Solnal
Most people back home refer to the Lunar New Year as “Chinese New Year” but it is widely celebrated throughout Asia and of course each culture has it’s own name for the holiday. In Korea it is called 설날 “Seolnal”, this year it landed on February 17th or 18th I don’t recall. Anyways, this is the time when all Korean people travel to their hometowns’ to visit their families, honor their ancestors, enjoy some delicious Korean food, drink some soju, and exchange money. My host family was going to Gwanju, and I was going to be left home alone. This didn’t sound like a very exciting weekend so I decided to go to Seoul. But before I left my boss invited me to dinner at his mother’s house to eat. It was hilarious to see my boss drunk again. In case you couldn’t figure it out by now. Korean men LOVE to drink. Many of the single men I’ve spoke to say they drink everyday or at least several times a week. My boss proudly told me he drank everyday before he got married 2 years ago. Nowadays, he drinks only once a week. Afterwards, he walked (well more like stumbled) to the bus station to make sure I got on my way safely.
Next I headed up to Seoul. Only this time it took 3 hours not 4 ½ like last time. My boss informed me that there is several ways to get to Seoul and going to East Seoul is much faster because it is direct. I arrived on Saturday evening and met up with my friend Rex from back home again. Soon after we met up with Jeff (another friend from CU) and a few of his study abroad students from Yonsei University in Seoul. We went to Sinchon an area of Seoul that is supposedly very popular, crowded, and fun. But since it was a holiday weekend everyone headed back to their hometowns to be with family. So they only people around were the study abroad student (without family in Korea), foreigners, and Seoul natives. In other words, the streets were eerie and desolate; unlike anything I’ve seen in Seoul before. We spent a lot of time eating and drinking. Went to the noraebang again (I think I go at least once every 2 weeks haha). This was one of the nicest noraebangs I have seen the couches were extremely comfy, the hallway leading to the room had glass floors with flowers and teddy bears and things inside (very adorable especially for a group of guys Haha). And of course it was a fun hour of incredible singing!
The next day I didn’t do much except hang out at Rex’s apartment. Then he invited me to have dinner with his family. I was very pleased that I wouldn’t be spending the holiday alone and I would actually have an opportunity to experience a traditional Korean holiday while I am here. We arrived to his grandmothers high-rise apartment in Southern Seoul. She fed us too much delicious food. I am still confused about how Korean people are not obese….all they do is eat and drink (= But then again they do a lot much healthier food than people do back home. After eating more of Rex’s family started showing up to the apartment. I mistakenly told his Auntie in Korean “Hello, Nice to Meet You!” Even though I met her the last time I went to Seoul, she took me out to lunch. Honestly, I didn’t recognize her and I wasn’t sure who I had and hadn’t met because there was so many people. I was really embarrassed because she looked at me with an amused but bewildered look after I said it.
Once everyone had arrived all of the children gathered in front of the grandmother and paid their respect by bowing. They asked me if I wanted to do it but I didn’t want to look like the foolish foreigner. Since I refused I probably ended up looking like the rude or disrespectful foreigner. *Note to self: Stop worrying about embarrassment because making a fool of myself is better than coming across as disrespectful. Then all of the children or young adults (in Rex’s case) were given envelopes with money inside. His grandmother and Aunt even gave me some money. Which I appreciated but didn’t feel like I deserved because I wasn’t family so I left it on Rex’s kitchen table when I left back to Hamyang. Besides, I felt like it was the least I could do for since they were so welcoming and hospitable once again.
Next I headed up to Seoul. Only this time it took 3 hours not 4 ½ like last time. My boss informed me that there is several ways to get to Seoul and going to East Seoul is much faster because it is direct. I arrived on Saturday evening and met up with my friend Rex from back home again. Soon after we met up with Jeff (another friend from CU) and a few of his study abroad students from Yonsei University in Seoul. We went to Sinchon an area of Seoul that is supposedly very popular, crowded, and fun. But since it was a holiday weekend everyone headed back to their hometowns to be with family. So they only people around were the study abroad student (without family in Korea), foreigners, and Seoul natives. In other words, the streets were eerie and desolate; unlike anything I’ve seen in Seoul before. We spent a lot of time eating and drinking. Went to the noraebang again (I think I go at least once every 2 weeks haha). This was one of the nicest noraebangs I have seen the couches were extremely comfy, the hallway leading to the room had glass floors with flowers and teddy bears and things inside (very adorable especially for a group of guys Haha). And of course it was a fun hour of incredible singing!
The next day I didn’t do much except hang out at Rex’s apartment. Then he invited me to have dinner with his family. I was very pleased that I wouldn’t be spending the holiday alone and I would actually have an opportunity to experience a traditional Korean holiday while I am here. We arrived to his grandmothers high-rise apartment in Southern Seoul. She fed us too much delicious food. I am still confused about how Korean people are not obese….all they do is eat and drink (= But then again they do a lot much healthier food than people do back home. After eating more of Rex’s family started showing up to the apartment. I mistakenly told his Auntie in Korean “Hello, Nice to Meet You!” Even though I met her the last time I went to Seoul, she took me out to lunch. Honestly, I didn’t recognize her and I wasn’t sure who I had and hadn’t met because there was so many people. I was really embarrassed because she looked at me with an amused but bewildered look after I said it.
Once everyone had arrived all of the children gathered in front of the grandmother and paid their respect by bowing. They asked me if I wanted to do it but I didn’t want to look like the foolish foreigner. Since I refused I probably ended up looking like the rude or disrespectful foreigner. *Note to self: Stop worrying about embarrassment because making a fool of myself is better than coming across as disrespectful. Then all of the children or young adults (in Rex’s case) were given envelopes with money inside. His grandmother and Aunt even gave me some money. Which I appreciated but didn’t feel like I deserved because I wasn’t family so I left it on Rex’s kitchen table when I left back to Hamyang. Besides, I felt like it was the least I could do for since they were so welcoming and hospitable once again.