Korea has a holiday similar to America's Thanksgiving called Chuseok...and it's this weekend. I believe Chuseok celebrates a good harvest (summer is almost over in Korea), but mainly it's a family holiday. Because it's a 3-day holiday, I get a 4-day weekend! Most of the kindergarten students at my school wore their Hanbok (Korean traditional outfits) on Friday. They looked so lovely I had to take photos. I want a Hanbok so bad, but where would I wear it?
Silly kids :)
They look like little people. All grown up.
We made fake 'songpyeon,' which is a traditional sweet Korean rice cake with a sugar filling made every Chuseok. The kids had a ball making it even though we couldn't eat them.
First, you mix the rice dough.
The students watched the Korean homeroom teacher, Sunny teacher (I love her English name :P), demonstrate the first step. She added a little bit of sugar into the rice dough mix.
Then you roll the dough into small balls, make an indentation in the middle, and pour a little brown sugar in the indentation.
Finally, you pinch the dough closed into half circles and you have 'songpyeon.' The students said they looked like 'mandu' (Korean dumplings) and I have to agree they do.
Our head English teacher, Chris, made a 'songpyeon' that looked like Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty should be an international ambassador for cultural exchange because kids everywhere seem to love her! The class was fighting over it, so what to do...? Rock scissors paper, of course!
