GOLO or Gabby Adventure Time Now: Holidaze in Korea: PUMPKIN PIE STRIKES BACK

Greetings!
The season of too many holidays is coming to a close~ and before the new year I wanted to share a bit of my Korean holy jolly experience.

This year I don't have a host family, and the Hwacheon team didn't plan a group dinner like last year but that would not stop me. I would still share the joy of American culture with my students and friends. I am a cultural ambassador after all. The obesity must happen one way or another.

(That and I cannot survive the fall without one dish...)

Never mind that winter is in full swing...

I had all the ingredients and more.
I did not have a rolling pin.
That did not stop me. I wrapped plastic wrap around an old gas can and MADE THAT PIE CRUST.

AND THEN I MADE THE PIES.

My itty bitty kitchen doesn't have an oven.
That did not stop me.

I procured an oven. It was just... smaller than what I'm used to.
So, as you may have noticed, things have shrunk accordingly.

The aftermath (plus the not pictured over half a can of leftover Pumpkin and crust dough I put in a tupperware container)

I carry my little masterpieces in by hand Thanksgiving day. No, I did not walk over an hour to school. I took the bus. And got some weird looks for carrying pies in plastic bags, but I tried my best to not be too conspicuous and return any stares with my own "these aren't for you" eyes.

I was so excited the whole day. I couldn't wait for my after school class.

It started at 4 o'clock.

So I naturally had everything laid out and ready by 3:30.

Then to finish the surprise, covered it all with a Dooly blanket to remain inconspicuous. ;)

Then my students came! I started class with a PPT full of Thanksgiving food pictures, which got my students moaning about how hungry they were. My evil plan was working. I asked what they want to eat most, and while there were a few rebel mashed potato and turkey requests, most of their salivating musings were around pie...

THEN I UNVIELED MY SURPRISE. PERSONAL PUMPKIN PIE FOR EVERYBODYYYYYY

At first they were camera shy (as always, so I don't normally force the camera upon them)

But then I started posing Jisu, and they started laughing. And right when I started standing up, the best photo I have of me and my students was taken.

They ate very quietly, but they ate it all. Since one of the students didn't come, I gave the forth mini pie to my American counterpart, Wei.

I had a medium sized pie I planned to share with the teachers, but Sungmin, the solo male of the 6th grade after school class, wanted more, and ate about half of that pie as well... The leftovers I forced our Fulbright co-teacher, Sujin, to take home for her family.

Sujin and Wei <3 <3

You bet I got right back to making more pies that weekend. This time I could look out on my beautiful view of farmhouses... (and use the flour I definitely did not clean up right away to roll out my leftover dough crust on).

That next week I ate a bit of pie for myself. Gave the leftover to the family below me. And gave personal pies to the SUPER kind and helpful cashier at the market in town and my SUPER DUPER AWESOME FRIEND, Darin.

Darin just opened a really beautiful traditional tea house attached to her family's pension business. I should write a review so all of you will want to go there yourself... (planning blogs for next year, muahahahaha)

As you can see, she cut up the mini pie into mini slices and put her own handmade concoctions on a plate next to it (for me to munch on with my tea).