We arrived at my parents' home in West Liberty, OH late on May 6th, where we found them (to my surprise) up well past their bedtimes and waiting for us. Introductions were said bilingually as everyone from both sides forgot their greetings they had been practicing due to the overwelming moment. Particularly touching was the way JooYeon's mother burst into tears when she embraced my mom.
The next morning we headed out on a sloshy walk through the woods to Harry's cabin, where I would be hosting a bachelor's party of sorts with my male friends. At one point, after rounding a bend in the trail, it seemed like we had lost them behind us. Going back for them, I found her uncle digging rapidly in the dirt with a stick. Before long, all the ladies were squatting down around various trees and digging. As it turned out, there was an edible plant which is somewhat expensive in Korea growing wild all around the cabin (and our house). They harvested a fair amount of it and we ate it that evening!
As a token of their thankfulness, JooYeon's family had brought the gift of a traditional tea set to give to my parents. They took us through the careful rituals of how the tea was poured and shared with family. It reminded me of the grand monk JooYeon and I had drank tea with in our first travel together as friends. Dad made up for any yoga inadequacies with his amazing ability to sip tea politely from a sideways position.
It's really neat to read the experiences your families have had getting to know each other. It really reminds me of the first meeting with Wenwei's parents before she and my brother got married. So many cultural things that are neat to each family.
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