My friend (half of the couple who teaches me Korean) opened her hakwon (academy) today. It's a kind of English academy called a library hakwon with lots of different children's books, arranged according to their levels. Some of my favorites are there, along with tons of classics - the Harry Potter series, Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown, Louis Sachar's Holes, Andrew Clements' Frindle, etc. Parents pay a monthly fee and their children can come read any of the books they have.
I got to meet her family (and pet bird!), and a multitude of both Koreans and foreign teachers came. Part of the refreshments included pineapple rings soaked in vodka, and a watermelon with some vodka seeped inside.
When I first arrived, another foreign teacher told me, “Feed the pig!” I didn't realize at first what he meant, but then I saw a pig's head stuffed with money. I put some money in and noticed that the head felt moist and clammy, not like rubber or plastic.
So I had to ask: “Is the pig's head real?”
Yes. It was real.
When Korea was much poorer, everyone was thin. If someone was fat, everyone thought, Wow, they must be rich. Since pigs are massive animals, they came to symbolize wealth and fortune. So it is a Korean tradition to have a real pig's head at a business's grand opening. Apparently people bow to the pig and drink a shot of soju for good luck.
I'm not really into bowing to pigs' heads to gain wealth, but it was super interesting to see the pig's head there and hear about its origins.
I got to meet her family (and pet bird!), and a multitude of both Koreans and foreign teachers came. Part of the refreshments included pineapple rings soaked in vodka, and a watermelon with some vodka seeped inside.
When I first arrived, another foreign teacher told me, “Feed the pig!” I didn't realize at first what he meant, but then I saw a pig's head stuffed with money. I put some money in and noticed that the head felt moist and clammy, not like rubber or plastic.
So I had to ask: “Is the pig's head real?”
Yes. It was real.
When Korea was much poorer, everyone was thin. If someone was fat, everyone thought, Wow, they must be rich. Since pigs are massive animals, they came to symbolize wealth and fortune. So it is a Korean tradition to have a real pig's head at a business's grand opening. Apparently people bow to the pig and drink a shot of soju for good luck.
I'm not really into bowing to pigs' heads to gain wealth, but it was super interesting to see the pig's head there and hear about its origins.
