I of course decided to pull another 5 A.M.er Thursday night at a housewarming party with some friends, so I was grumpy and exhausted when I rolled out of bed at 8:30 A.M. Friday morning. Mrs. Kim and her husband and daughter arrived to pick me up an hour later. Mrs. Kim’s daughter, Hyun-jin, introduced herself and I learned that she just got back to Korea this August from studying in Ohio for one year. Her English was excellent and we had no trouble understanding each other.
The first stop of the weekend was Mr. Yeo’s mother’s house to spend time with his family. I was invited in and welcomed very warmly. The family made Korean rice cakes out of ground rice and stuffed with goodies such as beans, chestnuts, and sweet potatoes. I ran some errands and helped while Hyun-jin prepared a spaghetti meal for the family for lunch. Everyone continued to make rice cakes throughout the afternoon and different foods were served while we worked.
kneading the dough for the rice cakes
shaping the rice cakes
rice cakes ready to be boiled
Later that evening we decided to go see a movie. The Korean movie theatre was really similar to ours at home, but everyone has an assigned seat so that each seat can be used. Very efficient. I think that the U.S. could take a hint from Korea on this one. We watched Surrogates and I hardly even noticed the Korean subtitles flashing across the bottom of the screen after a while.
Saturday morning we woke up and headed back to Mr. Yeo’s mother’s house for another gathering. The women were all working hard in the kitchen to prepare foods for the ritual that was about to take place. Hyun-jin explained to me that they set the table a specific way with foods for their ancestors to come and eat. Her father’s father passed away a few years ago, and he was the ancestor that they were showing this great respect to. His photograph was set on the back of the table. Once the table was set precisely everyone stood in lines and faced the table. A candle was lit and there were some knocking done on the table. Then everyone bowed down to their knees and places their forehead to the ground. This was repeated a few more times and then the whole ritual was over.
the offering table
When I first heard that they were going to bow to a photograph of their dead grandfather I thought it sounded a little strange, but as I watched this ritual take place it almost brought tears to my eyes. Everything stopped for those minutes and there was such a sense of spirit and respect in that room it was almost overwhelming. The fact that this culture values their ancestors and those that came before them so much is really amazing. I believe that all cultures of people have their own way of valuing their ancestors, but this specific instance of thankfulness and respect was incredibly moving.
Mr. Yeo’s family gathering reminded me so much of my own family gatherings; relaxed and enjoyable. The cousins were all running around teasing each other and skipping off to play video games. The women were all in the kitchen chatting and cooking. The men were all preparing food and watching T.V.
Mr. Yeo’s mother showed us some of the things that she had knitted by hand. She gave me a scarf to take home with me as a gift. It is really beautiful and I was touched that she had wanted to give me a gift.
Mr. Yeo's mother and I with the scarf she gave me
We said goodbye to the family and moved on to the next stop; Mrs. Kim’s parents’ house. (Side note: When I say house, what I really mean is apartment. No one in or around Seoul lives in a house. There is no space. 1/3 of Korea’s population lives in Seoul or it’s suburbs. The Korean countryside is extremely rural with virtually no public transportation or stores, therefore, a large number of people live in this huge urban city.) Her parents were very welcoming and her older brother and his wife and daughter were there as well. Hyun-jin’s cousin was in second grade and as adorable as can be. She made me a bracelet, sang and danced, and we all played cards. When she opened her mouth to smile her two front teeth were missing. That, and her spunky personality and cute laugh reminded me so much of my little cousin, Olivia.
We ate a delicious Korean lunch and visited for a while. Mrs. Kim’s father offered me a bottle of Korean alcohol to take home along with a hand written note translating to something like “Thank you for coming. Best of luck in Korea. Thank you for being here with our family.” I was also given a bag full of rice cakes and other yummy foods to take home with me. Once again, I was extremely touched and grateful.
Korean alcohol
note from Mrs. Kim's father
Mrs. Kim, Mr. Yeo, Hyun-jin, and I drove to visit the Donggureung tombs outside of the city. It was a historic site where numerous kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty were buried. The burial mounds were really high up on top of hills so it was hard to get a good photograph because you are obviously not allowed to climb on top. Walking around the outdoors and breathing in fresh air while learning about Korean history made for a really enjoyable evening.
temple at the tombs
one of the tombs
Sunday morning was Mrs. Kim’s birthday. Mr. Yeo got up and made breakfast for us. He made sandwiches and we had fruit. The sandwiches were very creative- unlike any I have had before. Eggs, bacon, mustard, mayonnaise, pears, and bananas squished between two pieces of bread. Delicious.
In the afternoon Hyun-jin and I went to a neighborhood near her university, Ewha University for Women. There were all kinds of cute little shops, restaurants, bars, etc. We met her friend for lunch and then explored the area. We also took a walk through her campus. It was gorgeous: right in the mountains with lots of trees and beautiful buildings. Hyun-jin is studying Korean music and plays traditional Korean instruments.
Later that evening we met Hyun-jin’s parents at the Seoul Tower. We stood in line, climbed some stairs, and made our way onto a cable lift to take us to the top of the mountain. Once we got up there we saw some different attractions in addition to an awesome view of the city. There was an old temple style building, street vendors with food, and shops. We approached the actual tower and rode an elevator to the observation deck. The 360-degree view of the city was wonderful. I glanced down over all the skyscrapers, bridges, apartment buildings, trees, the Han River, and realized just how expansive this city really is. The view put Chicago’s Sears Tower or Hancock observatories to shame.
Seoul Tower
sunset view of Seoul from the observation deck
For Mrs. Kim’s birthday dinner we ate at a Korean restaurant inside the top of the tower. While we were eating the sun was setting and soon we were able to see a night sky view of the city all around us.
Overall the weekend was amazing. I was so grateful to be invited to spend the Chuseok holiday with a Korean family. I was made to feel right at home. Even though I didn’t understand a large part of the conversations going on around me, I was comfortable. I still felt like I had to be on my best behavior and it was a little exhausting at times trying to remember some of the polite things to say and do, but Hyun-jin was very kind and patient with me. She was my lifeline and interpreter this weekend. I saw a new side of Korean culture and am eager to learn more about these friendly, curious, and respectful people.
I learned I was holding my chopsticks the wrong way and practiced using them correctly all weekend long. I learned that Korean women do not take their husband’s surname. I learned about and tried many new Korean foods including rice cakes, fruits, seaweed, various vegetables, fish, and even cow knee-cap/joint soup. I learned quite a few more Korean phrases. I learned that Korean families are not so different from American families. I learned that there are many cute (and cheap!) clothing and accessory shops here in Seoul and that I might be in trouble once I get paid. I learned how to make a rice cake from scratch. I learned that Koreans don’t say “you’re welcome”, they just bow their head or smile. I learned that even a wandering soul, a foreigner like me, can be made to feel welcomed and appreciated in a country far from home.
Here is the link to my Facebook album for those of you that would like to see some more photos: Chusoek Weekend in SoKo
Namaste
No comments:
Post a Comment