Sae Hae Bok Mani Ba de sayeo!

To all you non koreans it means "I wish you many good fortune in the new year" or something like that.

Here's a little explanation of our tradition taken from some some google search site:

The Koreans focus on the family as they celebrate the beginning of the New Year. Children put on new traditional clothes called hanbok. They kneel and bow to their ancestors and elders. Family members wish each other prosperity and good fortune. Then they exchange gifts. Children receive lucky money, candy and fruit from the elders. The family spends time together and have rice-cake soup for breakfast. Children often take this day to play special New Year games.


I dressed up Elle in a hanbok and basically laid her down in between us when we bowed. Yes, I have Alex bow as well. I taught him early when we were dating and he has always done it. She wasn't too comfortable in it because it was too big and kept trying to eat the painted pictures which we didn't know if it had lead or not so she didn't stay in the dress too long.
We ate the traditional rice cake soup for lunch and it's one of my favorite soups but one of the key ingredient was missing from mine, dumplings, because I don't eat red meat or pork and that usually always has it, even though my mom made it. She made some without meat for me but forgot to bring it to the party at my aunts house. It's ok, I'm used to it because I usually can't eat it anyways.

We stayed for a couple of hours, met family, ate, bowed, and left to go to his families house. Elle got a couple of envelops of money from my parents and her great-grandmother.

None of my aunts gave her any which makes me feel like they forgot about her. It seems like Elle was forgotten this holiday season even though it really isn't about the gifts but I just hope they don't forget her when she is old enough to know better.

A-man told me that his parents were having their own traditional dinner at 4pm, so we rushed over there and as soon as we got there, his sister and her family were on their way out to go see a movie, his mom was out shopping, and his dad was watching football, What fucking tradition is that. I'm not sure if MIL just told him that for us to be there or if she really believed it to be happening but just don't make up traditions just because you don't have any. We left after 10 minutes.

The night ended with a fight, which resulted with Elle sleeping in her crib for the first time ever. She did really well and only woke up once. I slept in her room on the floor but even if I didn't have a fight, I don't think I would feel comfortable if I had left her on her own her very first night alone. The fight is another story that is based on a constant struggle between A-man and I but I'm not going to go into it cuz I'd rather forget it. I'll just have to deal with it.

New year's day 2008 was a day to remember. Elle turned 6 month old, she wore a hanbok for the first time, She ate rice cereal, and slept in her crib overnight for the first time. The days are passing so fast and it makes me sad to think that she will be grown up in no time but it also excites me to think that there will be so many great memories this year with many "new" events happening. I will be there day and night to capture each memorable moment in my heart, mind and hopefully in film as well.

Sae Hae Bok Mani Ba de sayeo!