Yesterday, when I went to Hee Young's house, her family was making Kimchi. Kimchi, for those of you unaware, is pickled cabbage, and is the national food of South Korea. The Kimchi needs several months to ferment, so families generally make tons of it in late fall so they'll have a nice stash for the following year. Kimchi is so important (and pungent) that in most homes it resides in it's very own refrigerator. When I walked into Hee Young's apartment, there were tubs of fresh cabbage everywhere and the smell was overpowering. I wanted to take a picture, but she wouldn't let me, claiming that their house was too dirty (in reality, I suspect that she didn't want any of her family Kimchi-making secrets divulged.
At one point while we were studying, she mentioned that I smell like America. I found this really interesting, since I (and other foreigners I know) definitely think that Korea has its own distinct odor. It's funny to think of America having a specific odor, though I am totally unable to detect it. If there's one thing that this experience has done for me culturally thus far, it has been to show me just how American I am. When I lived in Germany, I learned how flawlessly I could fit into a culture other than my own. Also, I've never really been the biggest fan of the old U.S.A., though on my various travels I've been quick to identify for myself things that I love about my homeland in contrast to other countries. Still, as much as I may, or may not like to admit it, I am very American indeed. Americans value individuality and competition an immense amount. We are quick to voice our opinions and desires. We are all more than willing to tell you how calcium supplements affect our skin, or why we can't stand the TV show "Heroes." We are constantly agonizing over making the right decisions for ourselves and our lives as individuals. Many other cultures (not just South Korean, mind you) tend to think more as a group. This means they think less selfishly, but also less ambitiously. There are advantages and disadvantages to both ways in my opinion, and of course there are many exceptions to the rule, but mostly it's just an observation that I wanted to share.
Anyway...
Yesterday evening, I was lucky enough to have a very nutritious and delicious meal cooked for me...
by none other than my coworker, Tanner. As you can see, he cooked with great relish! The meal was actually a prize for a contest that Tanner had held for fun, and though I hadn't participated, I was invited by my friend, Candy, to join in the smorgasbord
My friend and coworker, Chad, was also there. Here we are sharing some cozy pre-dinner coffee.
This is what my food looked like. It tasted like awesome. Seriously, that man knows how to marinate a thing or two. I've had the opportunity to share some great home-cooked meals with various friends lately, and it's been something I've been really enjoying. The cooking and sharing of food is an important ritual to me and one that should not be neglected.After dinner, we looked out of the window to discover...
That is was snowing! Everyone went outside to frolic a bit.
As it turned out, the snow was not kidding around in the least. It fell quickly and before we knew it, the village was covered in a light layer, about two inches thick. This mean that things like a snowball fights of magnanimous proportions and...
sledding quickly ensued. Who know I could have this much fun with a cardboard box?
We also put together a pretty hefty snowman.
Here he is, complete with broccoli eyes, carrot nose, stick arms, and entourage of sexy ladies.It was great to take a break from normal life (or whatever facsimile thereof you have when you live in a theme park) and just act like a kid.
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