Lucy and I are at home, dancing about with touques on and our shirts rolled up to show our bellies. We're doing "Hoot", by Girls Generation. Eunjoo is asleep in the next room.

Off in the distance I hear the voice of street vendor crackling out over a cheap speaker. It slowly draws closer through the winding streets which are nestled up in maze-like layers growing out from the campus wall. "Onions! Potatos!" the rustled voice grows louder. "Lily roots, 1000 won"

Lucy stops dancing and turns her head to the sound. I'm struck by the image of a hunting dog perking its ears forward. She pulls her shirt back down over her belly and runs across the living room to her turtle bank. "Fresh onions! Big and bright and round! Get your onions" Fumbling with the black plastic plug in its bottom, she finally gets it open and shakes a pile of coins, buttons, and coloured rubber bands out on the table.

Fingering through the coins, she turns to me and asks, "How much money is this Daddy?"

I take a quick look, "650 won."

"Is that more than 1000?"

"No Lucy."

The excitement on her face sours with the sad realization of economic basics. "So I can't buy an onion?"

"Potatoes. Dirty little buggers. And sweet potatoes too. 2000 won." The onion man's cackle comes from just outside.

I look out, and see the neighbourhood children gathering around his truck. Lucy comes to the window with me, the coins gathered in her little hand. She picks up Yellow bear, where he sits by the window, and asks me sadly "Do you think Yellow bear is worth 1000 won?" I see a tear welling in the corner of her eye.

I reach into my pocket an pull out a wad of 1000 won bills. Lucy's face brightens as I pull one off. "Not a word of this to Mommy." I say conspiratorially, a clear condition on the loan.

She pulls an imaginary zipper across her lips, and I hand her a bill. She takes it, and gives me a big kiss, before she runs happily out the door. "Onion man!!"