::A Geek in Korea::

My mother in law is a big time religious woman in her church. She’s been important in church politics and their community programs for a long time. She is a deeply spiritual woman that finds comfort and community in her church. She received word that she was chosen for becoming a deaconess by her church. It was a once in a lifetime event for her, so we needed to be there for the pictures.

We had commitments that barred us from arriving at the beginning of the ceremony. We had to rush, first via subway, then taxi, to this church on the other side of town where the religious event was being held. Having attended some of the other ceremonies related to this church, I wasn’t too worried we’d miss anything. They tend to really drag on and are never in a rush. Just in case, My wife and I were both well dressed running around town trying to make sure we didn’t miss the pictures of the event. I was told that we needed to RUN because if we weren’t in these pictures we’d never live this down.

After all the huffing and puffing, we ended up arriving there while some pastors were giving their speeches before accepting their new positions. There was a LOT of speech giving to be had yet. Everyone was trying to out speak each other. We hadn’t missed anything of importance yet. There were a lot of very hot, very uncomfortable people waiting around for the pictures.

Unlike Korean weddings were people show up for the buffet and go home, all these people were waiting around to get their pictures taken with their relatives in the front of the church, then go home. My mother in law was the LAST person on the list for pictures too due to her placement of alphabetical  order in Hangul. (That’s not the correct word. It’s not the alphabet. Whats the equivalent in Hangul? Hangul order?)

We ended up meeting an Aunt and her children, two college aged cousins. It was good to see some of relatives again that don’t make sarcastic comments to me all the time. The last time I saw relatives was when my mother in law was in the hospital for her spinal surgery and my second oldest uncle (Who I can’t stand most of the time.) said I was working too hard and needed to lose some weight. He even pinched my belly like I was the Pillsbury Dough boy. Hah ha ha. (Ugh.)

I liked the relatives I met at church today a lot more. One of them will be a nurse at the biggest hospital in the city while she studies for a health care job in the United States, and the other is studying Japanese in college. We chatted, and since they had come across town as well and stayed for the entire ceremony, were delerious with hunger. We headed to the church cafeteria to eat since we had a long time before the photos.

Eventually it was our time to take the photos. We walked up, posed as a family, had two pictures taken, then walked off the stage. I know being there was important for my mother in law and everything, but it was a lot of build up for an anti-climatic picture. She said she was happy we made the trip for her too. I don’t know what increased responsibilities her new title brings, but I do know that the same aunt we saw today is going to be doing the same thing at her church soon, and now were expected to be in her pictures too.

The responsibilities for an extended family just never end.