2004년 10월  제주도에서 열린 대한화학회에서 내 친구 함시현 교수를 처음 만났고, 2018년 11월 고등과학원 단백질학회에서 마지막으로 만났습니다. 만난 횟수는 아마 백 번은 아니어도 오십 번은 넘을 것 같습니다. 그녀와 많은 시간을 보냈고, 많은 이야기를 나누었습니다. 그녀는 항상 활기찼고, 나이에 어울리지 않게 성숙했고, 한없는 인내와 배려를 보여주었습니다. 어느 순간 내가 그녀를 '언니'라고 부르기로 했을 때 그녀는 정말 좋아했지요. 그런데 다른 사람들 앞에서 그러는게 좀 우스운 것 같아 다시 원래대로 돌아갔습니다. 돌이켜보면 나는 여러 면에서 참으로 부족했고, 그녀에게 받은 것을 제대로 돌려주지 못했습니다. 특히 그녀의 말년에 힘이 되어주지 못해서 너무 아쉽습니다. 나도 바쁜 시기였다고 변명을 해 봅니다만.. 2021년 1월 그녀의 영정사진을 마주할 자신이 없어 장례식장에 가지를 못했습니다. 대신 혼자 많이 울었습니다. 어제 1주기 추모 심포지엄 후 동료들과 봉안당홈에 들렀습니다. 시현, 당신은 항상 내 마음 속에 있어. 우리 마음 속에 남겨진 당신은 세상에 오래도록 이어질거야.

I first met my friend, Professor Sihyun Ham, at the Korean Chemical Society held in Jeju Island in October 2004, and last met at the KIAS Protein conference in November 2018. The number of times we met is probably not a hundred times, but more than fifty times. We spent a lot of time together and talked a lot. She was always energetic, mature for her age, and showed infinite patience and consideration. At one point I decided to call her 'sister' and she really liked it. But I thought it was funny to do it in front of other people, so I went back to normal. In retrospect, I was really lacking in many ways, and I couldn't give her back what I had been given. It's really unfortunate that I could not be of any help to her, especially in her later years. I try to make excuses that it was a busy time for me, but... I couldn't go to her funeral in January 2021 because I could not face her portrait. Instead, I cried a lot by myself. Yesterday, after the 1st memorial symposium, my colleagues and I stopped by the Bongandang Home. Sihyun, you are always in my heart. You, still alive in us, will last forever in our world.

In 2001 at Sookmyung, I took Professor Ham's structural organic chemistry when she was a first time lecturer.  She was young and full of passion.  I had little interest in her research at that time.

In 2008 in Long Beach, California, we serendipitously bumped into each other at the ACS conference on the last day.  She was too chic in the crowd to be unnoticed, wearing a vivid red burberry with a shiny sunglass.  We found that both of us were conducting similar research in statistical thermodynamics and structure-based drug design. 

In 2018, although I left the chemistry research and shifted my career to computer science in San Jose, I just wanted to let her know that I'm always looking forward to her conference visit nearby for us to meet again.  The replied email below turned out to be the last message that I could ever receive from her!  She was still same as usual, caring and encouraging.   
--- Last Message From Professor Ham in Dec 2018 ---
 Sat, Dec 29, 2018, 10:57 PM
박인희 박사에게,
연락 반갑고 고마워요.
늦었다고 생각할때가 가장 빠른때라는 말이 있지요.
즐겁게 공부할 수 있다니 잘 선택했고 응원을 보냅니다.
과학과 IT 를 접목하는 가장 hot 한 분야를 하고 있다니 조만간 최고의 스카웃 제의를 받을 것 같네요.
keep in touch!
새해 복 많이 받고 건강하세요~
함시현드림

It is my honor and pleasure sharing memories with you, Professor Ham.

Sihyun organized the The 3rd Korea-Japan Conference on Biomolecular Network and Sensing, held at Sookmyung Women’s University at 2019/1/8. This picture is at awards ceremony for excellent oral presentation of students. We think back to those days she was was so young energetic, a beautiful person and an outstanding scientist.

After the seminar, we went to FURAIBO, a Japanese pub (IZAKAYA), which is well-known for  Nagoya-style chicken wings (and other foods). In the second row from left, Sihyun, me,
in the first row from left, Hiroshi Watanabe, Yoshitake Sakae, Dan Sindhikara.

This was from one of her first visits to Nagoya University. I learned that the Chinese characters for her name were 咸始賢 and those for her University were 淑明女子大学. When I introduced her to the audience, saying Ham like ham for ham and cheese, she corrected my pronunciation of Ham, and she wrote the corresponding Chinese characters. If we pronounce the characters in Japanese way, it would be KAN, Shiken. Maybe, I should have pronounced as Han instead of Ham..... She gave an excellent talk on amyloid beta peptides.

After the reception dinner at the small restaurant in Nagoya, we enjoyed Karaoke. As everybody knows, Sihyun is not only a distinguished scientist, but also an excellent singer. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of her singing. So, I put a photo in that I am singing. From left, Yuko, Berny, Sihyun, and me.

Maybe, three years ago, Prof. Okamoto invited Sihyun and Dr. Brooks of NIH to Nagoya University to give a talk in a seminar. We had a good time after the seminar with delicious Japanese food. From left, Berny, me, Sihyun.

I invited Sihyun to the festschrift meeting featuring my retirement from IMS, along with few famous professors from abroad, including D. Chandler, P. Rossky, R. Levy, M. Pettitt, A. Kovalenko, and M. Holovko. The picture was 
taken at the banquet. From left, Prof. Nakahara, me, Sihyun, and Prof. Rossky.

In the picture, she was giving a lecture in our workshop held in Kobe. She also visited us in Wako, Saitama, several times. We always could learn a lot about the fluctuating thermodynamics from her great lectures.

A picture taken at the balcony of the conference room in Paradise Hotel Busan. Sihyun suggested me to attend this conference, and this was the first time for me to attend a conference held in Korea.