Happy Lunar (not just "Chinese") New Year!

Today, in honor of the Lunar New Year, I went to Kate's preschool to read her class a story and talk to the kids about how Koreans celebrate. Since everyone in the U.S. refers to Lunar New Year as "Chinese New Year," I felt it was my obligation to give Korea a shout out on behalf of Kate and the Kang side of the family, as part of my on-going Korean-Culture-Re-Education-Plan for all Americans. It was very sweet how excited Kate was to have me visit her class. When she saw me come down the path, she screamed, gave me a big hug, and then shouted, "Ms. Carrie, Ms. Mary, MY MOM IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!" Ms. Mary, who has a terrific sense of humor, also screamed, "KATE'S MOM IS HERE!" I read the book, "New Clothes for New Year's Day," a sweet, simple story about a Korean girl putting on her traditional Korean dress on New Year's Day. I brought along Kate's hanbok and all the accessories that are pictured in the book: the shoes, socks, hat, hair ribbon, norigae dress ornament, and drawstring purses. The kids were very attentive and a few of them had questions about the accessories. Kate's teachers really loved seeing Kate's Korean dress, never having seen one before, and wanted to know everything about it. Kate proudly said, "It's my hanbok!" Ms. Mary said it was so beautiful, they should make an American Girl doll version of it. I thought so, too, but explained that since Korea's a tiny country with China and Japan looming over it, it usually gets short shrift and we can't compete. Teachers that they are, they immediately sympathized and said, "Oh, well, that's okay. We know!" Bwahahaha (evil laugh). My re-education plan was working... Kate and I talked to the class about the traditional Korean bow, sae bae, and how kids receive lucky money as a reward. Ms. Mary laughed and said, "Positive reinforcement. Terrific!" The teachers also wanted to learn how to say, "Happy New Year" in Korean. Kate and I said it for them, and they laughed, saying it was difficult to remember. Ms. Carrie joked that it had taken them years to be able to say "Gung Hay Fat Choy." Afterwards, Kate and I handed out kid-sized chopsticks for everyone. I think the kids enjoyed that part the most. Ms. Carrie asked Kate to explain what they were and what they were for. Kate said, "They're chopsticks, for eating Korean food!" Then Ms. Carrie said, "You can eat sushi with them!" Well, sushi is technically Japanese... sigh. As Kate and I left the school, a Mom stopped us and thanked us for the chopsticks. She said, "Zoe told me they were for eating sushi!" Proving that the Korean-Culture-Re-Education Plan is not only necessary, but must continue. Just to cap-off Lunar New Year's Day, Kate and Appa took a walk around the neighborhood, and Kate said, "Maybe we'll see another rainbow!" And she did! ' This was the rainbow from two days ago: And while we're at it, here's a shot of the sunset from a few weeks ago:

Sae hae bok mani badu sae yo!