Hosive

our vacations are not as thrilling as others may imagine. its not all covert ops to the dmz and missle negotiations with the north. we tend to do a lot of everyday stuff. we don’t get to spend a lot of time together so we enjoy doing mudane stuff.

this trip already has the feel of a trip to los angeles. which means of course, getting haircuts and coloring……those koreans are so stylish and clever with hair products. its been over a year since theresa got her hair cut and done….after a certain point, she wanted to wait until we got to korea.

then it was off to the procuring of nourishment for the week……..

the korean supermarkets are very westernized! they have some familiar products like frosted flakes and fruit loops with the familiar characters…..and a few of their own characters selling i dunno what. like the einstein brain juice? and like the cute/scary(killer bunny from monty python)selling beef broth bullions?

my favorite thing to do in international markets is finding the western brands selling unusual flavors tailored to asian sensibilities like everybody’s favorite……feta cheese pringles?

then there are the aisles that remind you that you are no longer in the west! or maybe you’re in koreatown in la or fort lee, nj?

the rest of the day was spent with family….mostly theresa’s aunt who is super hip, fit and young. she is the lead sister of 8 girls and boy(7 girls and 1 boy). she is over 65 but lives like she’s 50(or younger)….she drove us around and showed us the bus routes and places to eat.

she reminds me of my mom’s mom who used to joke around and play nintendo while smoking a cigarette. no tobacco here but she’s already been pretty open and off color with us…..encouraging us to make a baby while in korea. another time, one of her granddaughters was whiny and huddled against her dad’s chest; she chastised the kid for looking like she wanted get breastfed by her father.

so i got pretty comfortable with her right away. at the noodle shop, she asked me if i wanted some yaki mandoo. i giggled and mumbled something to theresa. the aunt wanted in on the joke. t explained that in english, it sounds like she was offering me yucky man doo(doo). she laughed….composed herself…and then called me a bad man.