Housewarming 집들이(jib-deul-ee)

The ornaments of your house will be the guests who frequent it.  ~Author Unknown




If this quote is to be believed, then our new little home in Seoul has been duly ornamented.  Mr. Logical and I were touched and pleased that so many were able to stop by our housewarming party on a rainy Seoul Saturday evening to lift a glass and wish us well, and our hearts as well as our home were truly warmed.  It was an evening of good food, good drink, and good cheer; a completely ordinary evening rendered extraordinary by the laughter, kindness and warmth brought to our home by these new friends of ours.  While I was far too busy talking and drinking to take any pictures (this will come as no surprise to those who know me personally,) I do have some impressions to share from a wonderful evening:

• The Korean tradition of removing shoes in the home is a visual pat on the back for the host or hostess. Nothing makes you feel loved like an entryway full of shoes (thanks to Son #2, who said he thought this shot summed up the party perfectly.)
• The setting does not matter.  The size of the apartment, the furniture you have (or don't have), the sumptuousness of the food (or lack thereof), and the fact that the drinks are being served in plastic cups do not in any way affect the success of your endeavor if the friendships are warm, the music is good, and the margaritas contain enough tequila.
• Friendships grow quickly here.  In the expat community, people you have known for just weeks can feel as close as family.  There's something about being thousands of miles away from home in a new country that builds relationships faster than just about anything else.
• Even when your 'kitchen' comprises only a few cabinets and a worktop, it's still the place where everyone ends up.  I have no idea how this happened, since it defies all the laws of physics, but it did, and I was right there in the mix.
• People are incredibly thoughtful.  We never thought of gifts when extending our invitations, but people arrived with all kinds of beautiful and thoughtful touches for our home (including some very welcome bottles of wine - the bottom drawer of the kimchi fridge is now replenished.)
• Speaking of gifts, it is traditional in Korea to give practical, useful gifts at a housewarming, some of which you would not expect to receive back home, but which are nonetheless deeply appreciated, and which provided the best photo op of the evening:  

Yes, it's starting to feel like home.