merry christmas

Merry Christmas from South Korea!

Yesterday we spread some Christmas cheer around our school by wearing silly little elf headbands in our classes. I think it was one of the best days at work, doing Christmas themed English activities and playing Christmas music for the kiddos.

I wrote Merry Christmas on all of my white boards and some of the kids asked me how to do cursive handwriting. They were mesmerized. It was great to see their faces light up trying something new and challenging.

Yuri and I spent the rest of our Christmas eve together by singing/rapping our hearts out to some Christmas Carols at a noraebang (karaoke room) and today I was able to Skype with my family opening up the sweet gifts that they sent along in the mail. It's been a relaxing day.

I couldn't help but open a couple of my gifts the night before. I had been looking at some of these packages for nearly a month!

One of the sweetest gifts was from one of my adult students, Hye Young. She neatly hand stitched the little slippers for me in the picture. It's something I will treasure for a long time, for sure.

You don't really consider how much you love your home province until you are unable to go there. It was such a nice surprise to receive so many Newfie-themed/home comforts gifts. Seriously, perfect. I decided they deserved a photo all on their own with my teeny tree.

I especially love the Newfoundland flag hat from Elizabeth and the Jellybean Row ornament from Robyn. I can try to make my own version of the Festive Special with the Chalet Sauce!! The Newfoundland Chocolate Company stash is almost too beautiful to eat.

Again, packages and cards from home made me feel a lot closer to it. Thank you for your thoughtfulness on a potentially lonely special day!

Well, as they say here in Korea,

메리 크리스마스! 

(may-ri ke-ri-se-ma-se)

listen to | girls generation

I think this is gonna be
a Christmas worth remembering
the best you’ll ever see

I found this English version of their song Dear Santa and thought it was perfect to share. I don't understand the Korean one, anyway! (The beat picks up at 1:30)

I won't be home for Christmas this year. It's the first time I won't be sitting around the living room with my mom and dad, sisters, bro-in-law and grandmother or enjoying Christmas Dinner. Oh, the Seven Cup Pudding--the only day my mother makes it! Homesickness will be on high levels on the 25th.

While I don't think this will be the best Christmas I've ever seen as the song says, it is still worth remembering! I strung up some lights around my room, found a cute little tree to decorate in the apartment, and thankfully Santa's elves at the post office made sure of the safe arrival of a few presents from family and friends back home!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

november hike video - goraksan

I had hiked Goraksan back in February with a couple of friends, so I wanted to try going on my own this time. Actually, it was my first solo hike here in Korea. It felt good, the solo part. And if you're the type of person who really enjoys taking the stairs and doing lunges? Well, this particular mountain has about 300m worth of steep stairs, straight to the top.

It is worth the climb.

It doesn't take long. I was up and down the mountain within a couple of hours, including a leisurely break to have my little picnic, enjoy the panoramic views of my city and well, take lots of footage of it all.

The Fall leaves were at the edge of going past their prime, as was the nice weather, so I wanted to appreciate them before it was too late. I'm so glad I did.

Jeonju

A couple of weekends ago, thanks to a Friday off from work, HT and I took a trip to Jeonju in the afternoon to visit his old boss and boss' wife. It was a lovely day and they happened to be celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary. It was our second time in Jeonju, our first visit was back in August, and it was a different feeling to be there together again.

The day started with a lunch at a place that only served fresh, local foods and a stroll around Geumsansa, one of Jeonju's famous temples. A lot of it was under construction and they were preparing for a festival, so we couldn't see it in its prime. Impressive nonetheless.

Afterwards, they drove us around on an epic search for the thousands of cosmos currently in season lining the roads which was so beautiful. It was also incredible to see the rice fields. The flat, golden land stretched out for miles, not a sight seen very often in this country covered in mountains. Perfect Sunday afternoon drive material.

We also briefly wandered the traditional hanok village with them in search of the beautiful, one of a kind carvings made from the jujube tree for their anniversary gift, and then we ended our "double-date" with some bibimbap for dinner.

It always impresses me how kind and generous Koreans can be when they have a chance to show you who they are. On the street, it is off-putting how some can just bump into you or straight up push you out of the way without a word. But when you get to spend time together, some can make you feel like family. 

Korean was the language of the day of course, but HT translated for me and the captain spoke some English to me too. Even though the lady only knew limited words, she really made an effort to communicate with me through pictures on her phone of her family and teaching me a few words in Korean. She even gave me a hug when we said goodbye, which is again, kind of a rare thing amongst strangers here. My head hurt a bit from trying to keep up with some of their conversations, but they made me feel comfortable despite it.

Before leaving Jeonju, HT and I stopped by a cozy little cafe that I can only describe as Korea Meets Anthropologie. The traditional style house, white walls, dark wood, quirky decor, adorable music and porcelain kitties--I couldn't resist.

If only these little treasures could be just a teensy bit closer to my Yeosu.

listen to | carly rae jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen | I Really Like You

Give this song another listen because it's just a lot of fun. And the video stars Tom Hanks, so it's awesome (also, there's a cameo of J. Biebs at the end).

Oh, did I say too much?
I'm so in my head
When we're out of touch
I really really really really really really like you
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

seoul: gyeongbokgung

Despite the rain, we couldn't leave Seoul without exploring one of its beautiful palaces. We chose Gyeongbokgung as it was highly recommended by pretty much every tourist site about the city.

And they weren't wrong.

Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty, built in the 1300s.

Let that sink in a little bit.

Even though parts of the palace have been renovated and reconstructed since the destruction during the Japanese occupation, there once were kings and queens walking along these grounds. Feels straight out of a fairy tale.

That's what I absolutely love about Korea, realizing just how ancient and historically rich everything is. I probably say that in every post. Seeing this gorgeous place in the middle of a modern city gives a sensation you can only feel for yourself.

The palace grounds were pretty impressive. It took us a good couple of hours to walk around (+ a museum). There were English tours offered, but we went our own pace with the audio tour since the available times didn't quite match our timing.

My absolute favourite part was hands down the Hyangwonjeong Pavillion. This was so breathtaking to experience in person, in part because the light rain felt more like falling magic. Completely ethereal.

There was a kind lady who offered to take a picture of Ivonne and I after we did took some for her and her companion. In fact, she took several minutes composing, telling us to move here and there, and waiting for other people to move out of the way to take the perfect shot. We thought for sure that during those several (slightly awkward) minutes we got a keeper. And yes, we did, kinda.

I suppose we should be flattered that she thought we should be the focal point of the photo, not the gorgeous pavilion behind us!

We took a selfie from a different angle, laughed and gave up.

We popped over to the National Folk Museum of Korea next. We had free admission since we'd already paid for our visit to the palace. They stamped our hand and let us through.

Elliott had his "Thumbelina Moment" finding little buildings and people just his size!

We decided it was time to go back out for fresh air when I overheard him asking the others how much the pay was for a gig like this.

We found our Zodiak friends just outside. Since I was born in the Year of the Rabbit, here I am with Tokki and little Elliott, of course.

Before we said goodbye to the palace, we observed the changing of the guards at the Gwanghwamun (the main gate). It was an impressive ceremony to behold. Each uniform was inspected before switching places as a drumbeat pounded on.

Getting there:

Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) Address:
161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Sejong-ro)
서울특별시 종로구 사직로 161 (세종로)

Subway options:
-Gyeongbokgung Palace Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 5 (We used this option) 
-Gwanghwamun Station (Seoul Subway Line 5), Exit 2

And, for more info on the palace, click here.

busan: gamcheon culture village

My roommate and I went on a little weekend trip to Busan over the holiday in honour of Buddha's birthday, way back on the weekend of May 25th.

I know, that was forever ago.

Our main reason for going there was to see the incredible lantern festival at Samkwangsa Temple, but before that we spent a sunny afternoon exploring the beautiful Gamcheon Culture Village.

In more recent decades it has become a major point of interest for tourists thanks to the incredible art projects, murals and sculptures all along the streets but it wasn't always this way. The village originated as a haven for refugees during the Korean War.

I took a ton of pictures but for now I'll simply share a little video to show you some of our day! It's the first one I've ever put together but hope you like it!



I definitely recommend this little place if you ever get the chance to visit!

seoul: myeongdong | street food

Since we still had a little time after visiting Gyeongbokgung, we went to a different district within Seoul called Myeongdong. It is an area that is famous for its shopping. We didn't do much serious shopping, mostly just the 'window' variety. 

We did get really lucky at an underground area where we found all sorts of wonderfully cheap and tacky Korean souvenirs that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. Splurged on an "I Heart Korea" t-shirt that I love.

And food. There was food.

It was around supper time so instead of deciding on a sit down restaurant, we treated ourselves to all kinds of different 'street food.' Shopping clearly draws a crowd and works up an appetite so there are plenty of street vendors set up all along the roads to please all sorts of tastebuds. It's all really cheap and delicious, too. Totally fat free.

I dedicate this post to all of the wonderful food finds that I was able to share with Ivonne. Foods that I definitely recommend if you ever find yourself in Korea.

We only had space in our bellies for a few things that day, so here are our favourites:

Fish Bread
Basically a deep fried, fish-shaped pastry with has a sweet red bean paste on the inside. I know, I know. Red bean paste? What even is that. Don't knock it till you try it. They smell amazing.

Tornado Potato
A potato that's been cut into a swirl, skewered, deep fried, and then dipped into magical addictive powder disguised as BBQ or Onion flavours. Don't let them fool you. This particular one is the hot dog version for a more complete meal.

Hotteok 
Kinda like a pancake with sweet syrup and nuts inside. Can be messy and is served quite hot so they put it in a convenient little cup for ya. So good.



Getting there:
(for future reference)

-Myeongdong (명동) Address:
30 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul-si 
서울특별시 중구 을지로 30 (남대문로2가)

Subway options-
Take Subway Line 4 to Myeong-dong Station, Exit 5, 6, 7, or 8. (We used this option to exit 5)
Or, take Subway Line 2 to Euljiro Il-ga Station, Exit 5.

listen to | betty who

Betty Who | Heartbreak Dream

This high energy Australian's got some fun, catchy tunes going on, but right now this song is on repeat.

In a moment
You were everything to me
In this moment 
We're living in a heartbreak dream

seoul: more yeouido in the rain and getting lost

Our plans for our second day in Seoul were kind of washed out. Thanks to a downpour that lasted all day, we were forced to make some alterations. We stuck with the first part of our agenda though: as it was Sunday, we wanted to attend Yeoido Full Gospel Church, its claim to fame being the largest Pentecostal church in the world.

I knew there would definitely be English translation in the service to look forward to and I was just generally curious to see how a Korean (mega) church would feel.

Turned out that it was right next to the park we visited the day before so we already knew exactly where to go. We arrived early and waited outside for the previous service to finish. When the doors finally opened, we stood far back and watched the massive exodus of umbrellas.

Once inside, we were guided to the second floor and were the first to be seated in the foreigner section. Someone kindly greeted us, asked us where we were from and gave us our own audio set and told us the channel to use. There were several different languages available. By the end of the service, our section was packed. You could definitely tell who weren't the regular attendees, what with the pictures and videos we saw other people taking.

So, since they broke the ice first, we snuck in a couple, too. ^.^

It had a very traditional church style (hello wooden pews) and it was huge, but I couldn't get over how many people were sitting around me. The picture above shows an incredibly small portion of the sanctuary and congregation. It was incredible to hear the voices of that many people. Thankfully they sang a lot of familiar hymns, so even though it wasn't in my language I still knew the words. Surreal.

As for the sermon, hearing of God's immense love for us wasn't something new to me, but hearing how this knowledge impacts the particular pressures that Koreans face in their society is what made it different.

In case there was ever a second where I forgot I was in a foreign church, their pre-edited video announcements reminded me once again. All the cute, kitschy-awesome sparkles and pink glowing effects they added to the scenes--so typically Korean.

After the service we took another stroll through Yeouido Park. Quite pretty in the rain. We found a little gazebo and hung out there for a little bit.

We ate at School Food in the IFC mall close by, some cold noodles and yummy mari. The menu was mostly in Korean so we just took a guess and we enjoyed our choices. We did some shopping and browsing around, the perfect indoor activity.

After leaving the mall we hit a bit of bad luck when our senses of direction and timing were off. We decided to find a movie theatre, and when we finally arrived, it too was closed. This was our biggest subway misadventure yet but we felt validated after meeting some equally confused foreigners on one of the strangest subway stops.

I didn't mind too much though because the company was good and we were still figuring out the city as we went. It was still exciting.

In hindsight we could have gone back and watched a movie in the theatre at IFC mall. Instead, we ended up buying ramen (which is a bit different here!), going back to our little abode and spent the night watching a couple episodes of a K-Drama, which has become one of my newest obsessions lately. I like to call it "culture research." Apparently it's helping my pronunciation! Win-win.

To sum up our Sunday, we went to church, shopped, got royally lost then found again on the subway and had a nice night in. We laughed at ourselves a lot. Ivonne said that if we could spend another week in the city to figure out the subway, we'd be total pros! I absolutely agree.

listen to | boy

BOY | Into the Wild

A friend introduced me to this Swiss/German duo last year and this slow, dreamy song is still one of my favourites.

My heart it races and my mind cannot catch up
It's all over two places, it runs through doors that should be shut
My head's asking questions, my heart's a determined dancer
So when the music is over will I finally get my answer

seoul: yeouido park and n.seoul tower

//Reunited in South Korea and hanging out at Yeouido Hangang Park//

A little belated, but the month of April was an incredibly happy one. I got to spend ten whole days with one of my best friends and old roomie, Ivonne! It was so great to be able to welcome her to my little part of Asia! She saw some of my favourite places that I've gotten to know over the last four months, and we visited some new-to-me places, too.

I squeezed as much of the best of South Korea as I could into those few, precious days together!

Saturday morning I took my first ride on the KTX and met her in Seoul. It was my first time there and I was looking forward to exploring it. It was pretty fitting to start the trip off like that; we've been travelling around new cities since the beginning of our friendship on Disney Cruise Line. After (finally!) reconnecting at the train station, we found our guesthouse and then went off to conquer the subway system and find some of the last of the cherry blossom trees.

I'd read about Yeouido Park being a popular place for them, so we started there.

Thankfully, we were in luck! There were still some in bloom and it was a really nice park. Many people were out for a walk or a bike ride and there were plenty of trees and flowers. It was located close to the Han River so we were able to spend some time there too. We were surprised by another nice area closer to the river itself with open pools the kids splashed in, a sort of water park type of feel, minus any water slides.

People watching was completely fascinating. Strangers seem to sit on top of each other; they claim a spot on the grass even if it's barely a foot away from another group of peeps and bring tents just to chill in for the afternoon. The picture below doesn't really reflect that (it was more the sections of grass on my side of the photo) but I couldn't help but notice how stylish everyone was for a walk in the park. You start to observe two kinds of people here. Ones that are decked out in hiking gear for a day out, or those dressed to the nines.

Later that night we made our way to Namsan Park to visit N. Seoul Tower. Somehow we got off the path to the cable car and ended up climbing one of the top 5 tallest staircases I've ever seen instead haha. I say "top five" because I'm learning that Korea just really likes stairs. Everywhere.

//tired but happy faces//

While waiting for our turn to head up the tower, Ivonne tried her first Tornado Potato--a delicious deep-fried spiral dipped in magic. Actually, one of her friends described it as 'crack potato' because she was so addicted to them. We also browsed the love lock fence and the little gift shop where I bought magnets/postcards, my main souvenirs of choice. My only other regret (the first being, not using the cable car) was not giving in to my ice cream craving at the Cold Stone Creamery there!

At the end of the night we had hoped to take the cable car back down, but with the huge lineup and the subway closing around midnight, we hightailed it back down all those stairs and ran for our lives. We just made it and even passed the cable car building that we were originally looking for on the way down. Seoul was just rubbing it in. Next time.

By the way, the view from the top was kinda spectacular. Only problem was that it was really crowded in the observatory tower and you had to keep an eye out for rogue selfie sticks. So, in all honesty, I had more fun looking up at the tower itself and looking out at the city from the different vantage points along the hike to get there. (And had a few chuckles at the fancy girls out on their date night wearing HIGH heels, leaning heavily on their boys who obviously had to be regretting their choice. That, or, it was all a part of a clever--yet painful--plan! ;) ) We were so tired just in our plain ole sneakers, but I wouldn't change a thing.

Missing that cable car ride was a wonderfully happy mistake!