I have a Korean family now

In my previous post I told you how we went to Cheonan to meet our homestay families.  And that is true.  But what I didn't tell you is how incredibly nervous I was to meet my family.  Well, maybe not incredibly nervous.  Not like the most nervous I've ever been.  But still a little nervous.  What if they hated me?  What if we couldn't communicate?  What if they're scared of foreigners?  So many things to consider.  But it was all pointless because they were great people and I love them.

When my bus group entered the church we all sat on the right side of the church while our families sat on the left side.  They had decorated the entrance with balloons and streamers and all looked so happy to see us.  We were welcomed with a prayer, then a speech, and then we were matched with our families.

After meeting our families we went to the parish hall and had a super delicious dinner together.  All homemade Korean food that tasted incredible.  And during dinner a woman came up and gave me 3 four leaf clovers.  I always wanted one!  Super cool.

Following dinner my team member, Justina, and I went with our family to a grocery store where I was forced to choose a fruit (apples) and we bought some food.  Then we went home and prayed and talked together through a workbook that had been provided by someone somewhere.  I'm still not sure where that came from.  The Daejeon Diocese maybe?  In any case, it was really nice.  I learned that my homestay mom is a convert but that my homestay dad comes from generations and generations of Catholics, just like me.

After family prayer/discussion time, we got ready for bed.  After I finished getting ready, my brother told me that his friend was coming over.  My brother, his friend (now my other brother), Justina, then all sat around and ate and talked and just generally got to know one another.  It was really fun.  Eventually we all went to bed and I woke up at 4:00 am because I still had horrible jet lag from being in America only 2 days before.

Look!  It's a total normal Korean bed!

Surprise!  It's a stone bed!  What's a stone bed?  It's a bed with a stone mattress.  So you can recreate the Korean experience of sleeping on the floor while being elevated.  This is a real thing.

Hanging out before bed with (clockwise from left) my homestay brother, brother's friend, me, and team little sister

The next morning we woke up, got ready, and I helped my mom make breakfast.  I wasn't very good at it.  I made a sandwich and took a bite and then she caught me and said I wasn't supposed to eat yet.  Oops.  But she laughed a lot so I think it's ok.  My dad was already gone because he had to work but after breakfast the rest of our family piled into the car and went back to church so that Justina and I could load back onto the bus.  Before we left we took photos together and my mom hugged us a bajillion times.  It was super cute.

Morning breakfast!

I helped make some of this!  I only did an okay job.

Team little sister, homestay Mom, and me

Team little sister, me, homestay brother, brother's friend.  Do you see the awkward sibling photo stance?  

Full family photo!  Mom came in to make us all squeeze together like a real family.

A couple of other things I want to talk about.  Their house.  OMG.  So beautiful.  I've been in Korean homes before but this one was by far the prettiest.  Everything was clean and shiny and new.  They live in an apartment that has a new kitchen and a western-style table and chairs.  There are 4 bedrooms (one was an office) and at least 1 bathroom, probably 2.  But they have no living room furniture.  Just a TV and then they sit on the floor.  This is super common in Korea but then I always kind of wonder, where do you guys take naps if not on the couch?

Also, my bedroom had a bed an a mat for the floor (also common in Korea, their floors are squishy!).  The interesting thing, though, was that the bed was a stone bed.  What, you say?  A bed made of stone?  Exactly.  Because Korean people often sleep on the floor, they're used to sleeping on hard surfaces so they made beds out of stone that are heated underneath.  I'd seen them in stores before but never in real life so I of course took a picture.  Like a weirdo.

Finally, I just want to say that my family was the nicest ever.  My mom was exactly what you want your friends' moms to be.  Overly caring and sweet and kind and slightly embarrassing of their own children.  My dad was nice and stoic, the way dads kind of are.  And both brothers were really friendly and kind.  I really hope to be able to meet them all again.

Any questions for me?  I feel like I've left out a million things but I just don't know what everyone wants to know.  Tell me and I will answer!