Silent Hospitality

This week is Korea's Chuseok holiday. Its our Thanksgiving equivalent. Everybody travels to the oldest son's home. So, since I'm not married, I would still go to my Pawpaw's house. If I were married, I would then have to go to my husband's side of the family. If I married an oldest son, after his dad passes away, Chuseok would always be at our house. Kids get out of school for the entire week, and Wednesday is the actual Chuseok day. But, since everybody goes back to their roots, Tuesday and Thursday are busy travel days.

Anyway, the point is, I still have to work this Monday and Friday. I could have used two of my vacation days, but I didn't want to since I'm not going anywhere. So, today it is just the vice principal, two other teachers, an assistant, and me. The vice principal is the only one who can speak any English, albeit very little of it.

But that doesn't stop these Koreans from being the nicest people I've ever met. We speak through smiles and respectful nods. A couple of hours after I've been here, the vice principal brings me a small bowl of traditional rice balls. They are deliciously simple. Then it gets closer to lunch. I'm wondering, will I need to go get something from down the street? Are they going to order in like last time? How will this work since they can't really ask me what I want? I see the two teachers leave together at 12:15, and presume I'll be on my own for lunch.

But 12:30 rolls around, and the teachers come back with kimbap and some delicious hot soup for everybody! We all sit at the table, and the vice principal puts some pieces in a bowl for me so I won't have to reach across the long table. Once I finish what is in my bowl, one of the teachers immediately asks me (through gestures) if I want more. After we finish and clean up, the VP then asks if I want coffee, and procedes to get enough coffee cups and coffee mixers for everybody.

I wrote and posted the above 2 hours ago. Since then, more has come! A student brought in some sliced Korean pears (3 gazillion times better than American pears), some chocolate chip muffins, and this delicious plum/pecan pie from Paris Baguette. I also learned that the Korean word for pear (I can't type in hangul on this computer, but its pronounced pae) is the same word for ship.

I wasn't looking forward to working this Friday.



I am now.

Few words have been spoken to me today, yet I feel as if I'm being spoiled at my grandparent's house. And that, my friends, is silent hospitality.

Happy Chuseok!