteenth-century Chinese novel Hong Lou Meng (Dream of the Red Chamber).
I picture all main characters in their beautiful Chinese costumes living in that amazing environment.
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Equatorial Guinea
As an adult, I reencountered my birthplace Equatorial Guinea.
It was impressive to experience the country’s exuberant nature and beautiful landscapes, the clean sky and air, and the intense taste of the fruits, such as mangos and pineapples, from my father’s village, Mongomo.
I miss those fruits.
New York
When I think of New York, I think of a young, big and dynamic city where people from all over the globe come looking for something new and exciting.
Believe me, the city hosts endless parties on every corner!
London
Then I came to discover the majestic city of London, where the modern and the old stand side by side in such harmony.
Just like New York, London is a melting pot of world culture and I love being part of it.
However, what I most miss from all these places are the friends I made who became part of my family.
Discover more about Monica Macias‘ astonishing and unique story in her optimistic yet unflinching memoir, Black Girl from Pyongyang.
‘A stunning treatise on politics, power and culture’
FLORENCE OLAJIDE, bestselling author of Coconut
‘A fascinating account of a woman’s quest for autonomy, and her bravery and determination to find the truth’
LILY DUNN, author of Sins of My Father
‘You have never read a book like Black Girl From Pyongyang, and you won’t soon forget it’
MARCIA DE SANCTIS, author of A Hard Place to Leave: Stories from a Restless Life
