Last night, fireworks were all over the Shanghai sky once again. My first thought was; ‘Ah!  Chinese people are probably clearing off the remain fireworks from Spring festival.’ But later on I realized that it was Great Full Moon Day.

Great Full Moon day is first full moon in New Year. In old days, it indicated start date of farming and It is very big celebrating holiday in Korea especially.

Why follow moon?

Moon is considered as Yin, which means female. So moon represents as goddess or ground,and of course most important thing women do is give birth. Therefore, when moon becomes full, it not only looked rich but also represent full power of maternity- good harvest. I guess in old days, people used moon as to see the season change, since it changes shapes unlike Sun.

What people do on Great full moon day?

Korea

Korean people eat nuts in the morning to guard oneself against boils for a year and in the evening, would go to hill to view the moon, make wishes. People also predict that if moon light is white, it will bring many rains, if red then will bring drought, if color is strong it will bring rich year and bring bad year if moon light is dim. So as to hoping for rich year, some region do some ceremonial events.  Such as…

making fire to lighten the area as well as chasing away bad spirits

At night, kids would put fire in empty can and play like photo. After play, they throw on empty rice field

This is to kill all the harmful insects and mouses

write one’s birthday/name on the kite and send it to sky

Later cut off the string to send off bad luck and brings good luck

Eat Ogokbap

Bowl of steamed rice mixed with grains including barley, foxtail millet, millet and soy beans

China

In China, not only huge firework, but also special events takes places called Lantern Festival, where families walk the street with lighted lamps. Also make bean porridge and do ceremony infront of doors (I think to chase away the bad sprits- same ritual happens in Korea on longest night of the year). Alos eat rice dumplings (tangyuan) are eaten and lit outside houses for chase away bad sprits just like korea.

Japan

In Japan, it used to be ritual day for them as well but do not celebrate much anymore. Some people eat red bean soup.

Called ‘닭볶음탕/ Dak bokkeumtang’

What to prepare?

Chicken, Potato 2~3, Half onion, one carrot, 2 green onion

Sauce: Korean red pepper sauce 1 big table spoon, 4 table spoon of red pepper powder, 2 table spoon of soi sauce, 1 table spoon of alchole, 1.5 table spoon of starch syrup, 1/2 spoon of crushed garlic, 1 table spoon of sugar, little bit of salt & pepper, little bit of sesame oil

Wash chicken and let it stay in cold water for half an hour

After 30 min, Put chicken in pot,

Add fresh water and boil about 30 min

While chicken is boiling, prepare other ingredients

Cut Potato, onion, carrot and green onion

Mix all the sauce ingredient  in a bowl

When chicken is cooked, take chicken out

Remove impurities (foam/oil) in the soup

Then put potato in the pot to boil

While  potato is boiling  marinate chicken with sauce

(Do not use all the sauce, use 2/3, rest will be used later)

When potato is done,

add all the ingredients including potato and rest of the sauce

If there are too much soup, you can throw some of it,

but leave little bit of soup.

I usually leave about 1cm from the pot

add green onion when onion is cooked

Boil once more

Also can add sesame seed for more taste

Eet smakelijk!! 잘먹겠습니다~

Unexpectedly this subject brought in to the surface during the seminar that I attend few weeks ago in Korea, Internal Control Assessment Certification Program. Just like the title, it was mainly about how company can control/manage their employees and system in order to manage risk and increase productivity of work.

X bank is foreign based bank in Korea. Recently headquarter sent new policy regarding Gifts and Entertainment. When it comes to receiving business meals, employees cannot receive more than $200 worth of meal and if it is over the amount, every employee should get approved by head department or CEO. Also receiving gift are only allowed under $200 or promotional items with corporate logo items but cash or cash equivalent are not allowed. If item is more than $200, it also need to get special approval from Head of Dept or CEO. Moreover, if giver is Sovereign, policy is even tougher than others.

It seemed clear and reasonable, but when it comes to apply in Korean culture, presenter told us that it was a bit problem. Around New Year (lunar year) Korean people send gift to whomever they want to thank or show respect. Most believe that the greater gift is the more they show their respect. Gifts are various, such as  a box of fruits to gift certificate. This applies not only to personal life but also in business life to manage relationship with customers, partners and subcontractors e.t.c. Some might think it is very superficial but this is how things work in Korea. Basically it is like Christmas in Korea.

Not only New Year but also marriage or funeral events people send some cash (sometimes including flowers) to show their heart and support. (Anyway this money always comes back when person has their own wedding or family funeral) This means, in order to keep relationship with people in Korea, some cash transactions are necessary.

Therefore when this new policy applied in Korea branch company, due to this reason, people could not accept fully. Their argument was, if this policy applies, either employee have to use their personal money to keep customers or take a risk to lose customers.

For this matter, this X bank is in the process of discussion with head quarter. However, once policy has distributed, it is very difficult to make exception, otherwise the power of policy would decrease.

I am really curious how this company would solve this matter, as I myself wonder where to draw line between bribery and receiving/giving gifts. Plus I personally think it is not just a problem in Korea but many other Asian countries.

*Special thanks to Mr. Pyun, who invited me to attend these special lectures!

In the morning of Lunar New Year, Korean people eat aging soup called ‘떡국’ (Tteokguk)

This is one of my favorite dishes which are pretty easy to make as well as very delicious. So when I was young, asked for another rounds, my uncle would joke that “If you eat two bowls, you would gain 2 years”, then I would eat even 3 dishes so that I would become adult quick.

Every region/family has different ways of preparing it specially in terms of making taste of soup. It could be Kelp, oyster, beef leg bones, and beef tail bones, anchovy, and chicken e.t.c. In my house, we always made soup from beef leg bones. My grandma would boil the bones and together with radish and onion in the water for overnight. Probably 6-8 hours. After several times remove grease, the water turns into white just like milk. Then add rice cake, beef, egg and seaweed. Once rice cake is cooked, it’s ready to eat. Salt and pepper can be added as own preference.

So I did the same, but somehow my soup did not turned into white but still tasted good. My husband also liked it very much! Success!!!

There is no clear history when and where this custom has started but probably because rice cake (tteok) symbolize purity and cleanliness that good way to start the New Year. Plus it’s easy to cook a lot as well as tasty!

So If Korean people ask you “How many bowls of tteokguk have you eaten?” then you can just answer how old you are.

Happy New year~~

새해 복 많이 받으세요~(Sae hae bog manh I bad eu se yo)

‘Why not? It would make nice soybean soup’

Soybean soup and Kimchi soup is Korean’s most loved and basic soup.

The key of Soybean soup is definitely soybean paste. Of course house made soybean paste would be great ones at the supermarket is also good enough looks like —–>

Ingredients: Water, Soybean Paste (Doenjang-된장) 1 spoon, 1 Potato, half green (young) pumpkin, half onion, little bit of crushed garlic , Tofu, palmful of  clam, mushrooms.

1. Put water in the pot. I used water from washing rice since it would add more taste. (for avoid impurities, wash rice 2 times and use 3^rd washed water)

If you do not want to use rice water, just use clean water. Add kelp (다시마 Dashima) and Dry anchovy (국물용 멸치)and boil then take them out.

2. Boil water and add palmful of calm.

Tip: before cooking, for about 3 hours at least put clam in water with lots of salt. After few hour calm would spit out all the impurities and sands. Then clean the shell with brush hard.

3. Once it’s boiling skim off the foam and adds one spoon of soybean paste. Gently melt the soybean paste.

4. Then add rest of the vegetables and crushed garlic.

Start with hard vegetable like potato and slowly add soft ones. Tofu and Enokitake mushroom should get in the pot in the last (FYI: my order was Potato-> pumpkin -> Onion -> mushroom -> Tofu)

Since Soybean is salty, usually salt is not necessary to add but if you still want more taste, you can add little tea spoon of beef seasoning (Korean MSG) ‘다시다-Dashida’

5. Done!! Enjoy eating!!

There are lots of ways to make soybean paste soup. basically what you want to put in will be your master piece.

From Daejeon to Buyeo, it takes about 1hour half to 2 hour by car.

The reason why I wanted to go to Buyeo is to see famous beautiful Lotus field which has great love story.

There is also Buyeo National Museum where not only see the exhibition but also have places to do cultural experience. Enterence fee is free, and if you pay 3000 won (2 Euro), you can get headset with MP3 which explaines historical pieces in the museum.

The best thing is, around our wedding day, Buyeo is helding big festival called ‘2010 Great Baekje World Festival’ (From Sept 18th ~ Oct 17th). There will be lots of events and historical shows, I think either before or after wedding, it will be nice place to visit.

There are lots more places to visit in Buyeo and if you want more, check out on Official Buyeo tour website [here]

We decided to have Korea Traditional Wedding and it was way more beautiful and meaningful than we expected.

We had blessing weather and about 450 people came to congratulate us!

Korean traditional wedding was…

1. Opening  ceremony (Pungmul nori)

Since Wedding ceremony is very pleasant event, musical instruments takes place as pre-event in order to make the mood more festive and joyful.

2. Public announcement of the wedding ceremony –Daerye

Unlike western, In Korea marriage is not just about two individual getting married, rather emphasized as joining of the two families. Daerye means Great Ritual which means announcing tow individuals’ and families’ joining to heaven and earth, as well as wishing for good harmony between Ying and Yang (bride and groom)

3. Candle lighting

As beginning of the ceremony, bride’s and groom’s mothers would enter the wedding place and light candles. This candle flames represent the wish of the new couple’s bright future with passion.

This time, mothers would be super careful with light, since if the light goes off, it would be not so good luck. (haha don’t

worry too much Corrie! People will make sure light will go one until the ceremony ends)

4. Girukabi and Groom’s parade

Traditionally a wedding takes place at the house of the bride’s family and groom is traveling to the bride’s house with his attendants playing some musical instruments. Girukabi means person who leading the way to bride’s house holding

couple of wooden wild geese and usually groom asks one of his friend to do it. (Girugi means geese and Abi means man/father in Korean). The reason of using wild geese is because once they bound to each other they never meet another partner.

*This event would take in the wedding place not Suna’s parent’s house

5. Presentation of wild geese

When Girukabi enters wedding place, he gives wooden wild geese to the groom who then places it on the wedding table. Mother-in –law comes out to receive the geese and groom bows twice (This time groom need to put his hands up to his head for showing respect) to mother –in –law. Then mother-in –law takes Girugi in the house (her seat in this case)

6. Bride’s parade

Bride comes with beautifully decorated wagon and she does not show her face until entering the ceremony place. It is hard to believe, but in old days, lots of time, it was first time that the bride and groom see each other. (If groom is too curious, he would ask his friends to peek and see his bride beforehand)

7. Entering to the wedding table and washing hands

Groom walks to the east side of the wedding table and bride walks to the west

side. (Both of them have helper to assist, so no need to worry about figuring out which side is east or west) Then bride and groom face each other across the wedding table. The helpers wash the hands of the bride and groom which symbolizes cleaning both mind and body for the ceremony.

8. Bowing ceremony

The bride bows twice to the groom first then groom bows back once to the bride. The bride then bows two more times to the groom, who bows back once more. Bowing represents the promise of commitment to each other. After bowing, both kneel down and face each other.

9. Drinking and announcing the marriage to the heaven

Bride and Groom drink liquor in the gourd cups. (These cups are produces by splitting in half a whole gourd and symbolizes that the bride and groom each made up one half and only together could they be considered as whole) Both cups will be filled with liquor (by helpers) and both groom and bride drink only half (no one shot!!) then exchange the cups and drink all. Drinking signifies the destiny of the news husband and wife, and their harmony.

10. Weaving red and blue threads

The helpers weave red and blue threads into one and put it to the wedding table. (Represent Ying and Yang) The presenter of the wedding then performs a ritual ceremony to announce the binding of two people and families to the heaven, earth and all other places. He prays for prosperity of two families and asks to the heaven and earth to bring a bright future to new couple.

11. Receiving Girugi

Bride and Groom receive the Girugi (wooden wild geese) from bride’s mom. She would give one to groom and one to bride. This represents that the bride and groom will contribute to only to each other during their whole life.

12. Letter reading and bowing to the parents and guests

Bride and Groom may read a letter to the bride’s parents. (It is because in Korea, bride is consider leaving her family and entering new family –groom’s family, but I think in our case we can read letter to both family) Then they bow to both parents and guests for appreciating their support and joining.

13. Photographing

Of course! Group photo is very important!!!

14. Paebaek (family event-Optional)

We skipped this part, since we are going to have wedding party in Holland. But usually this is also included.

After the wedding, the bride and groom immediately meet their new parents-in Law in an area of the main living room. The groom’s father sits in the east and mother in the west. The bride and groom bows to them. (This is to show their respect to groom’s family and ancestors and expressing their loyalty.) Then I believe, groom’s mother would throw some nuts to both bride and groom hoping for grand children. (Joop and I need to catch these nuts very well this time)

After groom’s family, bride’s family enters the room and does same things.

*Curious guest are allowed to observe

Special Thanks Eunah & Dominik, who provided English brochure so that I would have some Idea and less work.

Every 25^th of June, people in Korea become a little depressed. That’s because 60 years ago today, Korean war has occurred. To be honest, Young generation, including myself does not really know the real pain of the war, it is more of history for us. Even my dad was born one year after the war. (1954)

However that does not mean, we do not have feeling  towards all our ancestors who sacrificed their life. During June, people try not to have fun and remember the sad history.  When I was young, School usually arranged trip to war museum, make event such as writing ‘Thank you’ letter to soldiers and hold essay competition with theme of ” Korean war”. Plus TV series and movies related to Korea War would be aired a lot during June and it still does.

This Year, I was bit nervous to go through this Memorial Day. After Cheon-An boat sink incident, relationship between North and South Korea became very sour and war rumors spread around  the South Korea. Some rumor even said, North Korea would invade South Korea again on 25^th of June, just like 60 years ago. Most of Korean that I know did not believe this rumors but I am sure they were hoping that this rumors would not become real.  Thankfully it did not happen. (It should never ever happen!!)

Unfortunately, between North and South Korea, the War is officially not finished.   I personally want country to become unify, but war is not an option for me. I really hope one day, Korea will become ONE peacefully.

And today I express my sorrow over all the lost lives during the war.

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Now it’s real 2010 for Koreans. Although this year, New Year holiday was bit short due to red-letter day fell on weekend. Still whole Korean went to their hometown to see their family and celebrate together. In Korea, two times a year, whole Korean people move around the country causing serious traffic jam. One time is Korean Thanks giving day (추석) and the other one is Lunar New Year. (설)

People would usually gather at either  first son’s house or where grandpa or grandma’s stays. Day before the New Year, people would gather at appointed house and exchange gifts. (It can be defer depends on family traditions) Then women start cooking and Men usually sit and talk about their life, politic or play with kids. For married couple, people would go to husband’s family first and go to wife’s family day after.

Gifts to exchange Korean cookies (left) Ham (right)

How Korean celebrate New Year can be slightly different according to each family’s tradition and regional differences. Here i will be talk based on my family but it can not be too wrong or different than others.

On the New Year’s Day, first thing most of Korean people would do is to greet to their ancestor. People would sincerely prepare food for their ancestors and do ceremonial bow. In Korea, if you bow once to normal people and bow twice for dead people. This ceremony would probably take about 20 minutes but it depends how many men they have in the house because every man need to serve drinks to ancestor and do bow. 

Greeting to Ancestors

After the ceremony, all the family would gather and have breakfast with special New Year food called ‘떡국’. (See photo right) Only after you eat this special dish, you would gain another age. So my uncle used to joke that if I eat two dishes I would gain 2 years rather than one year.

When breakfast is over, now it’s time to greet among alive people. Usually grandma and grandpa would sit and all the people would do bow saying happy New Year and have lots of luck. Then grandparents would say good words to their children and give children with bit of money. Kids are very looking forward to this moment, since this is the time when they can gain pocket money.

Note: if grandparents or parents are sick, one do not bow. If you bow to sick person, it represnt wishing dead in Korea.

Kids bowing to grandparents wishing happy New Year and getting moeny in return

After greeting is finished, men go to their ancestor’s grave. Once again we do bow twice infront of tomb and tidy up the tomb. This year, I also followed my father and said New Year greeting to my grandfather who passed away when I was 2 years old.

Then most important ceremony is done. Then all the family have fun either do Korean traditional game (윷놀이 yut game) or Korean flower card. Kids are busy playing with snow outside with their cheek turned into red. Sadly this year, due to short holiday, we need to head home early than used to be, otherwise, will be stuck in the traffic jam all the way.

Flower card (left) Yut game (right)

Due to long drive and addtional cooking work for women, it is bit tiry to go to hometown. But still it is good to be home and see whole family. There is nowhere like home.