gimhae limbo

One day of class on Monday, out early, home to pack and not sleep. Too excited? Not sure. Just ready for sun sand citrus...Jeju-do here we go.

Chuseok, what Koreans say is exactly like "your Thanksgiving," but is really nothing like our Thanksgiving. There is no turkey, no mashed potatoes, no pumpkin pie. I'm not really sure if there is any thanksgiving to be had.
There are gifts, also, which is unlike ours. And hollas at the ancestors. Fruit, soju, cigarrettes--whatever items shoved into the soil you think might bring smiles and blessings from the long-dead. Hanboks are out in all their flashy, psychadelic patterned finery. Korean family holiday, where everyone flocks to the tombs of their ancestors or to the beaches to forget about them.
And all we were prepared with were horror stories of trying to travel on these days--which we have been warned with since we first got here. Tuesday - Thursday (Chuseok falling on Wednesday) are the red-calendar days we all are given off. Most schools either have Monday or Friday off--which is another of those no-sense Korean things, because honestly my day of Monday class was a big waste of time teaching to a bunch of empty desks with shells of students already checked out.
But now i'm gone too!!! Another holiday notch to the date book.
Caught an 8am bus out of Gumi to Gimhae, playing it safe to avoid the crazy traffic, only to find my three-party ginger crew to have a full day of relaxing in an airport. It's nice and relaxing. A nice, small, open spaced airport, where we've laid on patios, walked back and forth across the bridges connecting domestic and international, and only just now discovered a free computer lounge. Holiday, holiday, miles away but not there yet...

Rock out wit chuseoks out! -- my phrase of the week. I'm island bound and getting a bit ansy, but only good things are in me and only better things await.