Home Sweet Home

Well I'm back in Jeju City, and I must say that it feels good to be home. I was immediately struck by the fact that I am no longer a stranger in my surroundings. I saw two of my students on the bus from the airport into Jeju City; of course I knew they were my students by the way they stared, giggled and waved at me. I was looking pretty grim at that moment; my clothes had not been washed, my hair was a mess, and I was carrying a big backpack. I looked like a traveler, but these girls reminded me that I am home, as if nothing had changed, almost as if I'd never left. I walked into my home at 8:30pm, and the living room was full of older Koreans and my Korean father. They were sitting on the floor in the living room around a small table that held "dok", traditional Korean rice cake and slices of fruit. In Korea most people practice the shaman tradition of holiding a ceremony for your ancestors on the day that they died. These ceremonies take place at night, because they believe that the spirit will visit at night. Thursday night was the night that my great grandfather (my father's grandfather) died, so we had all of the family coming over to our house for the ceremony. Everyone waits around, sometimes napping, with the television on, talking, and the children play games until it is time to perform the ceremony. The ceremony consists of setting up an offering on a small table and bowing three times to the ancestor. This is the type of bow where you get all the way down on your knees and your forehead touches the floor. Anyways, I walked into the house and there were at least ten family members sitting in the living room staring back at me with more to arrive later on. My Korean sister was very happy to see me, but it was my Korean mother's face as she dropped what she was doing in the kitchen and came over to me quickly, smiling and reaching out to give me a big hug that made me really feel like I was home. I unpacked the presents I had brought them from America... a Camelback for my host father (he loves to run and hike), a NM t-shirt and some fragrant lotion for my host mother, Boggle and the complete set of Roald Dahl books for my sisters... my mother had been cooking and she immediately set down a bowl of rice and numerous side dishes for me to eat. I was starving, and I was struck by the familiarity of the food. I was surprised at how much I had missed the flavors! I sat around on the floor chatting with my Korean relatives. In reality, they were really talking about me, and I struggled to catch what they were saying and respond in broken Korean or have my host sister translate my English. When I first sat down they stared at me, sizing me up, and said something in Korean. My host sister blushed and said to me: "They say that they thought all Americans were fat, but you're not fat." This is such a typical Korean statement, and in many ways it represents why I'm here: to educate and dispel some of the misconceptions that Koreans have about the USA. I went to school the following morning and saw my co-teacher and my principal. I was a little worried, because I've been gone for such a long time, so long. I felt my absence would be viewed as an extended vacation that ONLY I got to have. (This is actually what it was, but it was part of my contract.) On the contrary, I feel so welcomed and genuinely missed. I missed all of my Korean family and friends, and I am struck by the fact that I have very little time left here. Four months suddenly feels like too little time; my time away has helped me realize how much I will miss Jeju City. I finally feel like this is my home.