... Otherwise known as the Thanksgiving holiday here in Busan, Chu-sok fell on September 24th - 26th. Such a good time for a holiday because that gave everyone a five day weekend. Sweet. Yet during this time, most Koreans were off visiting family, and having special meals. Because us foreigners could not join in the festivities, we decided to have our own special meal to celebrate the Korean Thanksgiving. We searched for turkeys, or duck, or some kind of giant bird that would still fit in my toaster oven, but with no avail. All we could find were chickens, so that's what we settled on. Here's a picture of my awesome toaster oven with the birds inside.
It's tricky living in Korea without having much connection to things going on back at home. Bringing everyone together for a thanksgiving meal helped lessen that feeling of separation from our own culture. Held at Becky's apartment, those attending were Adam and Leta, Becky's co-worker Ann, Becky and I. Ann brought the mashed potatoes, Becky made the veggies with cheese sauce, and Adam and Leta brought the dessert. Overall, it turned out to be a great time (I was impressed with my toaster oven... I didn't know if it could do the job!).
Living out here in Yongdo (an area in Busan) where there are few foreigners, and few people who speak English, life can seem lonely if I don't get out and do stuff. I'm beginning to see more and more the value of friends and family. I know there's that saying that 'you don't know what you have until it's gone', and I think it's quite true. Living at SSU I was close to friends; even if I didn't go visit them I knew that they were right there. There's something comforting in knowing that people you care about are nearby. Community is no longer that dreaded 'C'-word that is over used and annoying, but has become an important aspect to my life. The Thanksgiving meal was a great way to bring us all together, even just for a great meal. Before this blog turns into too much of a hallmark card, I'd better leave it at that (I really just wanted to show off the chickens!).
Thursday, October 4, 2007
My Chu-sok
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4 comments:
i agree completely with the "c" word. when i was in college, i thought it was a ridiculous buzzword that the college president used to make roberts sound good. now, i understand the true, deeper meaning... having people around you that you love and care about. although i am not in a foreign country and experience the degree of unfamiliarity and loneliess as you are... i can sympathize to an extent. i miss having everyone so close to me. i miss my best friends being within a 5 minute walk. it's difficult to adjust to a world where you have to schedule time to hang out, where you lose the spontaneity of dragging friends away from their homework, where you feel like you have to DO something with people like go out to eat instead of just sit around and talk.
also, i'm impressed with the chicken. ;)
Um, I made the gravy and dressing too...
you did it! i didn't think you could actually cook chickens in your toaster oven...I bow to you and your culinary skills!
miss you guys!
Great work on the Thanksgiving Poultry!
I never ended up making a bird this year, I wish I did because I enjoyed it from last year, but instead one of my friends decided to play host. I made a pretty delicious pumpkin cheesecake however and i'll have to make another once you come back to Canada.
I hope the teaching is going really well for you, I have a short placement next term and im excited for it.
Dan and I are doing well in T-Bay, its been cold and rainy though for pretty much all of September until now, hopefully it will snow or something so the rain stops.
I miss you dude, take care of yourself.
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