Our New Korean Friends

In Nikko, Japan 3 weeks ago, a married couple began talking to us at a picnic bench. They were sitting down to eat lunch and, after a few minutes of talking, S and I decided we would order lunch as well to continue our conversation. They lived in Seoul and invited us to contact them when we arrived in their hometown. Just before we arrived, we emailed them and they suggested we meet for dinner. After telling them that S was a vegetarian but was flexible, they selected an all-veggie restaurant that was absolutely amazing! It was the first time the husband had tried fake meat before- he liked it, or maybe he was just being polite. We had great conversation all night and found out that Min-Chae was expecting twins. Very exciting. She said because she was 9 weeks pregnant, she no longer takes the subway to work and only take taxis. She also is making sure not to watch any scary movies- she only watches cartoons. They were very sweet. They bought us dinner and offered to take us on a night drive across the city. The took us to Jejudo Island in Seoul and we visited the 63 Building, one of the tallest building in Seoul overlooking the downtown area. We took the outdoor glass elevator to the top and saw some amazing views of the city. Seoul is huge! When we told them we were not sure of our plans the next day, the husband offered to take us to the Korean Folk Village in the afternoon. It was about an hour away but he said he would pick us up from our hotel and drive us there. Yesterday was really fun. We had a great ride in the car there where the topics ranged from Korean culture to tensions between Korea and Japan to golf. He told us his American name was "Houston" because that's what his real name sounds like to Americans. While the folk village was pretty touristy, it was really special to have Yu-Seung lead us from exhibit to exhibit explaining the significance of the artifacts and how they are important in Korean culture. He insisted we take photos at almost every other artifact- very Asian of him. It was particularly interesting to hear what traditions have remained alive within his and his wife's lives. At the end of a long afternoon, he drove us home and the wife called us before we got out of the car to wish us safe travels. We thanked them over and over again for their generosity and they constantly reminded us that it was their pleasure. We promised to return the favor when they came to New York. This was probably one of our most memorable experiences so far!

Min Chae and Yu-Seung