“Oppa! Oppa! Happy new year, Oppa!” her happy and excited chants woke me up. I know it’s noon basing on the heat of the sunlight seeping through the light colored curtains covering the windows of my room. My head throbs from hang over but I woke up smiling because of her happy-sounding voice. Well, happy sounding or not, it’s her voice. I would always be happy hearing it. Especially whenever I wake up.

It’s the first day of the New Year and I know just how excited she is for this day. Usually, people are excited because it’s a special day, a holiday where food and drinks and gifts are being shared with everyone—everyone you love and cherish. Yes, she’s happy because of that too but she’s more than happy to know that along with the coming of the New Year, I also aged. Because I am Korean, it’s in our culture that we add another year to our existence with every new year coming. Now, you’re  curious why would she be excited about that? The reason is simple. Silly. Cute.

But first, let me explain to you how this part of our culture works. In the West, commonly, babies are marked as a one-year-old baby when it’s one year passed the date of their birth. Well, not only in the West, lots of other countries around the globe too. No, I think, it’s only our country that doesn’t follow that rule. Or is China not doing that as well? I don’t know. I’m Korean. Now, back to what I’m trying to tell you. So, yes, that’s the case in most countries but in my country, Korea, we do it like this: Upon the birth of the child, we are already marked as a one-year-old baby. Yep, fresh from our beloved mothers’ womb and we are already a year old baby. Those nine months we are inside are considered being alive in this world already. Hence, that should be counted in our existence. It’s counted as a year though. I don’t know why. Was the reason explained to me? I don’t recall.

Now, other than being already one year old from the day we were born, we also add another year with every new year that comes. So, that makes us almost two years older than our actual age if it is to be counted internationally especially those like me who are born by the last quarter of the year. Take this, my birthday was on the 4^th of November 1992. On that specific day, since I am Korean, I e year old. Come January 1, which is barely two months after my birth, I am already considered a two-year-old kid. Woah, cool right? Non-Korean people might find that confusing but to me, it’s culture, and I like it like that.

So, why is this girl jumping up and down, squealing like a little girl and being excited about the new year? It’s really cute and I will tell you now. Simply because, she gets to call me ‘Oppa’. That’s part of our culture too. Calling a guy older than you ‘Oppa’.  That is, if you’re a girl. If you’re a guy, you call your older brother or your older male friend ‘Hyung’. If you’re a girl, you call your older sister of older female friend ‘Eonni’ while you call them ‘Noona’ if you’re a guy. Sounds complicated? You just need a little practice and a deeper understanding to our culture I might say.

We’re actually strict about our honoraries I might add. Not to boast or anything but, Koreans are considered the most polite people of the East. Haven’t heard of that? You do now. So, we call every one with honorary even if they are only a year older than us. But don’t be too confused, it’s the year of the birth that we consider not the month. Say, I was born in November of 1992 and somebody is born October of the same year. That doesn’t make him my ‘Hyung’ because technically, we are of the same age. Now, let’s say I was born December 31 of 1992 and someone was born January 1 of 1993, though we’re basically only hours apart in age, he’d have to respect me as older because I really am, by two years. Crazy? That’s just the culture.

Now this girl, she’s excited about calling me ‘Oppa’. She’s fascinated about Korean culture and is a fan of Korean dramas where she has watched all these cute girls calling their boyfriends ‘Oppa’. And yes, she’s my girlfriend. And another yes, she’s not Korean. That’s why, she doesn’t share the same culture of Korean age with me. She only age during the date of her birthday.

Let’s get back to her, my girlfriend. She’s basically born on May of 1991, making her older than me but because of my ‘Korean age’ I consider myself the same age as her. And with every new year coming, I become older than her until her birthday when we would again be of the same age. This fact excites her when I explained this to her more than two years ago. This is our second new year together. And just like the first time, she is as excited as a child presented the biggest gift on New Year’s Eve is.

“Oppa! Oppa!” she giggles again.

“Good morning, Jagiya. Happy New Year! I can see you’re happy, huh?” I greeted her as I turn to face her. She’s still giggling cutely but stopped from jumping and went closer to me on the bed to give me a quick peck on my lips.

“Of course! It’s the new year! I get to call you Oppa until my birthday!” she clapped joyfully. Man, she’s really enthusiastic about this.

“I told you you can call me Oppa every time. You don’t have to wait for the New Year to start doing so.” I spread my left arm on the bed and motioned for her to come lay her head on top of it so I can cuddle her. She obliged and I am more than happy. I love hugging her and feeling her body close to mine especially on days like these when other people and work and other things just wouldn’t bother you. I love the smell of her hair in the morning. The feel of it on the side of my face and on my arm. She has really soft hair.  I always tell her that and she would always smile that sweet smile at me. She loves her hair too, that’s why she always keeps it long.