A few weeks ago we were waiting for sandwiches at Quiznos and playing with Ellora. A Korean couple with a baby boy looking to be near her age came in and were waiting nearby. Their boy was looking and Ellora and smiling so I brought her closer for them to meet. The father, who goes by Lewis, started talking to us with really good English and he mentioned that he was planning on moving to Canada next year. His wife, Anna, spoke some English and seemed very sweet. Their son is named Aaron and is just a year old.
We continued to chit chat a little while we were still waiting and then eating our meals. Before leaving the store I asked if they would like to exchange contact details and we could get together to let the babies play together; they were happy to do so and with that we had made new friends!
Fast track to last week during the Korean Thanksgiving weekend, Chuseok, and Joe and I were heading to their home for dinner. I was going to invite them to our place but he beat me to it! Here's what we found when we arrived:
Lewis and Anna are living in this beautiful country home with mountain views out their front door. The have two outdoor cats and a bunch of chickens, as well as a big greenhouse and several small veggie gardens - everything I want someday! The in-laws live nearby and own a pear orchard. He is renting this home while on contract for a job in the shipyards. I'll give a description of the inside which was modernized, so not the original traditional style. Right away when you enter the house, you are standing in a hallway that leads to an unexplored room to the left and their laundry room on the right. Walking straight through the door across the hall you enter their large living room/playroom. They have one small sofa and then large mats on the floor for sitting, plus a bunch of really nice baby toys.To the left of the living room you can go into the kitchen which is open to the laundry room. Anna and Lewis had renovated the home a bit when they moved in, so they had nice fresh and bright wallpaper and floors.
Ellora and Aaron were put into the living room to play together while we prepared the food.
Getting ready for the formal greeting and introduction.
Aaron is so nicely sharing his piano.
Ellora loved being in the ball house.
It was a gorgeous Indian summer evening so we decided to eat outside on the platform that Lewis had built himself on the side of the house. Except for all the flies, it was a really pleasant meal, outside in the late afternoon sun. I brought along a banana bread an lemon raspberry squares which seemed to be a crowd-pleaser.
They were very cute in their meal choice, since they wanted to make an "American style" meal for us. Both of them have spent some time in Australia so they are familiar with western dining. Lewis was bbq-ing steaks and Anna had prepared a bunch of side dishes such as green salad, pumpkin salad and noodles, and corn soup. Right away when we sat down at the table we were offered forks and knives and they made sure we both had plates. This is in contrast to their other family members who were dining with us (Anna's parents and brother and sister-in-law, and their children) who just made do with whatever other cutlery and dishes were around. During the course of the meal they of course asked what kinds of Korean foods we like, and were surprised by our answers. After talking about t for awhile, they admitted they had discussed before what kind of meal to serve but weren't sure if we would like Korean or not, so they were embarrassed about their choices! It was very cute and kind of them to think so considerately about us like that.
After eating we went inside with all the kids and let them play together. At first Ellora was being shy but after a little time she started to have fun with the other kids and enjoy Aaron's toys. Here are some shots of them playing together:
Ellora the destruction artist.
Our hosts, Anna, Aaron and Lewis, and their nephew, aka the dinosaur.
The niece and Ellora having a blast in the swing.
And finally, a couple videos of Ellora havng such a good time at their house. First, crawling in the long hallway, and second loving the swing:
We look forward to spending more time getting to know Anna and Lewis before they go to Canada next year. It's nice to have a Korean family as friends!
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