Cooking for the Family…traditions of the home…buying groceries…how many people?...the cost of living in Korea…Confucian benefits

The first tradition I was introduced to upon entering a Korean home is the removing of the shoes. This tradition is symbolic as well as pragmatic. The symbolism is found in the behavior of the Korean people in public. As I’ve mentioned, Korea is a small country with very little personal space when one is in any populated place. It is very uncommon for people to take notice, or look up at a stranger when they walk in a room. This is very strange for me because, as those of you who know me, I am overly friendly for an American. In Korea I think I may have been viewed by some as either a slightly disturbed family member or a street performer. This absolute lack of stoicism on my part delighted my sisters-in-law. They asked, through my nephew Kyeung su, about my life in America…they were thrilled to learn that once in a while I cook. They wanted to try homemade American food, practically non-existent in Korea, I asked if I would be allowed to cook. A week had gone by and I hadn’t been allowed to do so much as bring my plate to the sink so I was surprised when my request was answered positively.

A pertinent piece of information to mention here is that the Korean home, while well appointed in many ways (including bidet, auto rice-cooker, and a water filter with more buttons than I thought there were uses for water) it has no oven. This made making the only recipe I know from memory a little difficult to make, that being my mother’s recipe for baked pork chops. No oven, no baking, capiche? So anyhow the only other recipe that I can make with any degree of certainty is hobo stew. This is, usually, hamburger patty covered with potatoes, onions, and carrots wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked for seven minutes over hot coals.

A problem occurred when we went to the grocery store (more like a grocery mall, just imagine a multi-level Wal-Mart with much nicer things) the hamburger that is, at most a dollar a pound at home is about twenty times this in Korea. A 120g pack (about a half pound) is seventeen United States Dollars. So, because I couldn’t bring myself to make hobo stew at $18.00 a serving I asked my brother what meat would be cheaper, he suggested pork. Six pounds of pork was had for the seemingly handsome sum of $34.00. The total price for the groceries was about $110.00—this included the pork, five cans of off-brand baked beans, three cans of corn, two pounds of butter, five pounds of apples, and a pound of brown sugar, bottle of whiskey, and a gallon of hard ice-cream.

Just a side note, my sixth brother went with me to the grocery store, and I think he had not been in a while (if ever?) because intuitive things like the fact that milk and butter would be kept in similar places, were a mystery to him. I think that Korean men, like my brother, have very little time to shop, so it isn’t his fault—he just has very different responsibilities.

I was given an apron and fortunately I had a little help with prep work. One of my sisters in law, I think I was told, was one of the finest chefs in Korea. This may have been just an expression of admiration but what makes me think that it was more than this was her skill with the knife. All three sister-in-laws are very good, but the last time I saw the type of bladework she displayed was while watching my Aunt Anna cook when I was younger. Needless to say where I was clumsy at peeling the apples and potatoes all of the sisters-in-law were excellent.

When the prep-work was completed I took the meat out to the grill, still wearing the apron. The apron was pink and frilly, which I didn’t notice until as I was walking back into the house I heard what sounded like girls laughing at me, I turned to find my grandmothers (in America, Great Aunts) staring at me as though they had seen something that in their nearly eighty years they couldn’t have imagined. Word spread to the neighborhood and instead of dinner for twelve, we had dinner for 17. Fortunately, Kyung su nim had some extra pork and worked on thawing it out in the microwave while I mixed more sauce and prepped for seven more dinners. The beans and corn were taken outside to be served family-style and I left my sixth elder brother in charge of the barbecue coals and cooking food.

I went back inside to finish making the dessert, basically stewed apples in a caramel sauce and ice-cream. All the time I was cooking I had an audience…as though I was putting on a demonstration for the women of the family. It was hilarious. Everyone politely said that the food was good, and indeed there was not but about a helping of beans and corn left, so I guess it went pretty well. After dinner my sixth brother and I did the dishes, I washed he dried. This, while not a new experience for him, is something that he was not accustomed to.

A short note about the cost of living in Korea and the differences that exist between Korea and America. Most people living in Korea live in apartments or very small homes, and only a few own the dwellings in which they live. These apartments, of the ones that I’ve seen, are very nice; multiple bedrooms, utility area, bathrooms, in all between 1400 and 1600 square feet. A comparable apartment in America would cost about $1500-$2000 per month. I asked my brother what he paid for his apartment per month and he said about $300 per month including utilities. I tried to make sure that I understood correctly and indeed he had said $300. The difference is that he has already given a $50,000 deposit to the owner of the building. This deposit earns the owner of the building money in the form of interest and thus works as a self-subsidy for the rent of the apartment. Should my brother decide to move his original deposit, must be returned to him or the owner of the apartment could be forced to forfeit the apartment in court. Now if you counter balance what is charged with in the form of groceries etc, one can see the wisdom in the system. Laissez faire at work is a beautiful thing. Because Koreans spend so little on housing they have more to spend on other items that would in turn generate more tax for the government. Let’s assume for a minute that the taxation rate on purchased goods is 9% of total purchase price. So, for every thousand dollars spent the government nets $90. One would only have to spend $20000 in order to eclipse what most of us pay for taxes on our homes. With the average salary man making about $40000 per year and a roughly 10% tax rate that leaves, after housing costs and taxes, a disposable income of about $32000 per year. So if you assume that 10% of money goes into savings there is almost $30,000 dollars in disposable income. This nets the government over $2700. Now $2700 would seem to hardly be able to make up for the taxes that would ordinarily be collected, but consider that the owner of the building still pays taxes, the people that can be employed because of the extra expenditures also pay taxes, and in-turn spend money. With this revenue the government is able to subsidize very good medical care for the people. Medical procedures for example:

$100 = having a baby and 1 week hospitalization

$200 = heart attack 2 weeks hospitalization

$50 = average surgery cost

$1.50 = co-pay for medicine prescribed by a doctor

How can the elderly afford such things when they have no income to speak of. Well that’s where the Confucian aspect comes in. Instead of looking upon the elderly as a burden the Korean culture looks on them as someone to honor. If an older person needs help, they receive it. If an older person is standing someone gets up and offers them their seat. No one will ever convince me that this system is not the better way to live.

The Cast of Players…a breakdown of the family members, what they do…a book of names…what’s in a name…

In a break from tradition and with apologies to those named, I will elucidate who my brothers are, what they do and my observations of them. I will address each as Hyung-nim in order to honor the tradition of using the titular expression “elder brother.”

K’hyung-nim- Park Jong mo-52 years old-is a real estate broker/speculator in Cheungchong province, specifically in the Osong area. Land ownership is the key to wealth in Korea, to give an idea of how small the amount of land is consider that if you were to drive from Seoul in the north to Pusan in the south the total trip would take five hours at roughly 65 miles per hour. K’hyung-nim owns 9 hectares of land. A hectare is approximately 10km squared. Part of the land is being developed into a biological research area. He and Kyung su nim (first senior-sister-in-law) have also recently purchased a ten room hotel right outside Cheongju downtown. They are excited and a little nervous about this venture. They have two sons in their twenties, Kyeung su and Jinn su, they are both students in university. Kyeung su is a botanical pathology major, Jinn su is a computer/mechanical engineering major.

Hyung-nim-Park Jong young-until three years ago was a director at a monastery. He decided to move back home and now lives with first eldest brother outside Cheongju city. In support of the family he does much of the heavy lifting and work in the home. He takes on an attitude of service not servitude and is still respected by all brothers in both word and deed. He is ascetic in his needs with only one true vice, he smokes. Although I understand he was intemperate in his youth Christ reached out to him in a dream. He spends his free time reading the Bible and working at the Church. He turned his back on worldly gain by leaving his position at the National Educational Ministry and turned to the life of a monk. He has never been married, nor does he have any children.

Hyung-nim-Park Jong myung- 45 years-old, was a professional table-tennis (ping pong) player as a younger man. A knee injury (lateral movement is very important) side lined his career somewhat pre-maturely. He then went to Samsung and worked in Insurance and Security. About seventeen years ago he started the Samsung Table Tennis Team in order to play for other companies organized teams. This evolved from a way to get back to the sport he loved to an organized team of the best in the country and the world. While I earlier reported that he sold Insurance for Samsung, he is actually the Head Coach and Manager for the Samsung Professional Table Tennis Team. The fact that I misinterpreted this was a cause for great hilarity in the family. His top player won the Gold Medal in the 2004 Summer Games in Sydney. His wife is a congenial and lovely woman and together they have two beautiful daughters.

Hyung-nim Park Jong Geoul-41 years-old. This self-made man is a master of metal crafts. His client lists include some of the biggest names in South Korean Industry (eg. Samsung). He is a supplier for the rapidly expanding OEM market, and in Cheongju and surrounding cities he is known for his craftsmanship, his promptness, and his diligence. He enjoys going to the sauna, and does so almost daily. He is a great student of the eastern medical tradition and keeps himself well by performing the daily ritual of half-bathing in body-temperature water. He has taught me that this ritual increases the bloodflow to the brain. I will have to try this. He also has shown me that walking on stone helps with the family trait of eczema. His feet, while characteristically calloused, lack the cracks or pain associated with the foot condition.

Hyung-nim Park Jong heon-the brother closest to my age and temperament, 37 years old. He works for Jawha Electronics, a supplier to OEMs like Samsung. He is the relationship person, the winer and the diner, who has the personality to seal the deals that need sealed. His company sends him with an engineer that can handle the technical details of the proposal at hand, it isn’t that he doesn’t know or can’t handle the technical aspects of the situation, it is just a better situation for him to befriend the customer. He is a people person, like me, and yet is fascinated by the technical aspect of his job. He is working very hard on his mastery of the English language. He also has the goal of learning Chinese and Japanese to make him more valuable to his company and increase his earning potential. As mentioned earlier, his wife is an accomplished musician, and he has two sons, Min su and Yun su.

You will notice that all of the brother’s names begin with the family name followed by Jong. The names are common with all of the males in my generation of family. I am actually the second youngest male member of my generation. This means that, with the exception of one, all of the Park Jong’s in my family are Hyung-nim to me. The next generation of males of the family is called Park Su or Sun. To this generation I am an uncle. If any of my brothers’ children have a child—Kyeung su or Jinn su for instance—I will become, along with my brother—the child’s grandfather or big father. This could conceivably happen before I reach the age of forty. The previous generation was Park Kyu, there are seven names in the cycle in all and it stretches back continuous generations to the late thirteen hundreds. All of these names have been recorded in a book and this book is published every thirty years. I have not been added to this book yet. The timing of my visit is fortuitous because the book is due to be published again next year so Keri, Jack Charlie, and I will be added. Since the descent is through the father, Keri’s father will also be added to the book, along with where he is from.

The meaning of my generation’s name Jong, is bell, meaning if you put in the Korean letters representing my name in the altavista translator on Babelfish the word that will come up will be bell. The second part of my name is ‘seok,’ which if you put in the characters means ‘big.’ So my name literally translates into big bell. However, as with many things, when you put these words together the meaning is influential, or affluent man. I think that its interesting that when you say the generational name, it sounds like a bell, sit back and try it. It is really cool.

Tiger Smoking Tales...visiting the tomb of Pak Yohkoesae...Flying Horse Tomb...Buddha under glass...another trip to the Sauna...why you would never want to be a waiter in Korea...why American kids are "falling" behind......more No Ri Ban...

August 16th 2006....A Tiger Smoking Tale is what Koreans call a legendary tale, it is often fantastic in nature, but also carries with it an important cultural truth. In usual parlance, the term means a long long time ago. The story of Pak Yohkoesae's birth is such a tale. The tale begins with six Korean leaders or wisemen who decide that it would be better for the land to have one king. While meeting to discuss their individual merits as king a miraculous thing happened. A flying horse appeared out of the sky and deposited (some say laid) a white egg the size and shape of a pumpkin. Investigating this strange egg the six men found a baby boy. This was Pak Yohkoesae. Pak Yohkoesae was brought up to understand rulership and to be very wise by the six men, his queen was a girl found about the same time he was. Pak Yohkoesae started the Silla empire in 57 B.C. as well as being the progenitor of the Pak (Park) clans.

Visiting the tomb is a little eerie; there are no insects singing, and the wind was very still. Adding to the strangeness is the fact that several trees have become bent, bowing to the center of the mounds where Pak Yohkoesae is believed to be buried. Due to the same nemotoad disease that cost me two pine trees at my house, the trees are now supported by metallic braces, but still seem healthy and vibrant enough. The entire family crossed the foot-high gate and paid our respects to the first ancestor by bowing in the traditional way, but instead of one or two, there were four bows all together.

The flying horse tomb, or Cheongmokchong, is a fascinating historical display. The tomb is an excavation of one of the early Silla kings and contains many treasures. The taking of pictures inside the tomb was prohibited, but I was able to take pictures of the outside. Also the relics inside Cheongmokchong are mock-ups of the orginals which are stored in the traditional history museum. My first brother is quite the historan especially when it comes to the lineage of our family. Without looking at the plaques he recited many of the details about the pieces. After being shown the horned crown I told my brothers about the tradition of the year King in European societies from around the same time.

We then drove to Seokguram which was in a mountain about twenty minutes away by car. I was very glad that I was not a 19th century monk making my way here. Just walking the road would have been hard, but before roads--a rough mountain passage--I wonder how many more Buddhists there would be if not for the accidents that I am sure happened. The Buddha itself is behind a glass wall and there are many other idol pieces representing the elements and the four mystical guards. The Buddha once had a jewel in its forehead that when the light of the morning sun would strike it the reflection could be seen for miles. The jewel was stolen by the Japanese and has yet to be recovered.

After visiting the cultural heritage museum, and seeing the real pieces form Cheongmokchong, the family decided that we should check into a hotel. The hotel room that we got was very spacious and though there were no beds, the bedding was cushiony and comfortable. The first order of business was to go to the sauna to wash off the heat of the day. The sauna was not quite as nice as the one in Suwon, but we were also coming near closing time. The warm pool was very warm, and the cold pool was so cold I was surprised that there wasn't ice floating in it. My sixth brother's son, Min su, came with us and I was amazed at how well he could swim.

Then dinner time. I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner and they most whole heartedly said pizza, this is not a favorite food of the older generation--don't you hate when you're a part of the older generation--and I can now understand why. The pizza was quite good, a stuffed crust combination with very fresh toppings. The salad bar was filled with very good fruits and vegetables. A fruit that looked something like a peeled onion was delicious, my brother told me that it was imported from Thailand. I will have to talk to Dom about this.

When it came time to pay the bill I was followed up to the counter by my sixth brother. As I was waiting for a reprint of the receipt I started to fill out the customary tip portion of the bill. The lady behind the counter asked me, what is this? I told her it was the tip, the wait staff had been excellent, considering the complexity of our order and the size of our party (I never had an empty glass, and for those of you who know me that's quite a feat). My brother looked at me as if I had grown another head, "we don't tip in Korea, the waitresses receive a salary for working." I wanted to ask how much salary, but I figured that would be rude so--a little exasperated--I followed my brother back to the table. Here, he told everyone that in Korea tipping is not necessary because everyone gets paid the same because they all work very hard, it would be unfortunate for one person to get a good tip while another did not. How egalitarian...I still wouldn't want to be a waiter in Korea.

On the drive back to the hotel I started asking the kids about their lives and about what it is that they want to do in the future. I started with my oldest niece as she was right across from me. As I reported earlier she wants to be an English teacher. I asked her what she was doing to prepare for the college entrance exam that she will have to take in two academic years. She told me that she was going to school. Yes, but what else? I pressed. What else is there? I must have looked confused. I remember studying for the ACT many (many) years ago. She explained that she gets home from school at 11:30pm and can't study any more because she has to get up the next day at 6:00am to go back to school. For emphasis, or maybe I was tired, I counted on my fingers, that's seventeen hours at school every day!!! I asked her what she did on the weekends, expecting an answer like relax from all that damned school, but no!!! She gets a whole extra hour of sleep and then goes to school some more--Saturday and Sunday.

I did the math on this...American high school students go to school at 7:45am with classes getting out at 2:45pm, that's seven hours with a 30 minute lunch time thrown in. Korean high school students go to school by 7:30am and leave school at 11:30pm which amounts to a fourteen hour days when you take out the lunch and dinner breaks the kids get. Now that's already twice as much school as American kids. You throw in Saturday and Sunday at twelve hours apiece and you are sitting at 94 hours of school per week compared to the American 35. I asked them what the rate of dropping out of school was and I immediately regretted it. They couldn't even understand such an idea as not going to school. American students aren't outsmarted or suffering from mental decline, American students...our future...are simply out worked. If we tried the same thing in America, our dropout rates would sky rocket. I also now understand why it is that I don't see any pregnant teenagers/young parents...the kids are too busy to think about sex let alone do anything about it.

My sixth brother his wife, k-yung su nim, my two oldest nephews, youngest nephew, fourth brother, his two girls, wife, my oldest niece, and I went to the No Ri Bon together. Karaoke in America is a social gathering where you buy alcohol (or in my case soda) and sing for other people to their delight or (in my case) horror. No Ri Bon in Korea is a small intimate affair including only those members in your party. I ended up getting a 100 on a rendition of Hotel California which my sixth brother joined in with me on.. I was pretty pleased. The Korean need for privacy while cutting loose, or at least trust, is an amazing cultural phenomenon. For a Korean I am pretty outgoing and I spend my time at the rest stops walking up to American GI and saying howdy. The reaction I get is always a smile and a warm hand shake. I thank them for their service to the country and tell them a little bit about my trip. All of the soldiers were congenial and polite. Although the Korean people avoided talking to them or looking at them Korean people do this with each other as well.

In Korea, stoicism is job one...

Korean Independence…a growing sense of nationalism…eldest brother’s teacher…birth mother’s youngest brother…why Japan must not re-arm…Picnic, Korean style…my niece’s honor…

I find myself growing in my identity as a Korean. Through the cultural teachings of my first eldest brother I have learned many of the customs and history of the Korean nation in general and our part of the Park Clan in particular. As I have reported earlier our particular clan of the Park surname is descended through the father directly traceable to the year 900. Unlike the other prevalent Korean names, Kim and Lee, Park (also, Pak, Bak) is the only name found specifically in Korea (as opposed to China and Japan.). This feeling of nationalism is so prevalent that my two-year-old (three in Korea) nephew sings the national Korean Soccer Team’s fight song.

August 15^th is Korea’s Independence Day and to commemorate the event the family went to Independence Hall where Koreans from all over the nation gather. Independence Hall serves as a focal point for national unity.

Korea has only been independent since 1945, the year the war in the Pacific ended with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The ceremony opens with a performance by the National Traditional Korean Music performers. In the past, first eldest brother taught in his spare time for them, as well as performing with them.

His teacher is still the leader of the group and after they were off stage I was afforded the opportunity to meet him and have a picture taken with the students. I felt bad for them because it was so hot that day and here they were in their black shirts and long white pants standing in the sun taking a picture with me. They graciously stood for two photos and each shook my hand before changing into cooler attire.

During this time I also met my birth mother’s youngest brother. I did not know but my maternal birth grandmother died when she was very young. At the time my uncle was eight years old. My birth-mother took it on her self, to raise her brother putting off seeking marriage and starting her own life until he had grown sufficiently. She must have done a pretty good job because he now runs a great Chinese restaurant in Cheongju City along with my aunt.

When I was young most of my friends were grandparents, and while one grandson in particular became a very dear friend, it was mostly the grandparent’s that I sought. One might say I was seeking out the wisdom of the elders. Truth be told I think that the respect and need for the wisdom of the elders is hardwired into my system. One of these friends was a man by the name of Lee Dornan.

As a young man Mr. Dornan served in the administration of Franklin Roosevelt in the Post Master’s Office. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor he chose to join the Marine corps and was trained for the Pacific Theater. I once asked him if he had killed anyone while he was a soldier, during an interview for my high school paper. He looked at me very sternly (the only time I can remember him doing so) and told me that I was never to ask that question again. To quote a recent movie, “it ain’t the dying that gets to you, it’s the killing.” When I asked if he thought that dropping the A-Bomb on Japan was warranted, he replied that it saved probably one million American lives and countless Japanese lives. I now also know that the decision to act so decisively (by a fellow Missourian, Harry S Truman) probably saved Korea.

For much of the 19^th and the first half of the 20^th century Korea was a colony of Japan. The Japanese soldiers, who lived by a saying…”a man far from home has no family” acted with complete cowardice and dishonor terrorizing and subjugating the Korean people. The North, because of its proximity to resource rich China, was the industrial center for the Japanese colonialists, while the south remained primarily agricultural. Korean’s were forced to take Japanese names, forbidden to speak Korean in favor of Japanese, did not have any control of their press, and had their queen assassinated.

The height of the insult and terror was the usage of Korean women as “comfort” for the Japanese soldiers stationed in Japan. This colloquial expression can hardly mask the fact that entire generations of Korean women and girls were systematically raped and abused, it is a topic I will never ask about because of the deep national shame that it is, and because of the very distinct possibility that it happened to members of my family. I think that Koizumi (PM of Japan) would make great inroads to the Korean people by specifically begging all of Korean womanhood for their forgiveness, and understanding when he is flatly denied.

For this atrocity and the historic hostility of Japan, carried out in fantasy in the form of Manga, Japan must never be allowed to re-arm itself. Koizumi has already shown his insensitivity to his neighboring countries by visiting war memorial shrines that celebrate this darkest time in Japanese history. While many Americans might think of this no differently than our President visiting Arlington or the Tomb of the Unknowns the cultural impact is much different. This would be similar to the P.M. of Germany visiting a graveyard for the SS dead, hanging a wreath, and praising them. That action would draw world wide outrage and scorn. . If any man were to stand in the street and extol the virtues of the American Slave Trade ca. 1609-1865 he would be abused horrendously (think of Trent Lott’s comparatively weak comment if you doubt me). However, because the atrocities committed by the Japanese are not taught in our schools like the holocaust is, Koizumi can give Korea, China, and other subjugated nations this insult without so much as an objection, let alone condemnation, from America’s diplomat to Japan, Congress, or the President

I plan to write to my congressman and ask him to draft a resolution that would officially condemn the actions of the Japanese during World War II. I never used to feel bad about what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it was done to protect American lives. Now I believe that it was just a finger-ful of repayment for the full hand of torment the Japanese have wrought upon the mainland of Asia throughout its history. Just as a unified Germany scares the hell out of the French so too will a re-armed Japan terrorize all of Asia. It must not be allowed!!!

While waiting for the ceremony to honor my niece, third brother’s daughter, we had a picnic, Korean style. The fare was simple and delicious consisting of kim-bap. The ingredients were rice, egg, crab, and a vegetable I have never seen before. The Korean diet is very high in fiber, my worries about needing an Immodium-like product were unfounded except when I have tried to eat American food here. It may be that Koreans don’t know how to prepare American fast food; but more likely American food is so high in fat the bowels, having grown accustomed to fiber-rich food, object…VEHEMENTLY. Anyway, the picnic was once again topped off with peeled pear, yummm.

The award that my niece received was for writing an essay on Dokdu. This is an island chain in the sea of Japan that has recently become a flashpoint for relations between the Koreans and the Japanese. Her essay was selected from across Korea as the very best in her grade-level. She wants to teach English, a very worthy profession in Korea, in the University or secondary school level. Her English is very good though her confidence is not. As I have blogged before the Korean perfectionism disallows anything but perfection and it has taken me some time to get my brothers (who can all speak some English) to open up and speak around me. Hopefully my struggling with Hangul-ma (the Korean spoken language) will encourage them that all language is difficult as a second language. I would love to have my entire family speaking some conversational Korean when we come back next year.

How Many Grandfathers? … a note about my birth father … illustrious history of this branch of the Park clan … visiting the anscestral shrine…a growing Korean vocabulary…a note about my obituary…visiting fifth brother’s metal works shop…dinner at sixth brother’s house…a rare gift.

I lead today’s blog with a note about my birth father Park Cheon kyu (1934-2003). For those who don’t know Korea is divided by Province, county, city, town, this would be similar to the United States tradition of dividing by State, county, city, and neighborhood. In the mid-1970’s a movement initiated by the militarist government of South Korea, construction of the new village, swept across the nation. Park Cheon kyu was named the provincial leader for the movement, almost like a governor. Under his leadership Cheongju Province, where Osong City is located, flourished and had many modern improvements made.

This history of civil service was continued with my first eldest brother who retired from the civil service after twenty-six years of service (he is currently a real estate broker). At the beginning of the continuum however was our 16^th grandfather, Park Hoon, who after passing the Civil Service examination at the age of 17 became part of the special advisers committee to King Cheongjong in 1434 AD. During the King’s reign, however, he advocated for the rule of the people and for this was exiled from his prominent position to the home of his mother where he subsequently died. Many of the reforms that he advocated were later recognized as worthy and good and he was posthumously pardoned, reinstated, and buried with great honor in 1571 AD. A memorial built for him describing this is considered a national treasure (number 1287). How fitting, that I live in America, founded on the principles of freedom and my most direct patrilineal forebear was a founder of those principles here in Korea. It was like discovering that I was related to James Monroe.

The family can actually trace our earliest roots back to the founding of the Silla, the earliest dynasty that represents modern Korea, Pak Yohkeosae who in some respects is like our legendary King Arthur, his story being mixed with a bit of a fantastic element, nonetheless is an established historical figure and founder of the Silla dynasty. The direct patrilineal descent of our family can be traced to the fortieth grandfather, Park On bu, who’s title was Milsong dae gun. He was the eldest son of eight brothers born to one of the King’s of Silla in around AD 900.

My Korean vocabulary has grown and my confidence has grown along with it. Some sample words and phrases: (spelled phonetically)

Monee mogo shu- regional I have eaten very well

Monee mogo soyo-standard for I have eaten very well

Chu-goon-da- literally it kills or to kill it, usage slang for “Very Cool”

Yo bo sayo- hello (answering a telephone)

Oma, Opa-informal for mother and father

Monee mogo nya? –have you eaten enough

Monee mogo rra? –are you getting enough to eat (conditional subjunctive)

(You notice there are a lot of food phrases here)

Bap-rice

Bap tsang-(lit. rice table) dinner table

Check tsang-desk

hyong nim-older brother

kun-hyong nim-oldest or first brother.

K-yung su nim-most senior sister in law

Hyung su nim-senior sister in law

Abojee-father, formal (also used for uncles.)

Omajee-mother, formal

Chu say o-a polite request for something, (useage- bool-ra chu-say-o-may I have some water please.

One word that I will always remember, and once you read the following so will you, is bon da gi. As we were discussing what sixth brother’s wife should fix for supper, Kyung soo, my nephew piped in how about, “bon da gi?” I was game for anything but I will be for ever grateful for my curiosity because I asked, what is that? After much discussion and digging through the dictionary like mad, it was determined that bon da gi was the form of the silkworm prior to it becoming whatever it is silkworms become, in other words a pupa. Bon da gi is a delicacy in Korea similar to escargot in France and there are many people who enjoy it All of my brothers enjoy bon da gi, however my fifth eldest brother is allergic as is Kyoung soo. I can honestly say that my obituary will not read, “…after choking to death on bon da gi.”

In the afternoon we visited fifth brother’s business. He runs a metal fabrication shop and right now works in producing two kinds of metal rings. The electroplating machines were very cool to watch, almost like watching Frankenstein. To cut costs and to improve relations, fifth brother delivers many of the pieces he makes in person. His capacity for the rings is about six per day, which doesn’t sound like much until you consider that the small ring sells for about $500 and the larger ring goes for about $2000. The rent for a very nice apartment in Korea is about $300/month.

Looking at fifth brother is like looking in the mirror. Although he stands taller than me by about three inches, to look at his face, his smile, the glint in his eye when he cracks a joke is so much a part of me. He is a man of few words, stoic, but when he laughs it is as if the sun has broken through a cloudy day. He was amazed at how much I could talk, not in an insulting way, but rather he found it a major cultural difference. He said that the average Korean man says about thirty words per day, unless he’s transacting business. I told him that I break thirty words just getting up in the morning.

Like most business owners he has not had time to socialize much, preferring to make money instead of love. I hope that he will change. I think that he would make a fine father and husband and though the ties with our brothers is great I can’t help but think that he’s denying himself the quintessential pleasure that is marrying a soul mate. His meticulous nature may be making him too careful.

At my sixth brother’s house in the evening I was treated to a delicious soup made from boiled chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic, and onion. As this meal was cooking I played with my sixth brother’s sons, Min soo and Yun soo, and had a tour of the apartment. My sixth brother’s wife was a music major in the University at Seoul and trained in the classical Korean instruments. Her specialization was the gyagam, a stringed instrument placed on the ground and plucked similar in nature to a harp mixed with a guitar. Like Keri she has put aside her art for a time to raise her young children. And also like Keri I hope that she will get back to it soon.

During this meal I was given a very special gift, fresh mountain ginseng. Unlike the cultivated variety which can be had for a mere pittance, the wild mountain ginseng is a prize similar in value to finding a gold nugget or diamond. In a Google Scholar search for historic information on ginseng, I found that Korean ginseng is the original variety and for many years its cultivation was illegal as the rarity was strictly enforced because of its medicinal value, as well as quality control…intellectual property rights so early in our history-another parallel. In a recent chemo-analysis the fresh mountain variety was found to be more potent and with qualities that the cultivated ginseng could not match. Ahhh, is there a difference? Yes there is.

Anyway, the ginseng that I was given was about the size of my pinky and I was told that such a root had been growing wild for about 4-6 years. On the market it would have gone for several hundred dollars and I was told to consume it in a single sitting, stem, leaf, and root. Unlike the ginseng gum that I had several times as a child, this root was bitter. As I chewed there was a warming sensation similar to drinking alcohol, that moved from my mouth and spread to my chest and arms. The root, stem, and leaves took were less than a mouthful and as I swallowed the warming sensation dissipated slowly and left me with a sense of well-being.