Five years ago, when I was still in my home country, I never thought of what my students say when they tell me that married women here in Korea are the strongest. I, for one, had never been in to this country so, I took it only as a joke. How could have any married woman in the world be different? But since I married and came here, I found their words to be true.
An "아가씨" is a single woman in Korea. Once this single woman married, she therefore enters to the world of "Ajummas."
Ajummas are of no difference from any other humans, except they are wives, mothers, companions, daughters and career women-all-of-a-sort. They are believed to be 'super-humans' because of their strength... they are strongest after giving birth to their children.
They are happiest with other ajummas around, singing trot music and chatting almost everything from their family lives to what side dishes to make, what Sauna is the best or where is the biggest sale in town, like that. They wear colorful fashion of clothes that are uniquely different from the others.
They are fiercest when they ride buses, the way they talk loudly in public areas like subway, parks or just anywhere; arguing to another ajussi about a certain misconduct is always a scene.
But on the other side of these things, they are warm partners for their husbands, and a gentle, loving mom for their children.
My mom-in-law, is for one, a good example.
She worked hard for my husband's family, raised five children, and is a good housekeeper and a loyal wife to my father-in-law. A good daughter to my husband's grandmother, a good companion to her friends, one who enjoys good laughs and has a pretty number of "계모임."
In any case, I admire her for just being like that. She is one of those people who help me a lot when I came here in Korea. She treated me like no other from her family.
And... I'm so thankful for her... and I love here being like a true mom for me.
Parent's day is almost at the corner and I'd like to say thanks to my mom-in-law and to my dad-in-law too for bringing up such a man and a father to me and my daughter, Chloe.
Without Ajummas, ajussis would be quite so bored, don't you think so?
I know that surely 'coz I am now one of them, too.
An "아가씨" is a single woman in Korea. Once this single woman married, she therefore enters to the world of "Ajummas."
Ajummas are of no difference from any other humans, except they are wives, mothers, companions, daughters and career women-all-of-a-sort. They are believed to be 'super-humans' because of their strength... they are strongest after giving birth to their children.
They are happiest with other ajummas around, singing trot music and chatting almost everything from their family lives to what side dishes to make, what Sauna is the best or where is the biggest sale in town, like that. They wear colorful fashion of clothes that are uniquely different from the others.
They are fiercest when they ride buses, the way they talk loudly in public areas like subway, parks or just anywhere; arguing to another ajussi about a certain misconduct is always a scene.
But on the other side of these things, they are warm partners for their husbands, and a gentle, loving mom for their children.
My mom-in-law, is for one, a good example.
She worked hard for my husband's family, raised five children, and is a good housekeeper and a loyal wife to my father-in-law. A good daughter to my husband's grandmother, a good companion to her friends, one who enjoys good laughs and has a pretty number of "계모임."
In any case, I admire her for just being like that. She is one of those people who help me a lot when I came here in Korea. She treated me like no other from her family.
And... I'm so thankful for her... and I love here being like a true mom for me.
Parent's day is almost at the corner and I'd like to say thanks to my mom-in-law and to my dad-in-law too for bringing up such a man and a father to me and my daughter, Chloe.
Without Ajummas, ajussis would be quite so bored, don't you think so?
I know that surely 'coz I am now one of them, too.
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