Christmas in Korea

One of the first things Chloe did when she got here was to find a mini Christmas tree and decorate the apartment. And so, Christmas morning, Sam and Chloe woke up to a glimmering Christmas tree with some little presents from home, and ONE big one. Can anyone guess? Lego of course! Yes, Sam managed to find it at the local Lotte Mart, and Chloe snuck back there later to buy it for his Christmas present. Sam surprised Chloe with a cake his principal had given them, and they began a new trend: Christmas breakfast cake eaten with chopsticks. We know, strange, and at first we couldn't understand why Koreans wouldn't use a fork for cake, but like anything, you get used to it.

Our plan for Christmas day was quite a busy one. Chloe wanted to show Sam a few popular tourist sites, so they headed to Gyeongbokgung, a HUGE royal palace located near Insa-Dong. It was a bit rainy, instead of snowy, and so when we arrived we decided on food instead of exploring. Mmm, cheap Korean stir fry! We explored Insa-Dong a bit, an area which is famous for being traditionally Korean. Chloe later learned that you cannot use English on any of the signs in that area- even Starbucks is written in Korean! We found an ad for Superwoman on floor 2F, about a hundred wine bottles decorating the outside of a restaurant, and a robot pointing at... well, we're not really sure. We didn't stay in the area long; being Christmas season, it was packed. We headed back to the Palace, but instead of wandering around inside (which is still outside) we decided to explore the (free) museum.

Our next stop: Bucheon! Before we came to Korea we researched a few things online, and found a fabulous site whose main purpose seemed to be helping foreigners adjust to Korean life. They talked a lot about the food, and made a video about Chicky Pub in Bucheon. Since it's not easy to get a proper Christmas dinner (chicken/turkey) in Korea, Sam thought we might try finding Chicky Pub. It was quite a long subway ride, but definitely worth it. We're fairly certain we got an entire fried chicken, not just a few pieces of one. We had to take most of it to go!

And on to our last destination: Namsan Tower. It's known as a very romantic spot, and we thought it would be a fitting end to our Christmas day. Picture the CN tower on a small mountain, overlooking the city of Seoul. They even have a revolving restaurant! The most interesting part are the locks. Couple visit this spot, and take (or buy) a lock that they've written their names on (the same kind you find in highschools). They lock them onto the fences surrounding the area, and we think it's supposed to be a kind of good luck for the couples, like carving your initials into a tree. It started to snow while we were looking down at the city of Seoul, very romantic. And on the way down, we definitely giggled at the girls in high heels trying to make it down the hill, clinging to their boyfriends for dear li

fe. They also use umbrella's in the snow, which we've never seen in Canada.

So that was Christmas in Korea. Tomorrow, we're changing Boxing Day to Lego Day :)

Our Charlie Brown tree.

Christmas Cake.

It's true.

A view of Insa Dong.

Superwoman, Floor 2F.

Chicky Pub! Most delicious chicken in Bucheon.

French fries with honey mustard, ketchup and chili sauce!

Locks at Namsan Tower.

Couple bench! Do I need to explain how it works?

Umbrella's in the snow.