Belated praise back at home:Their father and two uncles say the kids are lucky. When they first went to elementary school many years ago, Seoul had no public bus routes and a train only once every five hours. To catch it, those three boys had to leave the house by 4:00 a.m., walk 40 minutes to a train station and endure cracks in their hands due to the cold. On occasions when they really could not meet the schedule, their grandfather used the bicycle (for his catering business) to transport six kids (two in front, four in back) to the depot.
If the train was missed, they would get to school in the afternoon. Luckily, their teacher did not punish or scold them, but instead called them to the podium at the head of the class and praised them, knowing why they were late and that the Yu children would not be ones to abandon education.
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Amid the early-morning chill, the Yu children grope their way through darkness to catch the first train, then eat breakfast in the dim light inside the coach. Mr. Yu, the second and third uncles and the aunt are all ex-students of this primary school. Though they leave their house before 6:00 o'clock, by the time the children have waited to catch a bus, the train and finally the subway, they arrive in Myongdong just before 8:00.
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Yu family photo. The mother (2nd right) left her restaurant business in charge of the hired help for six years in order to accompany the children to and from school.
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Mr. Yu, the second and third uncles and the aunt are all ex-students of this primary school.
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Outside of the capital city, Pokjuchon's only Chinese kids pal around, both at school and when playing games.
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"We call our family dog Little Red," announce the cheerful Yu children.
Yu family photo. The mother (2nd right) left her restaurant business in charge of the hired help for six years in order to accompany the children to and from school.
Mr. Yu, the second and third uncles and the aunt are all ex-students of this primary school.