Turkey Day Korean Style, sorry this is a long post, much has happened

I like this photo.  She-un's kids and wife. Both girls are really pretty. 

I drive for the first time in Korea.  Not sure if it is legal but I have a AAA license that says it is.

Sungjoo's family.  It's the first time he has seen them in 7 years.  His younger brother is on the far left in the gray popped collar polo.

Sunjoo's mom is in the middle and his aunts are on the side.

Sun-hea, Sung-hoe, and I.

Sungjoo blasting everything in the strike zone. 

Parking in Korea is complicated.  I got yelled at for taking this picture by a 70 year old parking attendant.  Totally worth it.  Your car goes onto a lift and then stored in a unit.  Awesome.

Just being artistic.

Cemetery panorama style.

 
Holidays in South Korea are very similar to holidays in America.  Heavy traffic, lots of food, family, friends, awkward moments, and kids screaming.  What is not to love about it?

Chuseok (추석) is one of the biggest holidays on the Korean calendar.  I got 9 days off in a row.  I have enjoyed every second of it.  Chuseok's closest American equivalent is Thanksgiving.  It is a much more spiritual event than Turkey Day in the states. Chuseok is for honoring the memory of past loved ones. Food and drink are offered to those who have passed.  The ceremonies performed are very traditional, and convey feelings of sorrow, love and happiness.  I have never really experienced anything like it in America.  I would describe the ceremony as a mini funeral reception once a year for the loved ones who have moved on.  The sadness is not nearly as strong as the feelings of love and respect.  It is an enjoyable experience, at least to an outsider it was.

Thanksgiving is the closest related holiday because of the massive quantities of food.  The food shown in my pictures is for 6 people, which is a very small group.  I did my best to help consume as much of it as I could.  There were still tons of leftovers.

Our trip started on Sunday morning at 5am.  We left early and avoided all the traffic.  Traffic is terrible during the holidays.  It makes LA and NYC seem like empty parking lots.   A 5 hr. drive turns into 15-18 hr. drive on Chuseok.  I drove for 2 1/2 hrs. of the trip and was happy I could help Sungjoo out.  (Side note:  I really miss my weekend drives to Columbus in my Mustang.  There is something therapeutic about blazing through gears, burning more gas than necessary, and turning rubber into smoke. I also enjoy putting people with fart sounding exhausts in my rear view mirror.  That is a shout out to Dad, Sam, Joe, and Lewall).

When Sungjoo and I arrived we both had only 3 hrs. sleep.  We went to a Jim Jil Bang.  It is a spa for the entire family.  You pay anywhere from $7 to $300 at the swanky places.  You get a locker, shorts, shirt and an endless supply of towels.  There are various saunas (infrared light, coal, steam, clay, wood and even cold room saunas) where you can relax, stretch, and even sleep.  (I use a sauna 2-3 times a week at the gym.  I stretch my knees and hips so I can sit cross legged for hours at a time.  It really helps).  There is also a room with various pools.  Hot water pools, mineral water pools, whirlpools and even green tea and citrus pools.  The green tea pool was awesome.  The caffeine in the water is supposed to help circulation.  I felt great after it.  We sat in massage chairs for a good half hour and just relaxed. (Cultural note:  If any of you visit South Korea get used to being naked in front of your own gender in locker rooms and Jim Jill bangs.  The saunas require everyone to be clothed because it is co-ed.  The pool area is strictly male and female.  Everyone is naked.  Little kids uninhibitedly run around screaming while their 90 year old grandpas sag...uh I mean sit around naked and watch TV).  I get stared at a lot in the Jim Jill Bang, especially by the little kids; (weird at first but you get used to it).  I have not seen a westerner there.  I do not think they are frequented by Euro/American visitors.  If not for Sungjoo I doubt I would have ever gone to one.  It is different than what most people are used to at home.   It is however really relaxing and a good place to unwind. 

After we got showers, shaved, and dressed up we left to pick up Sungjoo's Mom.  She is awesome.  Even though we can not communicate directly (6 more months of study and I should be fluent enough to hold a conversation) we make due and she takes care of me like I am one of her own.  Much appreciated.  We went to OUTBACK STEAK HOUSE!  It was my first American meal in almost 3 months.  I had a steak, salad, onion rings, Coke and coffee.  It was the first time I used a fork since I left.  It felt strange.  We met Sungjoo's immediate family.  It was the first time he saw his cousins and aunts in 7 years. 
His family has some seriously nice genetic material.  Everyone was extremely fit and good looking.  Sungjoo is an Olympic boxer, PGA golf coach, tennis champ and an athletic freak by the way.  Everyone on his mom's side of the family is like that.  His mom's sisters were very welcoming as were his cousins.  It was a great dinner.  Afterwords we said goodbye to his family.  Sungjoo and I left to meet his friends, Sung-Hoe and Sun-Hae, and watched Resident Evil 4.  It was not the best movie, but entertaining.  We checked into our hotel, got some drinks, and went to the batting cages.  Yes, batting cages.  They are common on the streets here in Korea.  They are not as big as the ones back home, but still a lot of fun.

On Monday we had dinner with Sungjoo's friend, She-un and his family.  I made some new friends as you can tell from the pictures. 

Tuesday I met Sugjoo's father.  We visited his grave for Chusok.  It was an honor and a privilege for him to invite me.  It is a very intimate and personal experience.  You pay homage to the deceased by offering various foods, drink, burning incense, bowing, and praying.

Wednesday was Chuseok.  The ceremony was very similar to what Sungjoo and I did at his father's grave.   Sungjoo, his brother, and cousins performed the ceremony.  His mother would speak to her husband and explain what was going on.  When I partook and performed the ritual she told him I was a friend of Sungjoo's from America and I was a good person.  (I think that is what she said.  I only caught about 70% of it).

The ceremony is performed in front of a table full of food, a large backdrop of Chinese characters, and 2 lit candles.  Incense is placed in an urn and burned at the beginning of the ceremony.  Once the incense is lit you take a cup of soju and circle the incense three times.  Chop sticks are tapped on the table three times and placed on an item of food.  You bow, get on your knees, and pray.  This process is repeated until the incense is finished burning.  Then you eat, eat, and keep eating. 

Later Wed. night I saw my first Korean movie.  I could not understand the words very well.  However, you really start to pick up on camera angles, music, emotion, and body language.  I had a darn good idea on what was going on the entire time.  I even got the comedy in it.  We then drove home and ended up on some of the most backwards country roads I have even driven.  The navigation unit got confused and had me exit onto a highway that was under construction.  Oh well, it's another part of the adventure.

This was a long post. Thank you for all that read it.  I will have some shorter ones coming up.  I am heading to Seoul this weekend for a night out on the town.
Deano