03.19.08
Bittersweet
Today was my last day of work in Seoul. I leave behind some fabulous colleagues, surely some of the best in the world. Many of them have become close personal friends, and I will be sad to part company with them. At the same time, I am going on to a whole new place, with new adventures, and best of all I get to do it together with the man I love. And what could be better than that?
03.17.08
Funk Seoul Brother
The three or four people who visit this blog regularly may have noticed that there’s been radio silence on my part for a while lately. It’s certainly not because there’s nothing to talk about, though - on the contrary, I’ve been busy. My brother came for a visit, and we had a great time. Got out of Seoul a little bit (not far, but out nonetheless), and spent some time seeing the sights in Seoul too.
I’m so, so glad he was able to come. It was great to spend some quality time with him, just the two of us, and to be able to share some of the things I most enjoy about Korea with someone I really care about.
(* I know, I know, the title is corny and bad, but it was meant to be that way – sometimes you’ve just got to try and throw people a little off-balance.)
02.28.08
A Colleague’s Wedding
Last weekend I went to my first Korean wedding. It’s a modern Korean wedding, so not nearly so much bowing and ceremonial stuff that I wouldn’t understand without a narrator. Also no traditional clothing - at least not for the bride and groom. Well, traditional clothing was involved, but not until after the ceremony and the photos. The wedding was in a pretty large church, and she wore a beautiful white dress that had a long train and was all beaded and glittery, along with a veil that also followed the beaded and glittery theme. She looked gorgeous, and both of them seemed so happy. I felt so privileged to have been invited to be a part of her special day, and I wish them all the best. A couple of photos for your enjoyment:
02.11.08
National Treasure #1 - Collapse
It’s rare that I am driving to work and turn a corner and literally gasp in complete shock at what I see in front of me. It’s particularly rare in a city like Seoul where the rules of the road are not always followed and accidents are relatively common. However, today that is exactly what happened.
Because today is the day that this:
… became this (I took this photo just after recovering from that great astonished gasp):
Namdaemun, or “Great South Gate” is (was?) one of only two remaining gates from the city walls that protected Seoul back in the old days. Years ago, the Korean government designated it as National Treasure #1, and it is (was) probably the most famous landmark in all of Korea. It represents a deep connection to their history, and a great pride in their country - indeed some colleagues today called it the symbol of their country.
There is some speculation as to the cause of the fire that led to the subsequent collapse of the top part of the gate. Knowing what I do about how Korea works, it is doubtful that Namdaemun will remain in this state for long, and it is also doubtful that the timbers now lying charred atop what remains of the gate are anything close to the original 14th century timbers. But people here in Korea are nonetheless, quite understandably, completely appalled.
02.10.08
Pusan
I left Seoul over the Lunar New Year holiday, and went down to the 2nd-largest city in Korea. Pusan (or Busan, as it is sometimes written) is in the far southeast, about as far away as one can get from Seoul and still be in mainland South Korea. We took the KTX (fast train) down there and stayed one night, explored the city some, met up with some Seoul friends, had the traditional Korean New Year’s repast (Ddeokguk, or rice cake soup) at the home of a friend’s friend, and wandered around a seaside temple and what remains of a hilltop fortress. Just a few of the highlights…
01.31.08
Not Just Another Love Song
Just when you thought there weren’t any more original songs out there… There’s a (perhaps myopic, certainly optimistic) group of people in Hawaii that are really eager for more Koreans to come. So what have they done to promote their cause? As is so often the case in Korea when people cheer for baseball games, gather for a protest, or go out for an evening in groups (noraebang, anyone?), there’s got to be singing. And there is. They’ve made up a song to express their dream of Koreans being able to go to Hawaii without visas. Check it out.
01.14.08
Ice Fishing Differently
We Americans tend to think of ice fishing as a pretty solitary venture, with people in places like Minnesota sitting out on a frozen-solid lake with a fishing pole, a bucket, and sometimes a teeny hut and a portable TV or radio. Here in Korea, however, ice fishing appears to be anything but solitary. Don’t believe me? The BBC proves the point - they did an “In Pictures” feature on it. Ice fishing, Korean style.
01.11.08
A snapshot
One of the Korean internet media outlets recently followed one of their employees as she applied for a visa at our embassy. They posted the video on their website. So, for those who are interested, you can find a little glimpse of the Seoul visa process here. The video just barely scratches the surface of the work we do, but it’s a good, relatively realistic snapshot from an applicant’s point of view.
12.15.07
Shoppin’ in a Winter Wonderland
Friday morning, as I headed off to work, my car windshield looked like this:
As I came home Friday night/Saturday morning (at a somewhat indecent hour) after my first-ever trip to Seoul’s Dongdaemun night market, my walkway looked like this:
Tomorrow/today (Saturday, that is) is the day I’ve been planning to run around town getting some Christmas shopping done. Here’s hoping I’ll still be able to do that, and of course that I don’t completely freeze my tail off in the process! (Although, if I can’t do the shopping thing, doesn’t it sound lovely to just stay in and keep warm under a nice cozy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book?)
11.16.07
Here we go…
It’s officially winter.
Yes, I know what you’re about to say: that it’s not officially winter until December 20th. But I beg to differ - it’s definitely winter according to the weather gods, and what better authority could one ask for to make it official?
How do I know it’s officially winter? I had to scrape the frost off my car windows before I could go anywhere this morning. And tonight when I came home after three hours of standing in a poorly-warmed tent helping with a mock evacuation exercise, I couldn’t get inside and away from the cold wind quickly enough.
I have to admit, I have not been looking forward to this winter. Everyone has been saying for the better part of a year now that this winter is supposed to be a particularly bitter one. Cold is alright, (as someone who likes skiing, I can’t dislike it entirely), but unfortunately, I’m not really all that fond of the truly bitter cold that everyone says is coming my way for the next few months.
On the up-side, there’s nothing better than dealing with bitter cold outside to make coming inside to a warm house one of the most welcoming feelings.
