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.