The Saturday Before Chuseok - Like Mother, Like Daughter

      I'm back around after quite the Chuseok experience. It's truly been an incredible couple of days. As a reader, you'll have to excuse my blatant disregard for chronological ordering because although I'd like to start this multi-entry tale on Friday, there are some photos that accompany that particular day at school that I do not possess as of now. That will come in due time, so we'll just jump right into the extremely beautiful Saturday before Chuseok.

      The day was akin to those crisp November days back home where the Northern breeze blows brisk, dry air and the sun bakes the exposed ground not shielded in the chilly shade. I ran errands early in the day but soon found myself in the arboretum near my apartment. I walked barefoot through the grass and watched as koi swam against the flowing stream. Not wanting to go home I decided to meditate in one of the many pagado-like gazebos strewn about Korea while listening to the trickling water and cackling of the local magpies. Two women - one older and one younger – approached, motioned to enter, and I gestured that it was fine. They had with them the Korean equivalent of fast food chicken, a rice based side dish, and two beers. They set up a nice picnic and after a minute of talking, they began to whisper. I knew immediately that they were talking about me though there was no need to whisper. Even is they screamed profanity-laced insults at me, I'd be none the wiser. Apparently it was positive things because they waved for me to scoot closer and join them for lunch. I go along with everything here in Korea for fear of offending, so I'm continually smiling and living it up. I assumed they were mother and daughter and was correct. It's sad but I usually think three things when a Korean girl talks to me because of what I heard prior to my departure: she's merely trying to practice her English for free, she's interested in dating just to get your money, or she wants a relationship that could possibly end with her coming to America. Funny how our three hour conversation over lunch in the gazebo led to each coming up though I assumed it was innocent enough.

      After losing track of time and finding that so much of it had passed, it seemed that we should part and move on to whatever else it was that we'd go off to do. However, with the day still so wonderful and I, needing to return their hospitality, offered to treat them to the one thing that I know Koreans can not turn down, especially after a meal – coffee! Of course they complied and off we walked to a cafe, "Why not?" I thought. It's not like I had anything even remotely important to do.

      Over coffee, their broken English made for some hilariously interesting conversation. Two examples:

-What the mother said: "You like my son."

Now this had the possibility of being true, I might like her son. He could be a real cool dude for all I know but seeing as we've never met, I had to assume she misspoke.

-What the mother wanted her words to be: "You look like my son."

I had to doubt this one because I went out on a limb and thought that her son probably has black hair, black eyes, and isn't, umm...WHITE! But one can't know these things for sure.

-What the mother actually wanted to say: "You are tall like my son."

Finally, I figured it out.

-What the daughter said: "Your head is very good."

Ok, so this one was tricky. Did she like the way I looked? Why wouldn't she just say that I had a handsome face? Maybe she thought I was intelligent and meant to compliment me on how smart I seemed. Could she really have just liked the shape of my head???

-What she actually wanted to say: "Your hat is very nice, I like it."

So it turned out I was neither attractive nor smart, I just donned a nice hat.

      After another hour at the outdoor cafe, it really was time to part ways. The mother assured me that she had quite a lot of cooking to do but did invite me to Chuseok at her house. Unfortunately I had to decline due to plans previously made but I did agree to take a few parting photos with them and we exchanged contact information. I proceed to walk home to pack for said plans which tale will soon be told with photos because I had an utterly amazing time with my coworker and his family out in the countryside. I will forewarn readers that my words and photos, hell even Henry David Thoreau's words and Ansel Adam's photos, couldn't do justice to the experience I've just returned from. I'll give it my best effort though but know I will fail miserably.