Kimchi Mamas

Dol Pictures at Apartment Therapy

We live in a small place, so I love the furniture and design suggestions at Apartment Therapy (even though a lot of the stuff is way out of my price range.)

Today in the Nursery section, Julia shares pictures of her nephew's dol celebration. I love the soccer ball on the toljabee table.

--Weigook Saram

Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

You Say It's Your Birthday

I just got a somewhat urgent voicemail from my (Korean) dad, asking if I could please email him the birthdates (including birth years) of—*ahem*—myself, huz G, our twins, my brother, brother's wife (aka FingKASIL), and my two nephews.

We have never been a birthday-oriented kind of family (in case you didn't notice). About a year and a half ago, my dad began dating a woman. I believe said woman is whipping his delinquent-birthday-wishing butt into shape to make sure they do something other than make a quick phone call on our birthdays. Not that I care—I'm used to it.

Is it just my family or are all Korean families like this?

A Cousin's Dol

We spent yesterday afternoon at a dol party for one of my daughter's second cousins. I used to dread big Korean family gatherings, but lately I've started feeling more relaxed. The birthday boy is Korean-Chinese, so we feasted on a ten-course Chinese banquet, heavy on seafood dishes. Yum! The dol table was set with the traditional rice cakes and fruit sculpted into animal shapes. The baby chose a pen in the toljabee, and later his three-year-old brother entertained us with an off-key rendition of Happy Birthday. We all ate more than we should have, and Bella stuffed her face with birthday cake and dduk.

Alas, no family gathering (Korean or otherwise) would be complete without an awkward moment or two. I overheard Imobu grilling my husband about our plans for a second child.

Imobu: When are you having another one?
Husband: We're not.
Imobu: Not yet, you mean.
Husband: No, never.
Imobu: Why not?
(And so on.)

--Weigook Saram