14.239 Wake Spread

Cycle 14 – Item 239

1 (Fri) September 2023

Wake Spread

at Taereung Sungsim Funeral Hall

2.5

-Gongreung, Nowon, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with W and staff

The day was, to put it mildly, eventful: two highs, one devastating low.

HIGH

In the morning, I attended a visit by Korean-American author An Na at SIS.  Last spring, our company had facilitated a bulk order of her most famous book, A Step From Heaven (2001), which was distributed to all middle school students as summer reading, so they’d be prepared for the visit – the SIS library does a stellar job of integrating author visits with access to the author’s book (see also 14.074 Shrimp Tacos).  As recounted masterfully in her presentation, An Na’s experiences growing up in California as a young immigrant from Korea sounded almost exactly like mine.

She discussed how Swanson’s TV Dinners were the only way that she could eat American food at home; specifically, she was fond of the turkey, because even on Thanksgiving, the spread was Korean – turkey was also my favorite because it was the only way that I could eat poultry at home; my father doesn’t eat poultry, so the main event on Thanksgiving was roast beef.

Afterwards, I had lunch with my fellow SIS alum HYM, who works at the school as the director of communications.  Only the second meal that we’ve shared together in our 30+ year history (see previously 12.112 Köttbullar med Potatismos & Sås).

The staff cafeteria, adjacent to the student cafeteria.

As we don’t currently do book fairs at SIS, the opportunity to eat lunch there was a rare treat (though as a parent, I think that I’m allowed whenever I want).   At the time, I’d anticipated that lunch would be the featured meal for the day’s post.

The food was okay.  Like KIS, the staff cafeteria offers the same food that the students are eating, as a buffet.  The food itself was unremarkable, but the ability to pick and choose was nice.

HIGH

After lunch, I drove down to Shinsegae Department Store – Gyeonggi (Jukjeon) to check out our first-ever pop-up sale with the chain, arguably the most prestigious of department stores.  I had given the team a firm directive to enhance our branding at the event, not only to worry about revenue.

I was extremely pleased by the results, including the signage, the displays, and the overall selection of books.

The venue was an open space in the basement, where the premium boutiques are located – the first time that a non-luxury brand was invited to do a pop-up.

But then, I received a call from the office that one of our staff had suddenly lost his father in a traffic accident.  He had been riding a motorcycle.

DEVASTATING LOW

Later that evening, W and I went to the funeral home to pay our respects.  Don’t know why – frankly, I’m not that close to the staff member – I was overcome with emotion, almost to the point of tears.  Even at the wake of MtG’s father, who had died under similar circumstances (see 11.269 Wake Spread) – and he’s my best friend – I hadn’t really felt much.

Duck, rather than the standard pork belly.

(See also IRIS)

(See also HANSIK)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

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