This one’s a bit of a doozy for relationships, lovers and long-time partners alike.
When I was eight, my dad once said (in his super strict, omnipresent voice with that unique Aussie strine mixed with a touch of Korean): “Margaret, marriage is one of the biggest risks you’ll take in life”.
He and mum have been married for 33 years and they’re pretty great mates. Dad zens out on the golf course for 8 hours before getting home on a Saturday. He’s ravenous. He’s also stereotypically Korean and firmly attached to the male/female gender roles from yesteryear which means that mum must cook meals 99% of the time:
“What is this, a stew or a soup?”
He peers into the bowl as mum presents some kind of kimchi jiggae (which is a Korean stew made with kimchi) that’s a bit less chilly than it’s meant to be, and a bit lacking in veggies than is optimally required. It’s not a perfect result and Mum looks mortally offended before flouncing out of the kitchen. He laughs. She rolls her eyes and tunes out to the Community channel before embarking on 2 hours of solo karaoke. ABBA all the way. She’s loud, she’s mostly in tune, and she never follows the words. He hardly notices as he turns on a second TV next to the karaoke TV and watches the 7News- her trills drowning out the headlines. It goes on like this for two hours.
Like I said, they’re pretty great mates and even though they’re so Asian in that they never hug, hold hands or kiss (because, “that’s stupid!” says mum), now that my sister and I aren’t at home anymore, it’s pretty clear that whatever compromises they’ve had to make in life, they’re happy with each other—and even more, they really do live each day for each other 🙂
