My mother remembers when she was a young girl in the decade between 1970 and 1980, many Koreans were very poor. Her family was also not well-off so she would really look forward to Chuseok because she could then wear new clothes instead of just second-hand clothes and shoes, eat a lot of special dishes and play with her relatives.
They came to my mother's house because her grandparents lived with her and in Korean culture, we always meet in the grandparents' home. In the old days, the public transportation system was very limited so it wasn't easy or convenient for her to meet her relatives.
She also sighs when she recalls how it wasn't possible to enjoy rice because it was such a precious and expensive commodity that only wealthy families could afford. She usually ate food made from barley and wheat but during Chuseok, she could enjoy eating rice. Nowadays, rice is something Koreans can have daily so they don't think it is something precious.
When I remarked: "Your life in the past seems very hard. Would you ever want to turn back the clock?", her answer surprised me.
*** Dear Choi, Thanks very much to you and your mum for sharing this! Am waiting for your translation of her answer!
source of pic:
http://discoverkorea.co.kr/bbs/view.php?id=news&page=2&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=hit&desc=asc&no=21
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