Alphabet city

DC: I met the neighbour today. We were both waiting for the lift in our building. He's probably 4 years old. Huge saucer eyes, a pudding bowl haircut Dee Dee Ramone would have been proud of, and a back pack that sunk down to the back of his knees and seemed to fasten him to the spot. He gazed up .. and up and up at me, and I was forced to break the ice. Hi, you live here, what's your name? He didn't miss a beat, not a hint of shyness. "Hello. My English name is Edmund. My Korean name is ... " I didn't catch his Korean name. I was thinking of Black Adder. You just finished school? It was about 4.30 in the afternoon. "Yes." He's still staring up at the foreigner, he hasn't looked down yet. Where do you go to school? "I go to ABC hagwon." Hagwons are the schools many, maybe most, young Koreans attend after normal school each day to learn, in Edmond's case, obviously, to perfect, their English. We ride the lift together up to the fifth floor. He marches out ahead of me and takes a left. Doesn't look back. I go right. Have a nice day. "Have a nice day."