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.
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