Heading to Seoul

It will be winter but hopefully Seoul will still be bustling.

So tomorrow Rory and I leave for Seoul and attempt to leap the second major hurdle in our quest for matrimony. The first, of course, was meeting Rory’s mom earlier in the year. That time, I was nervous until I saw that she was just as nervous, having never been outside Korea and meeting her daughter’s Canadian fiancée for the first time. Then, the language barrier was accepted and Rory translated for us both.

This time it’s different because I will be the one out of my element. Not only will I have to present myself to Rory’s father and brother, I will also be bowing low to grandma, uncles and some neighbors. I promised Rory’s mom six months ago that I would learn Korean for when I come to Korea and meet the rest of the family, as they might not be as accepting for Rory to translate everything.

I have been trying for the last six months to be at least a little conversational in Korean. Unfortunately I am not going to be able to understand a lot. I find that Korean is difficult to hear because of all the formal endings attached to everything. The ‘aiyos’ and ‘imnidas’ mask the root words and so I have to try very hard to hear what few words I might recognize. I hope that they are a little impressed with what I’ve learned and maybe being in Korea will help me too.

The ceremonies will require me to dress formally, bow in unison with Rory in front of each person, say a phrase that I have yet to learn and present gifts. I will be spending a good amount of time on my knees, nodding in feigned understanding and most likely looking to Rory to translate. I hope hope hope that they respond to me similarly to Rory’s mom. Even though we can hardly speak, she seems to like me a lot.

Some of the Gifts we will be presenting:

Chinese medicine, fine spirits, diamond jewelery and envelopes filled with cash

And then there are Rory’s friends. I actually look forward to meeting some young, fun Koreans as I expect they will understand English even if they are uncomfortable speaking it. I look forward to going out for Korean BBQ and eating great kimchi. I look forward to exploring the city again, even though it will be cold. I look forward to spending time with Rory visiting the old Korean house where we will be married in May as well as checking out the hotels and places we will recommend to our guests. I look forward to cold weather (and maybe snow) after living in a desert for 2 years. I am just nervous about meeting the family.

Wish us luck!