Teaching the traditions of Thanksgiving to Korean middle schoolers elicited gasps, disbelief, and ohhhhhs and ahhhhhs. From explaining mashed potatoes to simplifying the tumultuous relationship between Pilgrims and Indians (“Teacher, I know. ‘Cleveland Indians’!”), I shared a juicy slice of American life. In a nation where food is either painfully spicy or disgustingly sweet, my Korean students thought Sweet Potato Casserole was way too sweet for their taste buds and mashed potatoes looked gross—eww, milk and butter, Teacher why? Oddly enough, almost all of my students could shout “Mayflower” when prompted. Contrasting American Thanksgiving to the Korean equivalent, 추석 (Chuseok), and exchanging customs among the students (personally, I witnessed two different Chuseok celebrations—one with my host family in Cheongju, South Korea and the other on Jeju Island with fellow Fulbright grantee, Rachel Whitfield and her generous host family) provided an interesting backdrop for cultural exchange in its purest form. Senator Fulbright, I’d make you grin.
Americans consume 1/4 of all turkey consumption in the United States during Thanksgiving. My turkey taste buds were satisfied by the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, Kathleen Stephens. She invited over 70 first-year Fulbright ETA grantees to celebrate this American holiday in her Korean home. It was an impressive afternoon meal amidst robust colors of fall and best of all, not a grain of rice was in sight. Some of the more musically inclined grantees entertained the tone-deaf audience with instrumental and vocal performances.
The US Embassy is located near City Hall in Seoul. This visit was my second, after a hamburger and hotdog gorge fest to kick off the grant year in August. Ambassador Stephens spoke candidly before and after the Thanksgiving feast about her experiences in Korea, trailing back to her initial appearance as a Peace Corps volunteer and difficulties she encountered finding clothing. Like myself, the Ambassador is a towering woman, particularly by Korean standards. She stands a mighty six feet tall and has a commanding, endearing presence. Many ETAs, myself included, found her presentation refreshingly unrehearsed and heartfelt.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that beckons company. This is my second Thanksgiving abroad (the first I spent at some pub in Belfast, N. Ireland among other Americans) and it seems to foster this idea of unity. It’s wholly American and I think we are quite proud to boast this since true and honored traditions rarely have their place in American life. Regardless, I find myself clinging to the other Americans around me—it provides a mild sense of stability and let’s face it, we always EAT! Since the majority of my ETA friends in Cheongju are fellow homestayers and ovens—as well as Turkeys for that matter—are rare, we haphazardly organized a “brinner” Thanksgiving at a second year grantee’s one-room apartment. Since breakfast in Korea usually consists of leftovers from the night before (rice, kimchi, fish or meat, and always some kind of pungent soup), having a western style breakfast stand in for turkey was hardly a sacrifice. Bacon crisped on the stovetop (most Korean kitchens are equipped with gas burners), while eggs mixed with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, green peppers sizzled. For the entrée, we enjoyed fluffy, gasp—bracing myself—banana chocolate chip pancakes drizzled with our choice of butter, peanut butter (YUM!), or maple syrup (all of these toppings are flavors our taste buds really miss while living with homestays in Korea). For the last course, we enjoyed hash browns with ketchup. Who knew these incredibly insignificant food items would one day make me so happy? The beer on the side could have something to do with it.
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| Eileen and I in Seoul--Free Cass Beer Samples at E-Mart! |
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