Hanbok at school

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Every month at the Kindergarten they hold a birthday party. This makes sure that everyone who has had a birthday that month gets to celebrate it and be the belle (or beau) of the ball. Korean ages are a little different to how we figure it in the West. They use the system that when a baby is born it is already 1 year old, and every 1st January you get a year older. (Im sure Ive misrepresented that so feel free to correct me...!) So, a Korean 30yr old is maybe a Western 28 or 29. It doesn't half manage to age you overnight, arriving here and instantly gaining 2 years. It can work for you the other way though. When my class try and guess my age, they've variously put me at 26, 24 or thereabouts. I can then take 2 years from that to feel better that they see me as a possible 22 year old....! And, dont say it.. I know they're only about 8 or 9 themselves and have no concept of "old" other than grandmothers...It makes me feel good, so its ok! It has managed to confuse me as to how old I really am. According to my passport I'm 34, on the school certificate it states I'm 36. I'm going with the kids.. you know what they say about kids and the truth..

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Back to the kindergarten. The two good things about a kindergarten birthday are; firstly for me kindergarten classes are cancelled (hurrah) so I have an easy morning. The bonus to this also is that parties are usually on a Friday - and that is song day. Couldn't be better! But also, the children who are being honoured come to school in their hanbok. This is what I guess would now be called tradition dress. You do it see it still quite a lot with older generations wearing it for formal occasions such as weddings, and also special days like Chuseok (thanksgiving). For women it is so elegant looking, colourful and made out of silk. It is said that it isn't all that comfortable to wear and I can believe that, as it does look like a dolls outfit, but when you see them floating down the street in the hanbok, it's a very graceful sight.

the children who are being honoured come to school in their hanbok