We wanted to meet one last time before the fall holidays, so what better occasion than on EMESE’s birthday. This gathering wasn’t planned; we organized it at the last minute. The weather wasn’t really on our side, so we decided to go eat at a restaurant. We chose the Natsu restaurant in the market hall. It was a Japanese restaurant, which allowed us to try a new culture and talk about the differences with Korean culture. As decoration, there were chandeliers with Japanese writing. I asked Minju and Yang if they could read the words and if they were similar in Korean. They explained that the ‘simple’ characters were similar, but the more complex ones were different between the two countries, so they couldn’t read them.
We discussed birthday traditions in our countries. For example, in France and Germany, it’s considered bad luck to wish someone a happy birthday in advance, whereas this isn’t the case at all in Korea. To my surprise, I learned that there is a Korean age system. I had never heard of that before. Minju and Yang explained that in their country, they are considered to be one year older because, at birth, a child is already considered one year old. This tradition was quite surprising to me, but it does make sense.
Yang and Minju ordered Tonkatsu, and I ordered a Lohi Poke Bowl. Emese only had a drink as she wasn’t hungry. My dish particularly reminded me of the meal we cooked for Chuseok: Bibimbap. I must say, I discovered Asian food thanks to Minju and Yang, as before coming here, I only knew sushi, and I really love these dishes! I think I’ll go back before leaving. It’s something completely different from French dishes. They are much fresher, whereas most of our dishes are served hot, so the flavors are very different. However, I wouldn’t say they’re lighter, because rice is quite filling, so you definitely don’t leave the table hungry!
During this gathering, we mainly talked about our holiday plans. Yang is planning to go to Paris! I can’t wait to hear his feedback, to know what he thought, what he liked the most, and whether he tried our famous croissants!
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