It's Christmas Time in the City

The Christmas holidays were something I was worried would make me very homesick. Every Christmas of my past 24 years were spent in the warmth of home with family. I wasn’t sure how my Christmas plans would eventually shape up, but I was sure that it would be a challenge.

A few months ago, I made plans with my good Korean friend Sora. We decided that my friend Amy and I would celebrate Christmas Eve with her and her husband Nicholas. It was their first Christmas together as a married couple, and they were very excited to make memories. Knowing that it would be a ‘homey’ experience filled with warmth and happiness, I felt much more at ease. This was much better than my first thoughts of the possibility of spending Christmas in a bar.

When Saturday Dec 24 finally came, I was quite excited to see how the evening would turn out. Sora had sent me a message earlier and asked me to bake a banana cake, so I spent my afternoon baking and getting things ready. Amy and I had bought a couple gifts and needed to wrap them before heading over. Also, I packed an overnight bag, as Amy and I would stay until Christmas morning.

We left around 6:30pm and headed to Sora and Nicholas’s house. They have a very nice and spacious apartment. When we got there, there was a Christmas tree and the apartment was nicely accented with Christmas decorations. Because Sora is Korean and Nicholas is French, there was a very diverse group of guests. Most were Korean/French couples, and it was cool to see them interacting.

At times, I felt as though things were getting a bit trippy (this could also be from the wine) but to have a French person (with a French accent) saying things in Korean, and then a Korean person, speaking French… it really makes you do a double take. Luckily, the common language was English and Amy and I felt right at home making new friends.

We started the evening with drinks and appetizers and sat around talking. In traditional Korean style, the tables were low to the ground, and we sat cross-legged on cushions. I have to admit that after several hours of doing this, my legs started to complain, but it was a very unique way to celebrate Christmas, so I wouldn’t have done it differently.

We ate dinner at around 10pm. Sora had ordered a turkey that was already cooked and came with veggies, potatoes and cranberry sauce (it wasn’t actually cranberry sauce, but it was a nice touch). I managed to find some gravy mix in my cupboard, so we made that too and it was a big hit. Dinner was accompanied by delicious wine… lots of it.

I had figured that the turkey was going to be the big hit of the evening, but I was surprised when the traditional French contributions popped up. One of the guests had made his own cheese and brought it for the evening. Nicholas had also picked up and assortment of French cheeses from his last trip to France. The men went to the kitchen and broiled the cheese in the oven on toast so that you could easily spread it with a knife… it was decadent! I also tried several other cheeses, all the while thinking that my mother would be in heaven if she could be here (She’s the big cheese lover in my family).

By the time we finished that course I was ready to explode… so much good food! We listened to music, chatted and Nicholas’ friend Frank played the guitar. Shortly after, Sora announced that it was present time!

Sora and Nicholas had been so sweet and had gotten every guest a gift (there were about 10 people there). I was so touched that they had included us… such a nice gesture. When I opened my gift, inside was a very cute hot water bottle. This was special because the last time I spent the night at Sora’s, she had given me her hot water bottle to keep me ‘cozy’ in bed, and I had commented on how nice it was. (Since Christmas, I’ve used my hot water bottle every night and it keeps me toasty all night long… the perfect gift for a cold winter!)

Once gifts were finished, it was time to eat… again! Apple pie was on the menu this time. I had gone to Costco and purchased a large apple pie. We put it in the oven so that it would get nice and warm. The problem was that I was so full, but I did try a little.

By about 1:30am, I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. Between the wine, the copious amounts of food and the fact that I’m turning into a granny, I was beyond ready for bed. Amy and I shared the bed in the spare bedroom and I think I fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

The next morning came quickly. The apartment overlooks the ocean and it was beautiful to look out and see ships in the distance and the sun peaking up. We got up fairly early because Amy and I had planned to go to church.

For breakfast, we ate my banana cake which Sora rants and raves about. The best part for me was the coffee machine… they get their coffee from France and it’s so good! We helped Sora clean up a bit, and then headed out in a cab to get to the other side of town before 10:45.

When we arrived at Church I was so glad we came. Christmas carols were being sung and it gave me a very warm, Christmassy feeling. After singing, I was delighted to see that the kids were performing their Christmas play.

As a child, I never got to participate in the Christmas play because it always coincided with our family Christmas routine. This was a nice experience because I was able to finally experience it. The kids were all so cute. The entire performance was in English and the kids were a mixture mainly between Korean and North American. Some sang or acted while others played instruments such as recorders and violins.

I was able to see my favorite old lady Anna at service and gave her a big hug. It was nice to see other familiar faces as well. It was a very homey experience.

Afterwards I came home and had a rest for a few hours. I watched the last Harry Potter movie and then headed over to Amy’s house for a foreigner’s Christmas party.

Amy has the largest apartment of any foreigner I know, but it was still pretty cramped when there were 20+ people inside. Sora and Nicholas also joined us for the party, which was great. We had a pot-luck and again, had way too much food! It was nice to have such a variety though. One of my co-workers actually made these European jam cookies… from scratch! They’re just like the ones my Oma makes. Needless to say, I was impressed!

Amy was cat-sitting one of our co-worker’s cats, who happened to be a really sweet white cat. The cat is a female, but is named Mr. Peterson. She reminded me of our old cat Snowey, so I spent much of the evening bonding with her.

Instead of complicated gift giving, we all brought a simple gift and played a ‘White Elephant’ game similar to that of Musical Chairs. It was good fun and some of the gifts were very comical. Amy was blessed to receive a 5L jug of Soju… that’s enough to kill her, I’m sure.

One of the highlights of the evening was the musical talent present. A few of my co-workers are quite gifted at playing the guitar and singing. For hours, we were serenaded by good music and eventually we settled down and played Jenga and other games.

We had a merry time until the wee hours of Monday morning. I arrived home and quickly logged onto Skype. My family was waiting for me at around 3am and although I was pretty tired, it was nice to wish them a Merry Christmas too.

The holidays weren’t nearly as difficult as I had anticipated. In fact, they were quite enjoyable. Apart from contrasting the age old traditions that I have be accustomed to, I had an amazing time and made some great memories. This was all due to the fact that I was surrounded by such wonderful people. Although Korea is not ‘home’ to me, it is quite homey, especially when shared with a group of great friends.

***I’m writing this blog as I’m sitting at work. I have less than 9 weeks left and I’m starting to feel saddened that my Korean experience is coming to an end. Although I do miss home, the past year has been filled with so many excellent experiences. Christmas was just another one to add to the long list.

Seoul

Saturday morning I woke up at 6am to a pitch black apartment, as the sun was not up yet. I quietly got myself up and started my morning, being careful not to wake Amanda, who was sleeping peacefully on my couch. She had decided to spend the night with me because she has a habit of not waking up for her alarm. We had an early train to catch, so though it would be best if a real person could shake her if need be.

Amy, Kay, Amanda and I met outside shortly before 7 and caught a cab to the train station. From there, we boarded our train, which we would ride for the next five and a half hours to Seoul. The seats we had on the train were not optimal because they were right by the doors and whenever we stopped, they would open and let all of the cold air in. We spent most of the morning shivering and trying to stay warm enough to fall back asleep.

I later decided that I should be happy that we have seats at all. When booking the tickets, we realized that there are several options: first class, regular seating and standing categories. Well the standing categories meant that people would pack together and crowd in the aisles and in-between seats. I have to say that it was slightly uncomfortable to have 4 Koreans hovering around my seat (one of whom had the aroma of kimchi), but I was glad that at least I was able to sit for the time.

On the way to Seoul, I was able to notice a slight climate change outside. In Busan, because we’re a costal city, it’s always a few degrees warmer than inland. On our train ride however, I noticed some frost on the ground as we were getting farther North. I didn’t think there would be such a substancial difference in such a small country, so I was quite surprised.

Arriving in Seoul was quite a chilly awakening. We got directly onto the subway (which is MUCH more complicated than our simple Busan subway system) and got off in Itaewon. Our first stop… of course, Subway sandwiches! A small taste of home that appeals to everyone’s taste buds (except for Kay). After we were done downing our foot-longs, we met Amy’s university friend Charity and she showed us around Seoul.

We did a bit of shopping and stopped into the international market. This was a wonderful store that was stocked full of goodies from all over the world. I bought some chick peas and tahini to make hummus, something that I’ve been missing over the past 10 months.

Because it was so cold, we stopped into a Starbucks to warm ourselves up and have a nice chat. It was nice getting to know Charity, she’s a very welcoming personality. She told us about some performances that were happening that night, one of which was The Nutcracker. As soon as I heard this, I had my heart set on seeing it. We tried to find out if there were tickets left, but then decided to head to the theater where it was playing and hope for the best.

Taking a taxi in Seoul is slightly different from in Busan. Firstly, there is MUCH more traffic and it took quite a long while to get to the theater. Unfortunately, our taxi driver didn’t understand us, and dropped us off at this shady, dark, abandoned theater. We walked a bit and eventually found the one we were supposed to be at. By this time, the show was already 40mins in and we still had no tickets. When I asked at the ticket counter, we were informed that they were sold out for the entire weekend. So, it wasn’t meant to be.

Slightly saddened by our not-so-great news, we made the best of things and looked around a small Christmas market that was going on in the theater. I found a table full of baked goods and on it was a half loaf of poppy seed stolen (just like my Oma gets me at home!!!). Of course I bought it and thought of my Oma with every bite.

On our cab ride back into town we set our next goal to finding where we would spend the night. We stopped into some hotels in the area but were disappointed to find that they were HUGELY out of our price range. As we wandered farther, we began to think of alternative places to spend the night. As hostels were slightly difficult to find, we thought that the next best thing would be a Jimjilban (naked spa). Our new friend Kay, was originally opposed to this because she didn’t like the idea of being naked with randoms, but after we explained that they give you a uniform to sleep in, she thought it would be ok.

We found a very nice Jimjilban and set our stuff down for the night, then we went out in search of dinner. We settled on a thai restaurant that brought a huge smile to my face. Pad Thai that didn’t taste like kimchi and had no rice…. Amazing!!!! This was possibly the best part of my weekend so far; it was so delicious!

After dinner, we went out to a bar and everyone had a few drinks. I had a bit of a headache and I kept thinking of the relaxing spa, so I decided to head back to the Jimjilban for a bit of R and R. I spent the next hour soaking in different hot tubs that had multiple penises spouting water instead of taps… a very interesting touch to the décor!

When I was ready for bed, I put on my own pajama pants and the spa’s uniform top. The Jimjilban had five floors with various functions (movie area, restaurant, lounge, spa and sleeping rooms). I went up to the women’s sleeping area and walked into a silent dark room. Instead of women sprawled out over the floor, there were little cubby holes that you would crawl into. The set up sort of reminded me of a mixture between a chicken coop and a coffin. I looked around at all of the different cubbies and finally came across one with a thin mat (instead of just pure hard marble to lay on). I slid myself inside and prepared to go to sleep.

A little while later, I was abruptly awakened when an old lady flicked on the light in my cubby and started yelling at me. Having no idea what the problem was, I didn’t even respond and just rolled over. I kept thinking what the problem would have been though. Initially, I thought that because my feet stuck out more than most women (as I am a good foot taller than most Koreans) that perhaps she thought I was a man sleeping in the women’s area?? It later dawned on me that perhaps she had put the mat in this area and was planning on sleeping there herself when I stole it… I’m still not sure what the problem was, but I was able to sleep quite well after that run-in.

The next morning, I met back up with my friends and after getting dressed, we packed up our backpacks and headed out for another day of adventure. We started our day off with some good meat pies from a little café (definitely not a Korean meal!). We then went to another area called Insadong.

Our first stop was to a Buddhist temple. We arrived just as their traditional service was beginning. There were a few tourists in the area and the temple had opened the doors, but installed a glass barrier to help keep the heat in for the worshippers. It was very interesting to see so many people crammed into the temple all bowing at various times and singing together.

The architecture of the temples is so intricate and beautiful. Every inch is neatly decorated and taken care of. I can only imagine what the inside of the temple looks like.

We went on our way and the next stop was in search of an owl museum that Amanda was interested in seeing. On the way, we stopped at the side of the road to pick up some honey and nut filled pancakes… a very delicious treat, especially on a cold day.

Unfortunately, we never found the owl museum (sorry Amanda), but we did get a bit distracted by some little shops and boutiques. We also found a cultural art museum. We took the opportunity to use a free toilet and warm up when we wandered around and looked at various different historical artifacts. It was very interesting; especially learning about how they used to make clothing… no Old Navy clearance sales back in the day!

Soon after, we came to the Gyeongbokgung Palace which was originally built in 1394. It is the largest palace of the Joseon Dynasty and the name translates to Palace of Shining Happiness. It was especially happy making since just as we arrived; they were having a changing of the guard ceremony. What an experience! We were able to see a traditional ceremony which included many instruments, extravagant outfits and a lot of marching.

Moving along, we went to the cultural shopping area of town. It was quite a long street that was lined with intricate shops and vendors selling various Korean goods. It was here where I bought a painting that I will ship home. I also found some accessories and a hat. The hat wasn’t so much of a cultural asset, but more of a survival necessity as it was so cold!

As we walked down the street there was a large crowd gathered around a few teens who were putting on a performance. The teens were part of a Taekwondo school and were showing off with different choreographed fights, flips and routines. It was quite impressive to watch and made me think back to earlier times in my life when I learned Kung Fu.

Further down the road, I came across a group of Korean dancers and musicians who were getting ready to put on a performance. Again, it was perfect timing and I had a front row view of the whole display. The performers had various instruments and would march around while twirling colorful ribbons that were attached to their hats. One man did a type of break-dancing where he twirled around his ribbon while bouncing on the ground. It was quite impressive.

For dinner, and partly just to warm up, we decided to go to a little soup place that served different types of dumpling soup. It was very charming and also allowed us to defrost from the Seoul bitter coldness. We then planned to take to subway to Gagnum, an area of Seoul where the Co-Ex mall is.

When we arrived at the Co-Ex mall, I was struck by how ‘North American’ it felt. I realized that this was because it was much more spacious than other malls I’ve been to in Korea. Most malls will have around 12 floors and just have stores stacked up on top of each other, whereas this one was quite a horizontal layout… interesting that this small difference made an impression on me.

We wandered around for a bit and then thought we’d have a nice dinner before heading back to the train station to get home. As we were in line to be seated at a restaurant, I thought to check our return tickets just to confirm the times. Luckily I did, because it was then that we realized that our train was leaving in 40 minutes! We got ourselves back to the station with just enough time to grab something from the convenience store to bring with us as our dinner… not the exquisite meal that we had been expecting, but at least we didn’t miss our ride home.

Five and a half hours later, at about 3am, we arrived in Busan. I was happy to be home and even happier when I was in my toasty warm bed (thanks to my electric blanket!). Seoul had been a great experience and a very nice getaway, but I wish I would have made the way out there in the summer…. I’m sure it would have been even more enjoyable if I wasn’t clenching every muscle in my body trying to stay warm.

Goje Island

On Saturday, Amy, Dorrial, Kayse and I packed up our things and made our way to the bus terminal. Our destination this weekend was Goje Island. The nice thing about this trip is that there was a newly made tunnel that connects the island so you no longer have to use a ferry to get there. This has shortened the travel time by several hours, so it only took us about 2 hours to arrive.

Once we got to Goje, we were all famished so our first order of business was to drop our things off and find food. The unfortunate thing about this weekend was that it was fairly rainy, but luckily it was only a drizzle so it didn’t affect us much.

We went out for a delicious Korean meal with assorted stews and rice. After we were sufficiently full it was time for ice cream and girl talk on the beach. This was a great way to spend some time, just chilling leisurely on a 7-11 patio overlooking the beach… pleasant!

Afterwards we headed back to our room, unpacked and then went out to find a Noribang. Of course, all good nights included time singing Karaoke in a noribang. After much silliness and very impressive vocal contributions, we decided to take a small stroll before bed.

The next morning I got up around 6:20am to watch the sunrise. I was very excited for this because I had heard that the sunrises were supposed to be amazing on the island. Unfortunately because of the rainy, groggy weather, you couldn’t even see the sun, so around 7, I was defeated and went back to bed.

We started the day with some very healthy breakfast from 7-11 and then decided to hike to our next destination, mainly because there weren’t any cabs in the area. We were told that it was about a 7km hike, but later found out that it was more like 12. Luckily, the rain eventually went away and we had sunny blue skies for a little bit. Apart from the fact that we were walking along the side of a highway and people drive like idiots, it was a really scenic hike.

Once we arrived to our destination of “Windy Hill” we spent some time wandering around the little town and enjoyed being tourists. We met a family who began talking to us. The mother asked which of us had boyfriends and when she learned that only one of us did, she decided that it was because that one was prettier than the rest and felt obliged to tell us so…. So nice!

Along our walk, we stopped in at yet another 7-11 to grab some ramen (yes, 7-11 has become a staple for me when I travel). Sitting outside and eating, we were approached by an older man and woman in white uniforms. The woman began talking to us and telling us about the ancient asian medicine that they practice. The man then began ‘curing’ us by pushing various pressure points with his car key. Apart from being very random, it was also hilarious! They were very serious about their art and spoke very passionately about being able to ‘cure’ all of our ailments.

Following our medical adventure, we took a walk by the windmill which is a huge tourist spot. It was very scenic to look out at the ocean in such a natural setting. Being outside of the busy Busan life always makes me feel refreshed.

We had to have our friend at 7-11 call a cab for us because we were literally in the middle of nowhere. The cab took almost an hour to arrive but it brought us back to the bus station and we eventually made it home.

When I got home after the trip I was beginning to become irritated by all of the little bug bites that I had gotten during the night. They were literally ALL over my body (I counted over 40) and I was quite annoyed. I began searching Google for ideas on what they might be from and this is when I got the idea of …… BEDBUGS!!!!

Reading more and more about how horrible these bugs are and how impossible it is to get rid of them, I was certain that I would be forever cursed with them. I was quite frantic and called home in a panic. My poor mother tried to calm me down but I was at the point of thinking that I’d be spending my next 3 months being feasted on by a pest infestation.

Ultimately I put all of my clothes in the freezer and washed everything thoroughly. In a few days, after I had gotten cream for all of the bites, I finally realized that I luckily didn’t bring any of the pests back with me. It was my first experience with bed bugs and I hope it will be my last.

I guess this is one of the fun parts of traveling.

Thanksgiving and Baby Shower

Saturday was the day that a bunch of friends and I got together to celebrate American Thanksgiving. Amanda and I had been planning this for several weeks and had developed quite the elaborate menu for our event: glazed carrots, tossed green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, croissants and Rotisserie Chicken from Costco (because nobody had ovens capable of fitting a turkey). For dessert, Amanda was kind enough to make pumpkin pie FROM SCRATCH!!! And we had an apple pie from Costco. The meal was made perfect with the addition of delicious wine… it was honestly be best meal I’ve had in the past nine months!

Before we all began to eat, I decided it was appropriate to say grace and give thanks for all that we have here. Of course, I was nominated

to proceed, and as I was praying about being

thankful for my ‘korean family’ I realized how lucky I really was. I can’t believe being here in Korea without the wonderful people in my life… they have made a world of difference and I consider myself so lucky to have them.

After WAY too much food, I rolled myself home and took a long nap (as is thanksgiving tradition). I got up a little bit later and decided it was time to go to the gym to start working off all of this thanksgiving goodness. I met up with Amy and we pushed ourselves on the machines and then relaxed at the naked spa (this is becoming one of my favorite things to do). Needless to say, my Saturday night was very uneventful yet relaxing.

Sunday was a much busier day. I got up early and went to church with Amy. Afterwards we headed over to KSU in search of baby goodies. Today was the day that our friend Sora was having her baby shower and we wanted to put together a nice gift for her before heading over for the shower.

Seeing as I’ve never kept an eye out for baby stores in Korea, this event posed to be quite a challenge, but I have to admit it was fun putting together a bag full of baby things. I was quite pleased once we had everything in order.

When we arrived at Sora’s, both her and her husband were there with a full out decorated apartment. (They’re the couple who got married earlier this year, and they had a beautiful traditional wedding… also quite an event!). Sora’s husband Nicholas is French and he made delicious food for the shower… crepes, Yorkshire puddings, pate…. So much yummy food!

As guests arrived, we were all asked to put holiday streamers around our necks to give it more of a festive feel. We were also given a French name for a baby item (which would serve as our name for the night). Mine was La Couche with means diaper.

The evening was filled with lots of baby games, good food and making new friends. It was great!

Later, we went back to KSU to meet our friend Dorrial, who was celebrating her last night here in Korea. Dorrial was playing ultimate Frisbee so we went to play a bit and cheer her on. I can honestly say that I’ve improved my Frisbee throwing skills… now it actually goes in the direction I’m aiming for. Afterwards we went out for a nice dinner and said our goodbyes. Dorrial has been in Korea since I’ve arrived, so it was sad to see her go. She will be missed.

Fireworks and Halloween

The Busan International Firework Festival is a 9-day festival that runs from Oct 21- Oct 29. The festival originally started in 2005 for the APEC Busan Summit but was such a success that it has continued on every year since. It attracted 2.52 million visitors from Korea and around the world in 2010, and this year I’m sure there were at least that many.

The festival takes place in Gwangali (just down the street from my house) and the fireworks are set off from the famous bridge that runs parallel with Gwangan beach. On the first weekend was the international festival which had competitions between USA, Poland, Japan and China. Each country put on a 15-20 minute display which was synched to music. Although we were unable to hear which country did which specific display, they were all outstanding..

As I watched each display after the next, I was pretty awestruck. Amy commented by saying “just wait until next week…”. Apparently Korea’s display is one of the best firework shows around, so my expectations were set pretty high.

Walking down the street, a news castor came up to Amanda and I and asked us to do an interview for the local news. Of course we agreed (why not have a spot on Korean television). I would have loved to see it, but unfortunately, I forgot which new station it was and I probably wouldn’t have been able to find it anyways

Once the night’s displays had finished, everyone came back to my apartment and we ordered some pizza (with the help of my Korean friends) and had a great post-firework dinner of pizza and pop! All in all, a good night.

The following weekend was the big show. Because so many people came to view the fireworks, my friends and I planned to meet at the beach at 4pm to find a place on the sand. It was a beautiful day and I was so excited for the evening. When we arrived at the beach, I was shocked to see SO many people there already. The show wasn’t for another 4 hours, but it was difficult to even find free space on the sand. Luckily some friends had arrived earlier and had set out spots for us.

With every passing minute, more and more people filed in leaving the entire area a very chaotic zoo. Once we were settled in our small group on the beach, the only thing left to do was wait. As the sky became darker and darker, more and more clouds were rolling in. Around 6:30pm, we began feeling the first few drops of rain… not a good sign. Immediately, umbrellas began going up and poncho sales were all around us.

Although it was not the most comfortable of settings, my friends and I decided to wait it out, because this show only happens once a year and this would be my only opportunity to see it. Now, being that we’re from North America, our bodies aren’t used to sitting on the ground for extended periods of time. So, we would regularly stand up off the ground and get circulation going to our lower extremities again. Now, one would think that this would be totally acceptable seeing as we were still about 2 hours from showtime however the Koreans sitting behind us did not agree. They put up a fuss whenever any of us would stand up because it was obstructing their view (of what, I don’t know). It got to the point that one of them threw an empty pop can at us so that we would sit down (rude! I know, and know that these people must have been in their 50s). So this was the ongoing war between us until the fireworks began.

Once the fireworks started, it was pouring full on. We were completely drenched and cold. Some of our group left to go and get warm, but I was determined to see the show after waiting for so long. I’ve seen fireworks before but nothing like this night. The entire sky was illuminated by firework after firework. It was excellently choreographed to excellent music (from Josh Groban to the Spice Girls and everything in between… even some Korean songs!).

Although it was thoroughly cold and uncomfortable, I’m so glad that I was able to attend the show because it was truly a masterpiece. I expect that I’ll probably never see another show as impressive as this one. Definitely worth the crowds and the rain!

Now after the show, I went home and took a hot shower to warm up. Then I put the most fabulous costume on… a giant Kangaroo! Yes, it was Halloween and we were going out to KSU to celebrate.

This was probably one of the best Halloweens I’ve had because everyone was dressed up and having a good time. Also, because Korea isn’t as cold as Canada, you were able to wear your costume without needing a coat overtop (a big plus!). For the next few hours we went barhopping from place to place and at around 5am we ended up at a Noribang for some Halloween karaoking. Needless to say, the next morning was spent sleeping in.