Susan and the kids are back in Korea after nearly 2 months visiting the states. Life has now poured back into this shell of a house where dad has fended for himself the past month. As their arrival approached I started culling the rotting vegetables from the refrigerator and cleaning the apartment "just enough" to show I was capable of surviving, but still that things were very much in need of mom's talent for keeping things in order. Amazingly, their 7 suitcases of stuff, which was unpacked and spread around the floors, magically disappeared somehow into closets and storage around the apartment. Soon, under mom's direction, everything was once again clean and shipshape with no sign of my "bachelor" stay. Just as predictably, the kids tracked in a covering of sand for the just cleaned floor after their first trip to the beach. The world is back in order and dad couldn't be happier.
Today starts the annual Chuseok holiday in Korea. We are staying on campus this year after trying to travel on the suddenly gridlocked roadways last year. Everyone in Korea takes to the roadways to visit their families and/or ancestral villages for Chuseok. The holiday falls on Thursday this year, and the government extends the holiday an extra day on each end to allow for travel time. From an American perspective, it is most like our Thanksgiving holiday. There is, however, a gift giving component to Chuseok. It is traditional for the family members to bring a present to their parents for the holiday. This generally takes the form of a carefully selected box of flawless fruit, prime cuts of meat or some other delicacy. All the markets set up special displays of these gift boxes attended to by employees attired in traditional Korean hanbok (colorful gowns). The stores are crowded and there is excitement in the air. We plan to help the remaining foreign students on campus celebrate by joining in with other faculty members to prepare a special Chuseok holiday meal for dinner on Thursday.
As you might imagine, many look towards public transportation during this time of intense national migration back home. Reservations are generally made well in advance. Despite the availability of planes, trains, subways and the KTX high speed rail, our family prefers to use the Korean bus system. This is amazing in that I have a near phobia about buses. I remember my first ride on a Greyhound bus as a child. Even then, it was too cramped and uncomfortable. As an adult, I'd rather walk than take a long distance bus in the US. Korea is the Heaven of bus travelers however. The intercity and long distant buses are spacious. Usually 2 seats on one side and one seat on the other side of the isle. Each seat has a light and air conditioning vent along with curtains for the window, a foot rest and more than enough legroom for a 6'5" passenger to even cross his legs. There is a pocket in front of each seat to store small items, a cup holder, and space for small luggage over the seat. Oh, and did I mention the seats recline way back and that they usually have a large screen tv mounted in the front? It is certainly the most comfortable way to travel long distances in Korea. Major routes have buses leaving as often as every hour - and there is plenty of room in the baggage compartment to store all the suitcases. We always use the bus to to Incheon (a 4 hour ride) to fly to and from the states. Riding these buses triggers a memory of what travel used to be like back in a more golden era.
Your very happy Korean correspondent
