The feeling of missing my family is usually like a white noise in the background of my busy, fulfilling life in Korea. It's always in the background and though I've become good at tuning it out, when I take a step back and examine my surroundings, I remember that it's there. If I 'listen' to it for too long, it's just sad and I know my family loves me and misses me too, so I typically ignore it or push it back into the background and let it play where I can hear it. But today is Thanksgiving. And Thanksgiving is about family and home-cooked meals- neither of which are things that I can readily have access to in Korea. Well, I mean, I have a home-cooked meal every night, but the availability of traditional 'thanksgiving food' Is a little hard to come by in Ochang. Today has been the first time that I've felt that I'd rather be home than in Korea. It was hard to go to school today and to teach classes and pretend as if halfway across the world my family wasn't all gathering together to make a huge (delicious) meal and settle in for a day of board game playing and tv watching. Holidays are hard when you're separated from the ones you're supposed to spend them with.
All sad things aside, I did indeed celebrate Thanksgiving in Ochang in my own way. Deanna (the other ETA in Ochang) and I bundled up in some warm clothes and met after school on Thursday to have our own little feast. Because turkey is not something that is common in Korea, we had to improvise with our meal... and we went with Nene's chicken. A Korean staple, chicken is not only abundant, but also the choice food of the majority of my students. There's a chicken store on every corner and fried chicken can be delivered to anyone's front door at nearly any hour of the night. Korean food is a whole separate blog though.... Anyways. We ordered our Nene chicken (한마리, 반 스노윙, 반오리지날) and rustled up some pecan pie slices and some American beverages then picnic'd (yes, outside, where it is cold) in the gazebo at the lake park, a tradition of ours. It definitely wasn't the thanksgiving that most people imagine, but it was still a nice way to spend the day. We both left the meal feeling ridiculously full and thankful to be spending this crazy, wonderful year together in Ochang.
All sad things aside, I did indeed celebrate Thanksgiving in Ochang in my own way. Deanna (the other ETA in Ochang) and I bundled up in some warm clothes and met after school on Thursday to have our own little feast. Because turkey is not something that is common in Korea, we had to improvise with our meal... and we went with Nene's chicken. A Korean staple, chicken is not only abundant, but also the choice food of the majority of my students. There's a chicken store on every corner and fried chicken can be delivered to anyone's front door at nearly any hour of the night. Korean food is a whole separate blog though.... Anyways. We ordered our Nene chicken (한마리, 반 스노윙, 반오리지날) and rustled up some pecan pie slices and some American beverages then picnic'd (yes, outside, where it is cold) in the gazebo at the lake park, a tradition of ours. It definitely wasn't the thanksgiving that most people imagine, but it was still a nice way to spend the day. We both left the meal feeling ridiculously full and thankful to be spending this crazy, wonderful year together in Ochang.
I'm lucky to have so many things to be thankful for this year! I'm thankful for Nene chicken for my makeshift Thanksgiving meal and to Deanna for becoming my family in Ochang. I'm thankful for Nidhi for understanding me in a way nobody else does, for sharing a bathroom with me for 3 years, and for helping me keep things in perspective always. I'm thankful for Humna, Shik, Aarti, Avni, Jay, Zil, Sanne, Reema, and so many others who made my college life so fun and full of laughter and warmth. I'm thankful for every single member of my Moksha family, without whom college wouldn't have been half as exciting, fulfilling, or ratchet. I'm thankful for my Fulbright Family, who are all amazing and inspiring- especially my Cheongju Chingus who keep me in stitches and have helped me to adjust to living in Korea. I'm thankful for every single one of my students, especially to the students who make me laugh and treat me with kindness (You know who you are!!) I'm thankful for my coteachers, who always include me in every meal and every snack, even though we're sometimes not able to communicate more than a smile between us. And most of all, I'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for my Mom and Dad who are endlessly supportive of my endeavors and who have made me grow up to be someone who is comfortable and confident in the world around me. I'm thankful for my sisters for being my very best friends, for putting up with me living so far away for so long (sorry!), and for always reminding me to not take myself too seriously and to have fun with my life. I'm thankful to my grandparents, who always worry about me, brag to their neighbors about me, and love me, no matter how crazy they think I am for going someplace so far away. I am endlessly lucky to have so many people in my life that I love so much and who surround me with their support and care. I hope all of my people had a wonderful holiday and please know that I'm thinking about all of you!
Lots of love from Ochang,
Haley<3
Lots of love from Ochang,
Haley<3
Korean Culture corner
GD x Taeyang's new single "Good Boy" was released a little more than a week ago and has already surpassed 9 million views and was the #1 on Korea's music lists last week! The song was produced/written by G-Dragon (the one with the glow-in-the-dark hair) but the music video was directed by Colin Tilley, who is out of LA. Although the dance was choreographed in Korea, the dancers are all from LA and the song has a decidedly American feel with its similarities to trap/club music in the US. The backbeat in the chorus is kind of annoying, but Taeyang's hook is awesome and I'd say about half of the song is in English, so it might be worth a listen, even if you don't know Korean!