Seoul refreshes the soul

It's about time for a post with real substance, are you ready?!  First, my deepest apologies for my laziness in blogging lately.  I've indulged in a few good books recently so I've opted to read instead of blog on my free nights.  Second, I just had a vacation in Seoul so I actually have some exciting experiences to share apart from random teaching or nights out with friends stories. Which, as we all know, are often the you-had-to-be-there type stories that I've found are even less funny when you have to type it all out on a blog.

Christmas was definitely different than past Christmases but still full of good company, laughter, joy, and (thanks to Kristen's remarkable abilities with a toaster oven) sweet treats!  On Christmas Eve at school we had a carol cont

ests between the classes.  Nothing could put me in the Christmas spirit faster than listening to and watching cute kids sing and dance to the Christmas classics.  I had Christmas day off but had to return to work to finished up the week on Friday the 26th.  Christmas is not a big deal here, just another couples'/Valentine-ish day, so it was strange to see all the stores open and hear students say they spent their holiday pla

ying video games or going shopping with their friends.

Today was my first day back at school after a 5 day break (3 days + weekend) for New Years.  Kat, Kristen, and I packed our bags and headed north (by bus) to the much larger and much colder metropolis of Seoul before the sun came up on the 31st.  The walk to the bus stop at 6 a.m. (a time of day that I wasn't even sure I could function during) confirmed that this was going to be a fantastic trip.  A huge, white, Alaskan-looking dog came out of nowhere (you never see big dogs like this in Korea) only a few blocks away from my apartment.  It was surprisingly friendly and immediately took to Kristen.  And by took to Kristen I mean it was jumping all over her, making it difficult for her to walk, and followed us across a very busy rotary to the bus station.  Basically, it was hilarious.  I don't think I've ever laughed that much at 6 a.m. over anything in my whole life.

We arrived in Seoul at 10:30 a.m. with the whole day ahead of us.  With really no plans but a few recommendation from some Korean friends, we grabbed a coffee and some breakfast at Dunkin Donuts and decided to spend the day checking out one of Seoul's many shopping/market districts first to buy armor ourselves against the drastic temperature difference.  With our hats, leggings, gloves, and thick socks we felt better prepared to tackle the city.  

All the hostels were booked for New Years' Eve leaving our only options being an expensive hotel or a jimjilbang.  A jimjilbang is a 24 hour sauna/bathhouse that for 12,000 won ($9) for 12 hours you can sweat, bathe (naked) and sleep on hardwood, heated floor with a bunch of Koreans.  Checking in we were handed ugly, oversized scrubs to wear, a towel, and a key to a locker in the giant locker room.  If the first desk area hadn't been nicely decorated it would have felt strangely like a prison check-in.  

As it turns out it was exactly what we needed and wanted after walking around all day for a special New Years' Eve treat.  No wild clubs, or boozing for us, no sir...we relaxed in the 6 different types of hot tubs, lounged in a massage chair, and nearly suffocated ourselves in the hot, hot sauna to ring in the new year.  *sigh* It was just want the doctor ordered.  

Over the next few days we hit up Gyeongbuk palace, met a Korean friend from Ulsan in a hip-hopping district for a tasty mandu and fried rice dinner, browsed books in a well-known and gigantic bookstore, ate some real Mexican food that I've been craving for a loooong time from a hole-in-the-wall restuarant, and stopped by the Seoul's History Museum and the Seoul Museum of Art.  All the sightseeing was great but what I really looked forward to each day was returning to the jimjilbang and sitting in the hot tub.  After getting over the initial uncomfortable feeling most Westerners get when being naked in front of others and the silly (not to mention vain) idea that everyone is staring at you, it is remarkably freeing and relaxing.  I think I could become a nudist someday.  Just kidding Mom and Dad....or am I?  haha....  :)  

Now this next part deserved it's own paragraph because it was just that spectacular.  On our last night in Seoul we met Hye Wan, a cute high school exchange student who Kat's co-worker at her grandparent's bank in Ottumwa, Iowa had hosted last year.  Hye Wan and her super generous father treated us to dinner with an amazing buffet with a mix of Western and Korean dishes.  Yum!  Then they took us to "The Stream" as we so lovingly refer to it as.  Every Korean told us to see it but we were not impressed, in fact we were amused, by its description.  "A small, man-made stream running through the city."  Who cares, right?  But, it actually was very cool at night!  It was lined with flashing Christmas/New Year lights, spotted with random sculptures (a unicorn horn), and blaring music that got my heart pumping and body dancing.  Next, Hye Wan and her father drove us to a late-night outdoor market to look for boots in our monster sizes, and to see the beautiful Congress building where all the chair-throwing action takes places.  Last stop of the night was to the top of a high-rise building overlooking the Hangang River to sip a cocktail and enjoy the wonderful view.  We could not thank them enough for the lovely evening.  

After being surrounded by and literally bumping into people constantly for four days it felt good returning to Ulsan.  It almost seemed warm compared to the subzero temps in Seoul, it was nice to be in familiar territory once again, I could stretch out my arms on the sidewalk and not hit another person, and my big, comfy bed never looked so appealing.  And I must admit, it was good to see my students again today, I missed them!    Just three full weeks until another big 4 day holiday...the Chinese (or Lunar) New Year when I'll be going to China itself to celebrate!  Talk about celebrating the holiday right, right?!  I'm also very curious to see Beijing post-Olympics since I had the opportunity to experience the city pre-Olympics.  It should be another amazing adventure that is for sure.