Making things sentimental

One thing that differs GREATLY between Korea and America is Korea's lack of sentimental things.  They live such busy lives, they simply don't have the time (or mindset) for all the little special things we hold so dear in America.  For example, we have big holidays like Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July, etc, and we take them really seriously.  Then, we also have smaller holidays like Valentines day and St Patrick's Day, and we still take them seriously.  In Korea, well, they just don't do things the same way we do.

At first, it was really hard for me... haha, I love sentimental things!  Nothing beats a good atmosphere, especially a happy one on a holiday.  Coming to Korea and all of the sudden losing all of my holidays for 2 years was one of the hardest things to give up.... One by one, all of the holidays came and went, without much fanfare, and I just got used to looking at the calendar, realizing the date, and saying something like, "Oh look, it's Christmas Eve, hmm, weird." And that was it.

But then, I have a wonderful thing back at home called a family.

Thanks to them, each and every holiday is accompanied with a package that brings the holiday straight to Korea from good old Utah.  So, today was St Patrick's Day, and I of course made a green breakfast with the pancake mix and green food dye my family sent, all decorated with gold chocolate coins.  My companion, who is a Korean, saw the food and was first freaked out, then just confused.  He had never heard of St Patrick's Day and he had never seen food dye before.  I told him, "Don't worry, it's natural" as I held up the green food dye (because he doesn't eat anything with chemicals, haha, and he believed me) and then I pinched him after I noticed he wasn't wearing any green.  "You're not wearing any green!," I said, "so I get to pinch you!"  He was just beyond confused, haha.  I explained the holiday to him, or at least tried, but he didn't seem to understand.  Like I said, it's just not in their culture to celebrate things like this, so even after I explained everything, he was still just confused and asked me something like, "....so, what's your point?"

Insert deep long sigh right about here.

Anyway, we had a nice breakfast, and I at least felt the holiday spirit as I drank my milk the leprechauns had turned green.  Happy St Patrick's Day, everybody!

Elder Grape