ChuSeok--Korean Thanksgiving--Damyang, South Jeolla Province

Youuu Betcha~

Lots of pictures from this weekend. Saturday was the Korean lunar calendar Mid-Autumn Festival or "Chu Seok"--Korean Thanksgiving. I went with MiJin's family to her father's home village of Damyang in South Jeolla Province (the south-western tip of the Korean Peninsula). Since most of Korea's population consists of people living in Seoul who moved there from the countryside, EVERYONE was leaving Seoul on Thursday and Friday to see their families. A drive that would normally take 4 hours maximum....took nearly 8 hours. It was worth it though to meet countryside people, breathe countryside air, and eat all the chestnuts, persimmons, apples, and seafood I could handle. I also got to meet MiJin's uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandma. On Saturday morning, we had to wake up at 6am to perform the 'chesa' ritual. A Chesa is a traditonal Korean shamanistic/ancestor-worship practice that is meant to give thanks to your ancestors' spirits by preparing lots of food to 'feed' them. The men of the family (MiJin joined in on this one to tell me when to bow :D ) gather in the room with the altar of food and burn incense, poor and drink wine, and bow in unison to pay respect and give thanks to their ancestors for their fortune and good harvest. This was the most relaxing/healthy weekends I've had in Korea. Enjoy the pictures, there are a lot!



The front yard of MiJin's uncle's home.

Mr. Kwon relives his youth :P

"Deer Farm" MiJin's uncle owns a deer/elk farm that is used to gather antlers for Korean/Chinese traditional medicine. Small pieces of antler (which are worth quite a lot of money) are boiled and brewed into a tea. The mixture of herbs and antler give you strength and increased resistance to illness.

MiJin and her father

MiJin and her cousin playing with the new puppy that the neighbors gave to them

Halmeoni/Grandma --She never said much to me :( :D

Oldest Brother Kwon and his new puppy

The huuuuge beetle Mr. Kwon found in the potato patch

Here he's demonstrating how he can't even pry its jaws apart.

I think it was his new friend, or perhaps an old one from childhood.

Korean countryside boys liked to get two and watch them spar.

Brothers Kwon

This is an old~ tree. It has completely surrounded this late Choseon Dynasty-era statue!

Maybe 2...3...hundred years old?

The alley where an old woman addressed MiJin as "Ajumma" [older, married woman]

a.k.a. scene of a crime :P

Sun beams over the mountain

Now THIS is good Sangyupsaal/Korean barbecue


Chesa Ritual

Food for Ancestors

Feeding the Spirits

Climbing the mountain to visit the Kwon family grave

Soju and Grapes for MiJin's Great-Grandparents and Grandfather

Halmeoni~ :D She didn't like pictures :(

MiJin trying to be a shaman's totem too

"Kwangju Speaks" Picture Exhibition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Democratization_Movement

Nightmare-inspiring sculpture made from roots


Before ChuSeok

Movies with MiJeong and June

So there ya go~

It's two weeks until Midterms, and life's getting busy, but I'm feeling mostly settled-in. I miss all of you and wish I were going to be there for American Thanksgiving :( Enjoy Fall :D It's not coming here fast enough! I miss the colors and smell in the air!

Love you all,

James