Cup of Tea.

Tea aroma listening house.

차 향기 듣는 집.

(my mom is soo funny)

. . .

raspberry tea? i think that's what it is. It was delicious.
Sweet.. sour.. YUM.

복분자 차. 정말... 맛있었다.
여기에서 마시면서 갑자기 내가 로얄티가 된 기분???

Omija Tea.

Not sure what that is in english.

Preferably i like this tea better. You can't see it but there were flower shaped cut pears inside the tea. It was soooooo pretty. The color is prettier than the raspberry tea.

Isn't it?

오미자차.

색깔 까지 예쁜차.

정말 예뻣다. 마시기도 아까울 정도로.

솔직히 난 오미자차가 더 맛있었다.

다음에가면 복분자차 말고 오미자차 마셔야지~

. . .

Inside where we were sitting we got this beautiful view of the front of the tea house.

Its pretty isn't it?

It was so oriental.

I loved it.

I felt like i was in one of those Olden day Korean dramas.

I should've been in a PRETTY hanbok.

마침 무슨 사극에 출연한듯?

황진이? 아니야.. 다진이.

한복을 입여야된다는 기분.

나는 다진이 일세!!

푸하하하하!

쏘리.

outside our window.

Sippin' our Tea

분위기있게 차 마시는 중.

Wonder where i am in all these pictures?

Im the one behind the camera... why?

Cause those two cannot take pictures.

I mean im no professional.. but.. they just..

SUCK.

내가 한국 놀러갔는데..

정작 내 사진은 없다.

와이? 이분들은 사진을 못 찍는다. -_-

엄마 이번에 올떼는..

사진 찍는 기줄을 배워 오길 바래.

^^

When the world moves on..

Right before we got the news..my grandma passed away the night before my uncle, my mom, and i were making plans to go to this wonderful.. delicious.. 수제비 house. The house that is famous for its 수제비.

but.

That morning we got the news.. we didn't feel like stepping out of the house.

but.

we still went. because we needed to head out anyway. knowing my mom was going to leave the next day. knowing there was nothing we could do at the moment. knowing we were all lost. out of our minds. just left with no feelings.

. . .

got to admit... IT WAS DELICIOUS!

brotha and sista.





Dong Dong Joo.

Korean alcohal made with 100% rice.

My first sip of alcohal in KOREA.
Honestly.. it was not good.
Bitter. Nasty. Ehh.

삼촌: 수제비 먹는데 동동주는 마셔줘야지.
엄마: 너 운전 해야되잖아!

삼촌: 안걸려.. 낮에는 안 걸려 괜찮아. 조금만 마실건데 뭐.
엄마: 그래도 운전 해야지!

삼촌: 아이..야.. 괜찮다니까.
엄마: 그래.. 술 생각나지? 마음이 먹먹한게..

삼촌: 어.. 이모!!! 동동주 작은거요.

엄마도 결국엔 두잔 마셨다. 삼촌이랑 엄마랑.. 수제비 먹구 난뒤.. 얼굴이
빨~~ 같게.

수제비집에 들어가기전: 정상

나올떼: 뉴규??

My Grandma

March 29, 2009... the day my beloved grandma passed away.

April 3, 2009... the funeral.

. . .

Today is the 22nd of April.

I can't believe it has been nearly a month since my grandma passed away.

I got here the 24th.. and not even five days i got here, the grandma that has been near my side my whole entire life has left this world. I was right next to her the whole entire time, from the moment I first came to seattle, the moment i first learned to walk, the first day i went to school, my graduation, the moment she fell sick, the moment she was hospitalized for months, and until the day i left... all this time i was with her but she decided to leave when my mom and i werent there. All my life I was right next to her.... except the day she chose to take her last breath. It was hard to realize that she wouldn't be there when I go back. That I wouldn't be able to see her in front of the house planting the flowers she loved so much.

It was already hard enough to accept my grandma was no longer in my life.. but to accept the fact that I wasn't able to attend her funeral was the biggest challenge. I didn't care about my internship.. I forgot the reason why I came to Korea in the first place... I didn't care. I wanted to be with my mom.. my family and be there when they officially let her go. It was aggravating to be in this foreign place.. by myself..when my family was all together supporting each other and being a family. It was more unbearable when i still had to go to work.... knowing that it was the day of the funeral. It makes me sad that i'm never going to get that additional chance.

It was difficult to see my mom fall apart. I always knew she was also someone's child.. a daughter.. but it was a concept that i understood with my mind but not my heart. Seeing her cry out for her mom, my grandma, I finally understood with my heart that she was a daughter too... like I, and one day I was going to be in her place. It made me sad to even think about the day it happens.

My grandma has taught me so much ... about life even at her death. Through all of this I learned people live on.. even after death... because that's life. The world keeps on moving forward.

"Life is what happens, when you are busy making other plans" - John Lennon -

It really is true. While my mom and I were busy setting our daily schedule in Korea... places to go.. places to visit.. getting ready for my interview.. life happened. We were missing out on the pain my grandma was going through. We missed out on her last day....

\

. . .

I miss you 할머니... and i know you are in a better place being the independent, strong, and charismatic woman you are.

I love you.. and I'm sorry..

Spring Veggies.

Do you remember the Spring Veggies??

The one I had to carry allll over korea?

Well.. this is what my WONDERFUL

mom did to them.

그 무거운 나물들을 기억하십니까?

우리 엄머님께서 그 초록색 채소들은 이렇게 변화를 시켜주었씁니다.

두룩 + 달래 + 시금치 + 더덕 + 미나리 + i dont know 내가 모르는 봄 나물!

At my SamChon's

정우 삼촌네 서.. 향이 가득한 봄나물과 함께~

Sister & Brother.

삼촌: " 와... 맛있네.. 와.. 누나.. 이 나물들 쥑인다....."

삼촌: ".... 와..... 와....... 진짜 최고다."

After..... all gone! SO GOOD.

( for those of you meat lovers... you would absolutely love it too.)

봄. 나. 물. 의 위력.

밥 두 그릇 뚝딱!

Sister and Brother. It's weird to think my mom is an older sister herself who has a younger brother. Seeing my uncle and my mom together made me think..

"Is this what Joonsu & Me will look like 3o years from now?"

I hope so. (:

우리엄마.

엄마가 엄마가 아닌 누구의 누나라는게 이상하기만 하다.

정우 삼촌이 과 엄마는 너무나도 다정하게 얘기하고. 웃기도하고. 너무나도 보기 좋은 그림(?) 이였던같다. 그러면서 나는 느꼈다. 30년 뒤에 나와 준수에 모습도 이렇겠지????

30년 뒤에 나랑 준수도 삼촌 과 엄마 모습처럼, 어색하지 않는, 다정한 사이였으면 좋겠당~!

Dessert.

My uncle bought them for me.

Fresh roasted chestnuts. MmmmMmm!
Karen this is for you. (:

삼촌이 사준 군밤! 너무 맛있었어!!!

보이십니까????

모래로 구운 밤.