Celebrating Chuseok Day 1

I am not even sure where to begin telling you about this experience…but some background would be good.

Chuseok is a traditional Korean holiday billed by Western society as “Korean Thanksgiving,” and it is in some ways, but that of course simplifies and narrows our view of the event. They dress up in traditional outfits and buy extra food and prepare it all a day in advance. However the simplification comes in that we do not have a ritual thousands of years old spent in reverence to our dead. Though this family did not this year due to time constraints with in-law families most will visit the tomb site of their ancestors to bow clean and bow some more; with a few chants thrown in for good measure.

Now that you have an idea of what it is-ish let me tell you how I even got invited/invited myself along… LCI was given an additional day off for Chuseok than most places-We had Thursday as well as Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So Brooke and I were heading off to Busan to spend three days on the beaches before it gets too cold to hang out on them. When I went to tell Maneerat goodbye on Wednesday night we started to talk about the holiday. She was complaining about the work she had to do and I said that I would have loved to experience it and that it didn’t seem like anymore work that when my family back home celebrated a holiday/got together. So she invited me over. “Really?!” I was worried about what the rest of the family might think as she didn’t clear it with anyone and then she was worried Brooke would be angry that I wanted to cancel Busan…but it all worked out….When she told Won Jun Nim he laughed and laughed and laughed …

Skipping over a restful day Thursday—Friday morning meet at LCI at 9:30 and wait for Maneerat. She was running very late and so Bpa (“household help”) came and brought me to their apartment. It was a very modern and large apartment-nothing special. We were headed to Bongsondong when Brooke called so we turned around and picked her up. We arrived at an actual house within the city. I never thought I would see inside an actual house in Korea in the middle of the city. It was a beautiful clash of old and modern and tradition and in general a fascination throughout my visit, ut more on that later.

When we arrived we have to great the head of the house first off and everyone inside it. And this goes for everyone and no matter whether you have already done it once that day you do it every time you come and go. For this story I will pretend that Won Jun Nim is my brother so his parents (the heads of the house) are Mom and Dad. Mom was worried that I: a) would keep Maneerat from working by distracting her. b) would not be a good cook and mess everything up. c) distract other people. d) not understand what was going on get bored and leave. Mom overall became very impressed with me in a short time which Maneerat was shocked about as it takes time usually. Anyway all of the daughter-in-laws help prepare food for the next day. The sons of the family and their wives are all referred to by numbers the oldest being 1, followed by 2, 3 Maneerat and Won Jun Nim are 4, and then 5. So that is how I was introduced to everyone in the family (nieces and nephews where 1’s 2 and so on meaning the second son of the first brother).

Anyway: Our first task was preparing jalapenos for stuffing. Which I should mention was set up on newspapers on the dining room floor…that’s right we prepared the food on the floor… Then peeling some sort of turnip like thing with a bark shell. Then stuffing the shelled jalapenos with a pork and…mixture then rolling them in flour dipping them in egg and warming them up. Then we had to break for lunch. It was so amazing to me to actually see a “normal” Korean meal set up on a dining room table. In old fashioned form the men ate first then a second wave of men then the non-working women of the family and the children (and as a guest they slipped me in during the second wave of this) and finally the cooking women. Prior to our time to dine Maneerat gave us a tour of the house. Mom is a buyer meaning she sees something and she buys it. She has stuff from all over the world-an eclectic collection of everything and a very old gaudy style that was fabulous and to see actual mother of pearl inlayed wardrobes in use…three rooms worth of them…

After our tour and still prior to lunch Brooke left with Won Jun Nim, but I stayed around. I had promised Maneerat that I would- and I really wanted to experience fully what it was like to participate in a traditional family event. I think I have to thank Brooke for leaving as that made me look even better, but I think they were impressed by this time no matter what. Afterwards we went back to the peppers. This time we kind of made an omelet with them as we rolled them in egg-peppers in a blanket…this is when the family and Maneerat became really impressed after a couple I was doing as good as Maneerat and it had taken her several years to do it correctly. When we finished we began to clean up and clean and clean. Then we took a break and waited for dinner.

The sister-in-laws asked me to hang around and started to talk to me a little then (1 spoke some English and 3 and 5 could understand some of what I said though couldn’t speak any). Anyway after a couple of hours rest – except stirring and flipping the “leave to simmer” food we started dinner and let the waves come again. Mom finally sent us home (Maneerat, Ayoung and Juwon (her daughters) and me) due to feeling that I shouldn’t have to sit around waiting to clean up after working so hard that day (though really it was more sitting and waiting for people to eat than working). Anyway she sent us home with an invitation back the next day.