Chuseok is one of the two biggest holidays in Korea, the second being Lunar New Year. It is likened to our American Thanksgiving with a few twists. There is no turkey and mashed potatoes. Instead Koreans visit the homelands of their ancestors and spend time together as a family remembering and honoring those ancestors and giving thanks for a bountiful harvest. The break lasts for three days, but for us it meant an entire week off school!
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| Songpyeon - steamed rice cake with sweet filling. |
Haven got an opportunity to wear a tradition Hanbok for a day. She felt and looked like a princess. Many, many men, women, and children continue to wear Hanbok on special occasions. In fact, when my class of 18 dressed for Korean Studies class the week before Chuseok only 5 did not have Hanbok (two of which are not Korean)!
While many of our colleagues took advantage of the break and traveled to locations as exotic as Mongolia, Philippines, Bali, and Malaysia, we opted to stay in Korea and explore our new country. It was great and I would not have traded it for an airplane ride!
SOKCHO - We ventured East with our friends, the McCullough family, to the coastal town of Sokcho. Known for delightful seafood and small town charm, we found a pension (hotel with kitchenette) right next to the beach. Just 2.5 hours from Seoul, and a whole different world. It is amazing how quickly the country turns to green hills once outside of Seoul. About 10 minutes after we left the bus station we were in the midst of pine covered hills that lasted all the way to the east coast!
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| Fin with Luke and Walker, eating before the bus ride. |
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| The most comfortable bus, EVER! |
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| Haven and Hannah, hand in hand. |
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| It felt so great to be in clean, marine air and with sand between our toes! |
The best thing about our pension was the rooftop BBQ area. We took full advantage of the amenities one night for dinner. After a trip to the Jungang Market we came back loaded with fresh scallops and shrimp!
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| Yum, everything is fried! |
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The SWEETEST shrimp, but they eat with
shell and head still attached! |
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| After spraining his ankle, Fin was forced to crutch his way around the market. |
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| Hot and spicy Korean kimchi. We did not try any. |
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| Haven helped pick out the scallops. |
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Dried fish and sea creatures were everywhere.
We were told it is a big Chuseok gift. |
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This lady tried to convince a prospective buyer to get this
octopus by putting it on the floor and letting it crawl around!
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| The view from our rooftop BBQ. |
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| Enjoying some tasty seafood and fun friends! |
I loved this post...the creeping Octopus, the sweet steamed rice cakes, the market, the seaside. The pictures were/are great! I also love that many countries take a "holiday" to remember to be thankful for their lives and families. Happy Chuseok!
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