One of the things I love about my in-laws (really!) is how proud they are of Korea and all things Korean. They are fiercely proud of their culture, heritage, and country. If it's from Korea, it must be good. This can get taken to an extreme (such as the time GH's mom insisted that Korean cotton is the best cotton in the whole world; while I'm sure it's nice, I think most people hear "cotton" and think "Egypt.") The bottom line is that they are proud of who they are and where they are from, and I admire that.
All this is leading up to a discussion we had about Asian pears. We bought a box of them at Costco yesterday. Yum! Normally, GH's parents call them Korean pears and talk about how great they are for you, how tasty, etc. My mother-in-law sliced one up for me and my father-in-law to share when we got home with the box. It was quite tasty, but a little on the sour side. (Here, finally is the potentially funny part.) Here is the discussion:
FIL: This Korean pear is not very good!
MIL: Oh, this is not a Korean pear. It's a CHINESE pear. That's why it's no good.
I was totally cracking up. I'm sure that Asian pears grow in both Korea and China; who knows where that particular one came from. But if it's no good, it must be Chinese!
Heh heh.
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4 comments:
Ha! My husband says the same thing. If I bring home Asian pears from the farmer's market, he goes on and on about how they're not as good as real Korean pears. And in his defense, I kind of agree. The ones we buy at the K-Market are bigger, and they're always sweet and crunchy.
I think this is the first time I realized that your in-laws (and presumbly GH) are Korean. My older daughter is living in S. Korea now (for the past year and a half) and really loves it there, although she was in for some major culture shock when she first arrived.
I swear your in-laws and my parents must be related--silly me referred to them as "Asian Pears" and my Mom swiftly and strongly corrected me, won't make that mistake again! love them, so sweet and crunchy, mmmmmm
About the cotton thing - I tend to think that's true. Children's pajamas and other clothes made in Korea are super soft and comfortable. I really haven't been able to find anything similar - even from expensive brands such as Petit Tresor.
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