Spam?????
A big holiday, Solnal, has just been celebrated here in Korea. Solnal is the lunar new year's day and all Korean's declare themselves one year older. I hope that doesn't mean I'm one year older as well because that would make me 32 in Korean since at birth you are already one in this country. On Solnal it is traditional for families to get together and and eat traditional foods and visit their ancestors' graves. Children wear traditional costumes called Hanboks (as seen above) and bow to their relatives who in turn give them money. This is why most Korean children will tell you Solnal is their favorite holiday. Some people hit loud drums to ward off the evil spirits of the past and welcome a prosperous and joyful new year. This year is the year of the pig so there are golden pig souvenirs all over the place now. A traditional gift on this joyous day is Spam.....yes Spam. Our boss was delighted to give Jennifer and I his deluxe package of Spam and olive oil and we respectfully thanked him. I guess I'll have to find some good Spam recipes. Happy Lunar New Year to everyone!
-Heather