JOURNAL: Lunar Month

LUNAR MONTH
On Sunday, I got a unique experience to participate in a Korean tradition. The oldest member of our church invited a select few of us to her house for dinner. I felt truly blessed by this, as I much admire Miss K, and had been forced to back out of another one of her dinner parties at an earlier time. The back out was last minute, and I had truly felt awful, even considering that the circumstances had been beyond my control. This time, I made a point to clear my day so I could keep my engagement.

Miss K is a truly remarkable human being, and I would love to sit down and interview her sometime. She is probably in her seventies or eighties, but she is still as sharp as a tack. Her conversation is witty and bright, with occasional flashes of light sarcasm. She is a retired Art Professor from Seoul National University, one of the most prestigious universities in Korea. She was born in Japan, but I believe she said her family was from North Korea. Therein lies a story I am certain, seeing as the relations between Korea and Japan around the time of her probable childhood and girlhood were not particularly good, to say the least. She then moved to the United States for a time, where her children were born, and still live. She goes to visit them every chance she gets.

Miss K's apartment has a beautiful view, through picture windows, over Olympic Park. Her unframed artwork occupies every possible wall space; her work focuses mostly on flowers and still lifes, with an occasional touch of folk"ish" art. Her palatte tends towards cooler colors. I enjoyed looking around. The apartment was rather spacious, for Seoul, especially; I think she probably had a whole floor to herself. The decor and spacing made the place feel "arty," but not "hippy." Everything was beautifully laid and tastefully displayed. I also scanned her bookcase, which was chock full of artbooks in English and other languages. This was not a monument to Miss K, but a comfortable place for her to live in. I hope that I have a place like this someday.

Miss K had actually skipped church to make dinner for us, a fact which was not lost on any of us coming from there. The way Korean Christians are raised is roughly equivalent to the way the Puritans raised their children. It is not faith unless you sacrifice your comfort, your desires, and your sleep; this is the Will of God, and nothing in your life will happen if God doesn't will it. Calvinism at its finest, and most exasperating. Fortunately, not everyone follows this, or I would never stay at that church.

Miss K had laid out a delectable selection of appetizers. The most recognizeable were the sterotypical nut mix, but there were others I had to ask about. There was a pale white lacy vegetable, which I at first took to be some kind of sliced and dried tomato. Avoiding it at first (I am allergic to tomatoes), I finally asked about it. It was lotus root, dried and sliced; very tasty and enjoyable. The other item which I finally tried were glazed mushrooms coated with sesame. To my surprise, the mushrooms were glazed with honey. Oddly, it worked, as many unusual combinations seem to do in Asia. The best items, however, were the cream cheese and crab(?) filled biscuits.

Miss K worked away in the kitchen, Korean-style, while her guests enjoyed the good food. Finally, she called us into a small room where there were many dishes laid out. Miss K explained to us that the dishes fell into two categories, old and new. It is Korean tradition to eat these dishes on the first full moon after the New Year. There were vegetable dishes, grain dishes, a chicken breast dish, and a pork and radish dish. The "old" dishes tended towards dark in color, and were heavily pickled or cooked. The "new" dishes were lighter in color, and more "raw" than cooked. The old dishes represent the year that has ended, and the "new" dishes represent the new year. The grain dishes have a particular significance, but Miss K dismissed it as "superstition" without really gonig into too much detail.

The "old" vegetable dish consisted of a stringy, and as I later found out, tough, pickled vegetables vaguely related to collard greens in flavor. I tried to chew them, but discovered they could only be swallowed whole. Pity I didn't figure this out until I took a sizeable bite...I almost choked, as this vegetable had rather sharp angles to it; I suspect it is related to nettles. The "new" dish was much more palatable, and had quite a bit of sweet and sour flavor. The grain dishes were, well, grainy, especially the lightly cooked rice (still a bit dry and raw). The pork and Asian (yellow)radish dish was the most delicious confection; again, sweet and sour. There was not one over-spicy dish.

As we were feasting, Miss K disappeared into the kitchen again. She emerged later with the ubiquitous bean curd and soft tofu soup. This is one of my favorite dishes in all Korea, and hers was homemade. It was a little spicy, but the flavors of the vegetables were not overpowered. It was wonderful.

Miss K finally joined us. We ate American style with individual plates and Western silverware. One of the dinner guest was talking about her family in Nova Scotia. She said she was one of nine children, and that her father was one of EIGHTEEN children. Miss K said she supposed they didn't know about birth control. She did not mean it to be witty; she was just stating a fact. I was the only "single" present at the table; usually this means Koreans censor what they say to avoid offending my modesty. Not Miss K!

We were served persimmon gelato for dessert, as well as strawberries and cream. The last item she called "fusion food"! She also served a mildly alcoholic punch and a sweetened tea. I had to leave a bit early for a previous engagement, but I wished I could have stayed longer. She clasped my hand in both of hers, and beamed warmly up at me. I could feel her life energy flowing through her warm hands into my cold palm, and I was very reluctant to go. She is truly a gem, a jeweltone.

Some people have asked about my email address, "jeweltone," and what it means. It is the word I use to describe what I hope to be someday. People who live their lives in bright, neon colors flare brightly and burn quickly. The dazzle, shimmer, and scream for people to notice them, but hurt the eyes when gazed upon for too great a time.

People who live their life in pastels fade into obscurity and quiet despair. They are the wallflowers, the quiet workers. They hide in the light for fear of the the dark. No one notices them.

The jeweltones, however, are not too brilliant, and not too quiet; they live rich, full, and eventful lives. The shine, but not to show off their accomplishements. They shine to lend warmth to the neons, and compassion to the pastels. They embrace all aspects of life, both the beautiful and the putrid. It takes both dark and light to make a jeweltone shine. Remember that all jewels began life in the bowels of the earth! They are raised out of the ground, culled and shaped by a craftsman, and faceted by their experiences. What is a facet but a dent or a cutting away? Remember, even impurities can lend a special beauty to a diamond or a ruby.

RAMDOM QUOTE OF THE DAY:
(on teenagers)

"Cal's trying to find himself," said Lee. "I guess this personal hide-and-seek is not unusual. And some people are 'it' all their lives - hopelessly 'it.'"
John Steinbeck, EAST OF EDEN