Christmas in Korea and Lots of Things Beforehand

Well it's been a while since I've posted, so lots to catch up on (briefly)! On the weekend of the 15th, I headed to Seomun Market to do a little Christmas shopping for the friends and family. I found some good treasures, but I am really hoping to also get some good, traditional Korean artwork. Though I am still not entirely sure what that entails or where to find any. So the search remains. And I honestly can't remember what I did for the rest of the weekend, so moving on to Wednesday the 19th. We had the day off, because if was the presidential election. So I headed downtown with Elizabeth and bought a sweet sweater at a thrift store for Christmas festivities. I got a decent deal, but was hoping to find a much better deal. We then watched the Hobbit and after headed to Pan Asia for dinner. We both got Indonesian style rice that was quite tasty.

Last weekend I joined a delightful group to sing some Christmas carols. It was an absolute delight! We sang all the classics and did it to raise money for a charity. So it was a really feel good experience, and helped me get even more in the Christmas mood. Later that night I headed to Babalu for what turned out to be a tremendous night of salsa dancing, and then stayed out with friends until the wee hours of the morning to catch the first subway home.

Sunday I headed to Gyeongju with my friend Jae Won. We saw a few different sites that the area is famous for, and then headed to a 3D art museum. They are pretty popular in Korea and I have been wanting to check one out, so I was excited that we did it. Then we went to an awesome light festival and finally had a delicious dinner. It was a really great weekend!

    

And today is Christmas! Though I was sad that I wasn't with my family, I still had a great day. Elizabeth came over and we made sugar cookies, a "gingerbread" house and ate a delicious Christmas dinner. It was a really delightful day and felt like a really nice Christmas. I am so happy that things worked out so well. Things in Korea are really great. I feel so lucky to be here and have all these wonderful experiences.

A Bundle of Joy

Last weekend I headed to Seoul for some shopping, a Christmas dinner and to catch up with some Korean friends. It was a great, but cold weekend! I took an early KTX (Korea's rapid train) in to the city and headed to Myeong-dong, the district for shopping. I was really excited to shop at Forever 21, because it is one of my favorite stores at home. But I wasn't all that successful and only found a sweater and two pairs of earrings. But then I headed to H&M, which is probably my favorite store in the world. I hit the jackpot and got lots of warm clothes, many of which were on sale! And I finally bought an infinity knitted scarf from one of the street vendors. It is so warm and exactly what I was looking for.

After all my shopping, I headed to Itaewon-dong for the Christmas dinner. The meal was pretty good, but nothing like the delicious Thanksgiving dinner I got from one of the army wives in Daegu. But the group was large and festive, and I enjoyed the general merriment of sharing a Christmas meal with others, though I definitely still plan to do something for Christmas day! I then headed to Hongdae to check in to my hostel and put on some warmer clothes for the evening, which turned out to be my absolute favorite part of the weekend... the evening that is; not checking in to my hostel.

 

 

We met in Switzerland...

 

 

...and caught up in Korea!

That evening I met up with three Korean friends I made in Switzerland (we stayed in the same room at Heidi's Hostel). Such a coincidence, but one I am very thankful for. When I met them, I told them of my plans to teach in Korea and that we should meet up when I got to the country... and we did it! We headed to Jihoon's family's restaurant and had some delicious pork and pork sausages. Then we chatted and caught up on life over makgeolli. We tried some tasty kinds, including chestnut, which was my favorite, and citron, which has a flowery taste. These guys are so nice and a really good time! I wish they lived in Daegu so we could hang out more often. I definitely plan to stay in touch with them during my stay in Korea and visit with them again.

 

 

Sunday I went to Taco Bell, because it isn't a readily available fast food place here. I was so excited to eat some delicious TBell, that I overdid it and ordered a lot of food. But of course I ate it all. And it was good! But I think my favorite part of the meal was that the sauces had quirky sayings in Korean on them! It was a fun twist to my Taco Bel experience. But luckily the food tasted just like home. I was so nice to have a comfort meal! Then I headed back to Daegu on a four hour bus ride. The bus was excessively hot. I literally took my jeans off for the ride... granted I had leggings on underneath, so I wasn't revealing myself to the other patrons traveling to Daegu! Once I got home I had a nice evening of relaxing, laundry and TV watching.

 

Skiing

This weekend was a lot of fun! I started with grabbing dinner with some girl friends Friday night. But it wasn't just your average dinner; it was potentially fatal! We had blow fish. We went with the set course meal. It included a bunch of side dishes, blow fish with sprouts and hot sauce, a similar dish that was cold, fried blow fish and some blow fish soup. It was a tasty meal, but my favorite part of the evening was chatting with the ladies. It was nice to catch up and hang out.
Saturday I headed with a huge group to High1 Ski Resort for a weekend of skiing. It was so much fun! Of all the places I have skied so far, Korea is my favorite! The lifts were efficient, the staff was very friendly, they played excellent English and Korean tunes on the whole mountain, and they do night skiing! It was my first time doing night skiing, so I was really excited. It was a lot of fun. The only catch, the snow is fake. But you can't even tell, so it really isn't a catch at all! I really loved the music, because it helped to keep me from over thinking as I skied. I wasn't able to freak myself out, because I was to busy jamming and singing along! The resort we stayed at was right at the bottom of the slopes, so it was really convenient to just walk outside of the building, grab my skis and head up the lift! And there were three large hot tubs outside. I lounged around in them last night. It was such a pleasant experience. I enjoyed the sensation of the warm water on my body and the cool air on my head. Sadly, I fell as I transitioned from one tub to the other (my feet just totally came out from under me), and I scratched up my legs pretty well. But I was able to relax in the tub after and enjoy the moon, so it really wasn't so bad! I really enjoyed the entire trip. I ended up staying in a room with a really great group of girls, so I was happy that worked out well. And I got a lot of runs in yesterday afternoon, night and this afternoon.
Today I got home and decorated my Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music. It was a great way to start December! I am happy to have some holiday cheer in my home to help it feel like Christmas. It will be hard to have my first Christmas away from home and family, especially considering last year was the first year in a while that we had the whole family together for Christmas, but having some Christmas joy in my home will definitely ease the pain! Now I need to either get my hands on some egg nog, or just make some of my own!

Thanksgiving, Salsa and Illness

I am still sick after more than two weeks; I am so annoyed with my body! I just want to be 100% healthy and back on track. The coughing was annoying, but now my throat is killing, which is so inconvenient. I just want to be able to swallow without cringing. I really hope this thing passes quickly.
But on a happier note, I had a delicious Thanksgiving meal with friends Friday. It was nice to spend the holiday with good people, since I wasn't able to be with my family. It was quite an arduous task to acquire the meals, but it was well worth the effort! The food was absolutely delicious. And turkey is my favorite poultry, so it was nice to get a proper turkey dinner. Our meal came with sweet tea, turkey, mac and cheese, stuffing, green bean casserole, gravy, cranberry sauce and cheesecake. So I made mashed potatoes to complete the meal. I also made some pumpkin cheesecakes, which were quite delicious. I found a really good recipe that I will have to keep handy for future purposes! We finished the evening off with some makgeolli and cider (it's like Sprite), and we booked our flights for our winter vacation! I will be heading to Cambodia and Thailand for the second half of January into early February. I am so excited to check out both of those countries! It will be so nice to get to a warmer climate too.
Yesterday I took it pretty easy during the day. I caught a bus to Seoul around 1:40 p.m. and arrived around 6 p.m. It was quite a long journey, but a great deal. Saturday night I headed to Gangnam area for quite a different style of dance than Psy has made a world phenomenon (though let's be honest; I partook in some Gangnam Style since I was in the spot for it!). I did a Dominican Bachata and Pachanga workshop followed up by a night of salsa, bachata and some merengue dancing. It was a lot of fun, and I was really excited to learn some Dominican flavor to spice up my bachata. Originally I had planned to spend the evening dancing and catch the earliest bus back home (around 6 a.m.), but since I'm still sick, I decided to take the last bus home (at 1:30 a.m.) I was bummed to leave the party so early, but it was definitely a good call to get more rest. And that is all that I have been doing today, which has been really nice. I love having lazy Sundays!

A weekend of firsts.

 

Pumpkin Latte!

It was a weekend of firsts for me, and a very good weekend indeed! I started the weekend with an adventurous dinner Friday night; I ate raw beef for the first time. I was leery going into it, and butterflies fluttered around my stomach as I took the first bite. But as the morsel of meat caressed my taste buds, my stomach was quickly placated. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal! The meat was seasoned with sesame oil and a bit of green onions. It was a nice light flavor, allowing the flavor of the meat to break through. Had I gone alone, I think I would have been a bit more worried even as I enjoyed the delightful taste of the meal. But since I went with an experienced raw beef consumer (who is alive to tell the tale) I felt much more comfortable. Though the incredulous stares of the others dining at the restaurant (all Korean) didn't do much to make me feel at ease. Everyone's eyes carried the same question that bounced around their minds, "Does this waygook know where she is?" It's safe to say that many a foreigner fails to grace their presence at one of these establishments, but that was not enough to deter me from trying something new. I will absolutely go back, and next time I plan to try the raw beef that is unseasoned and cut that very day. Apparently in the remote villages of Korea, restaurants will cut the slab of beef right before your eyes. It certainly reminds you that you are eating an adorable cow, but I would really love to try meat that incredibly fresh, because it is just so tasty. So if the opportunity arises, it will certainly be happening!
Saturday I took it pretty easy during the day as I am still trying to get over a cold I first developed symptoms for last week Thursday! (Side note: I am definitely planning on going to the doctor tomorrow, which will ironically be another first for me) Carrying on, I got a haircut in the afternoon, another first. I was pleased with the cut and price. And the hairstylist actually lived in California for about 10 years, so I was comfortable with her since I could clearly express my desired cut specifications. Saturday night I went to a speed dating event put on by a local charity. I had never attended one of these events, but they always seemed intriguing, so I figured now's as good a time as any. It was a pretty fun evening, and I met quite a few interesting people. But it was definitely a lot of small talk 25 times over, which is really quite taxing. And with a cold to boot, it was not the easiest of experiences. Glad I had a beer (or more) in hand to help me through the evening. But overall it was a good time!
Today I had my first pumpkin latte in Korea! I was so excited to find a place that sells them, because I have really been missing my pumpkin coffee fix that autumn usually brings. Surely I have said it many times before, but I really love pumpkin flavored food and drink! They are just so delicious. Cold Stone Creamery is actually where I found the latte, which was unexpected, but much appreciated! They also had a pumpkin vanilla pecan ice cream (that also had pistachios), which was pretty good, but could certainly have had much more pumpkin flavor. After guzzling the delicious drink, my friend Elizabeth and I caught the final installment of the Twilight series. It was my first time seeing a movie in Korea with someone else (how sad!). The movie was just like all the others; it was nothing spectacular, but something you just have to watch.
I was really glad to have an adventurous weekend in my own city. It was nice to get out and do new things. That is probably my favorite thing about traveling; I love meeting new people, eating new food and doing things I have never done before. It is exhilarating and a great way to really appreciate life and all the fabulous things this world has to offer.

Cheongsong Sagwa Festival

 

Lots of varieties of apples.

 

Apple arch!

 

My new best friend.

 

Fellow foreigners!

Today I took a two and a half hour bus ride (both ways) to 청송 (Cheongsong) for it's 사과 (apple) festival. I went solo, but found a group of foreigners who were also traveling to the festival. Ironically, they were supposed to meet up with a different Tara, but she never showed. So I happily filled the void and hung out with them for the day. I was really happy to have people to share the event with, because it made it more fun. And they were a really nice group of people! We had lots of free samples of delicious apples and fresh-squeezed apple juice. We also got to snack on bulgogi (bbq), soup and apple chocolate. The festival had a lot going on, with different shows of traditional singing and dancing. I joined in for some of the dancing and was greeted warmly. After the dancing ended, I was showered with free apples! It was so sweet of the people there. I think they enjoyed a foreigner getting in the mix instead of just spectating. One woman in particular (pictured above) was very enthusiastic and kept hugging me. It was so cute! I'm glad I decided to check out the festival, because it was a really good time, and I now have lots of delicious apples to munch on.

In Other News

Autumn is my favorite time of year. Gorgeous! 

Here is another update about the more routine things in my life. I (finally) started Korean lessons yesterday, and I am so excited to learn some of this awesome language! I really hope that I can pick it up quickly so I can start having some form of conversation with my fellow teachers and Korean people in general. I have the class for two hours Mondays and Thursdays at the YMCA. Yesterday we went over the consonants, most of the vowels and a few words. I am really happy to be learning the language, but I'm hoping that I don't get burnt out.
I've also started taking salsa lessons on Tuesday nights from 8-10 (in Korean, so I mostly just mimic what they do until I get the steps down) and I have capoeira from 7-9 on Wednesdays also at the YMCA. So I'll be in downtown Mondays through Thursdays, busy with lots of activities. It will be a lot, but I am happy to have so many things available to do. They are all things that I am really interested in, so it's nice that the schedule worked out to fit them all in. Though I would also really love to take a KPop dance class. I'll just have to find a place that does them on Fridays or the weekend as a once a time thing. Hopefully there is something available! Though I'll be getting busier, I will try to keep this blog more up to date!

Playing Catch Up

Well I have obviously been neglecting my poor blog, so now I am going to do a recap of the past few weeks (mostly about the weekends) of my life! So be prepared for a longer than usual post (no one would blame you if you just stopped reading now!)


Weekend of Oct. 26-28:

Teen Top performing

I attempted to check out the Fireworks Festival in Busan, but the rain foiled my plans... but more on that later. I headed to the city straight from work with my friends to catch the free KPop concert. We arrived about a third of the way into the show, but were able to get in after grabbing some free tickets. The show was pretty good, and I actually knew a few of the songs performed by Teen Top (and by that I mean I knew the English lyrics and swayed/mumbled to the rest of the songs). But it was a lot of fun and makes me want to attend more KPop concerts. Though if I'm going to pay for it, I'm going to see a band I really love and learn all of their songs so I can sing along.
The next day we had plans to see some awesome cliffs in Busan, but torrential downpours forced us inside. So what's a girl to do? Go shopping, of course! We went to H&M, and I stocked up on cute winter clothes. I am so happy to have an H&M so close, but not too close. Otherwise I would spend my whole paycheck on cute outfits. The rain really started to pick up as we were walking back to our hotel, and we got completely soaked. As did my paper bag with all of my new clothes. The bag disintegrated and all my new clothes fell on the filthy, wet street. I was really frustrated but once I got back to the hotel and laid my stuff out to dry, it was funny to look back on. We figured since we were already soaking we might as well walk to dinner and then head to the beach for the fireworks show. But as we were enjoying our seafood paella at The Back Room, we learned that the show was postponed until Sunday. It was a devastating blow (a little dramatic, I know) because there was no way to see the show without returning home ridiculously late on a night before work. So instead we decided to head out to some Halloween parties. I was dressed as a pathetic "Calico" bunny. It was a pretty sad costume, but I didn't feel like spending a lot. The evening was decently fun, but nothing spectacular. Though better than if I had just stayed home.



Weekend of Nov. 2-4:

Opera:

 

Daegu International Opera Festival

 

Don Giovanni's Conquests

 

 Oh, of course.

On Friday night I headed to the Opera House to see Don Giovanni. It was showing as part of the Daegu International Opera Festival. The opera was quite funny and entertaining, but it was a little too drawn out. And the end was basically like a religious smack in the face. Though that certainly is understandable given the time frame it was written  in. Overall it was an enjoyable experience. I was happy to have English translations for the Italian lyrics, because it helped me to understand the opera better. And sometimes, when the translations made no sense, it made the experience more hilarious.

Daegu Arboretum:

 

Autumn!

 

The next weekend I headed to the Daegu Arboretum with my friend Jocelyn. The arboretum had a chrysanthemum festival with a variety of objects shaped out of the flower. And lots of gorgeous, fall-colored trees. It was a really nice and relaxing day. The sun was shining, and it was warmer than it had been the few days previous. So it was the perfect time to go! We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch in the open grass area of the arboretum and walked through the lovely paths.  

Palgongsan Cable Car:

 

Going up.

 

Love trails. If your love isn't true, the tiger will bite your hand!

 

On the mountain.

 

After the arboretum I headed to the northern part of Daegu to ride the Cable Car up Palgongsan (Palgong Mountain). It was a 7 minute ride, but about a 2.5 hour journey to take the ride. I was hoping to make it back in time to do some salsa dancing, but the line for the ride was just too long and ate up my time. But I was able to see a beautiful sunset, so it was a good trade off. I was a bit underwhelmed with the view from the mountain--I was hoping for a sea of red, orange and yellow leaves--but I'm happy that I went. Daegu really has a lot to offer, so it was nice to have a weekend at home and enjoy the beautiful areas.

 

Mask Dance Bread Masks

 

Aquarium

 

Skills

The next day I headed to the Daegu Food Expo. It was a pretty neat show and had some free samples. I was definitely hoping for more samples, but was happy to have any. I learned about a few more restaurants in Daegu that I hope to try one day. The best part of the expo was the bar tending tricks show. They performers were really talented and even threw flaming bottles. It was a good show! After I saw the new 007 movie. It was my first time at a theater in Korea, and I loved it. The seats were incredibly comfortable, and the front seats are a good distance from the screen, so you don't have to strain your neck to watch. I enjoyed the experience so much, I went to see Looper the next night. Both movies were really good, but Looper was even better.

All in all, the last few trips and events I have participated in have been delightful.

Scavenger Hunt

 

Take a picture with a child and their parent... duh, I grabbed the baby!

 

Tai Chi

 

Beast mode!

 

Love 146

 

Dance obnoxiously behind an unknowing stranger.

 

Picture with an old guy!

Last weekend was a blast! I laughed and giggled so much. I participated in a scavenger hunt hosted by a charity group that fights child sex slavery. I had really only met one of my team members briefly before the event, so I wasn't sure quite what to expect. Turns out I ended up with a really fantastic group and had a lot of fun with them. We didn't end up placing, but it was great running around downtown Deagu for two hours taking pictures of crazy things. Some of my favorites are highlighted above with the pictures. We had a few Korean people walk away from us with a frightened look, but most people were willing to join in the fun.
After the event I headed to Babalu for another night of salsa. We had a brief bachata lesson (men were lacking, so I led... and was complemented multiple time for being the best leader besides the instructor!) and then a salsa party started. I was again amazed at the talent of the dancers there! They really inspire me to improve my skills. Tomorrow I am planning to try to get in on a lesson, so hopefully it works out well, and I can make it a regular thing for Tuesday nights! But back to the salsa party... It was a great deal. It was only 15,000 won (little less than $15), and beer, food (gimbap, yum!) and dancing was included until 2 a.m. I certainly feel like I got my money's worth!
But 2 a.m. was to soon to call it a night, so I went with newly acquired friends from salsa to two different bars. By the time the second one closed, I only had about half an hour to wait for the first subway home, so I went back to the first place that stays open way into the late night and danced while I waited. Finally I caught the subway home around 5:30 a.m. and made it back to my bed around 6:15 a.m. I was definitely exhausted, but slept in really late on Sunday and had a really lazy day! It was a great weekend.

Jam Packed Three-day Weekend!

This weekend I was lucky enough to have Monday off, because October 15 is our school's founding day, so a holiday is given. I took full advantage of the extra day and crammed a lot of sightseeing into one weekend, starting with Friday night. I met up with my friend Elizabeth in downtown, and then we caught up with another friend and his new Korean friends. The seven of us headed on a trek out of the pulsing heart of downtown, following narrow alleys to a low key Korean bar. We drank makgeolli (Korean rice wine) mixed with cider (basically like Sprite) and played Korean drinking games. It was really fun, especially because it reminded me of the evening my Korean friend from home made a huge dinner for us and taught us Korean drinking games. We played: Sam Yuk Goo (3, 6, 9) a game in which you say numbers out loud in a circle, but have to clap any time a number has a 3, 6 or 9, so 13 would be a clap, etc.; Gong Gong Chil Bang (007, bang) a game where you pretend to shoot people like James Bond, hence the 007, and have coordinating motions to go along; and the Stand Up game, in which everyone has to stand up and say a number, but if more than one person stands up for the same number, everyone drinks. We also learned the song people burst into when cheering on someone to drink, but I haven't quite mastered it yet. After drinking makgeolli and eating lots of food (spicy chicken, pajeon aka onion pancake, tangerines, and other side dishes) we headed to a Norabang for some karaoke. It was the first time I have gone norabanging in Korea, so it was fun to get out and sing! But it's a bit tough with a split group of Koreans and foreigners, because half the crowd really can't sing the song (i.e. we chose English songs, they chose Korean ones). After singing our lungs out, I decided to head home instead of dancing (wait, who am I?... don't worry, here's why) because it was about 3:30 a.m. and I needed to get up in about 4 hours to get ready for our trip the next day.

 

 

On Saturday I went to Jinju with Elizabeth and Lindsey to watch some bullfighting and check out the Jinju Lantern Festival. Sadly, the only bulls we saw were ones pictured on the side of the stadium. My guidebook led us astray, because there were not bullfights every Saturday as it so boldly proclaimed. There had been a bullfighting festival the weekend before, so we had just missed it! It was disappointing, but there was a lake nearby, so we hiked up to it and enjoyed the beautiful view. Later that night we went to the river for the lantern festival, which was indeed happening. It was absolutely beautiful! The three of us made our own lanterns and sent them into the river with our wishes. It was a pretty simple festival and could definitely have been done as a day trip, but we had already booked our motel, so we took our time wandering through the lights and enjoyed delicious pizza at an adorable Italian restaurant. Accommodations for the weekend booked up quickly, so we went ahead and got a two-person room for three people. But we made it work! We slept sideways on the bed and actually had quite a bit of room, though our feet did hang off of the bed. But it was a nice room and I got a good night of sleep. And the best part, the bed vibrated, so we had a nice massage in the morning (obviously that wouldn't be fun to try to sleep to).

 

Sunday we headed straight back to Daegu after waking up and getting ready. We decided to spend the gorgeous afternoon and Suseong Lake. It was a nice area, but for some reason I expected a much bigger lake. But it didn't disappoint, because duck boats abounded, and of course we took one for a spin. It was quite a workout, but a fun way to experience the lake. As we passed fellow duck boat users, we became instant, fleeting friends and shared friendly 안녕하세요s (hellos). Later we went to Ganga for dinner and had tasty Indian food. We had spinach paneer (my favorite!), tandoori chicken and garlic naan. It cost a pretty penny, but it was good. We then trekked over to the airplane turned coffee shop that was overlooking the lake. I've had many a cup of coffee in airplanes, but someone this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up! The coffee was yummy (I haven't come across a bad cup of Joe yet) and it was fun sitting in the cockpit. But the inside was a bit stuffy, so we took our drinks to the patio upstairs and reveled in the delightful weather and stunning view of the lake. After the lake we headed to Camp Walker, a U.S. army base in Daegu, on a mission to find the other gate into the post (I had already found one). We walked around the post, but sadly came to a dead end. I figure army bases have great businesses outside the main gates that cater to foreigners, so I wanted to check out what there was nearby. I actually found some good businesses outside Gate 4, but I still want to find out what Gate 6 has to offer. It was a bit disappointing, but there is still time to track it down. So we just headed on home.

 

Gatbawi 

 

It was quite the hike!

 

Bullo-dong Tomb Park

Today (Monday) I headed up to the northeastern part of Daegu to visit the famous Gatbawi stone Buddha. It was way more of a hike than I was expecting, but I was happy to get some exercise in with my sightseeing. I climbed so many stairs; I didn't think it would ever end. But I managed to make it to the top, and some some spectacular views of Daegu below. And the Buddha itself was quite magnificent. After making it back down the mountain, I went to the nearby traditional market and to Bullo-dong Tomb Park. The tombs are grass-covered hills all congregated in the park. Most have no marker or tombstone, and so just look like an interestingly shaped piece of land. It was a serene area and actually a nice place for a stroll. You just can't think about all of the bodies below the ground! I wrapped up my evening by visiting a recommended Vietnamese restaurant that had really tasty pho. I was also able to buy some cilantro and limes, two things that are hard to find else where. I paid about $1 per lime, but a girl had to have her favorite citrus... and I only got two! I have some avocados and home, so I certainly plan on making some really delicious avocado. I am definitely looking forward to that. So clearly I had a very busy weekend, but it was nice to be able to see so many different places, and to get a better feel for what's in my own city as well.

So ExPSYted

 

I saw Psy perform live!

  

Stadium food... actually quite cheap!

I went with no ticket, no time and a sliver of hope, but I managed to get in to the opening ceremony of Daegu's 93rd National Sports Festival. The festival is one of (if not the) biggest festivals that Daegu puts on, and this year's opening ceremony featured a concert by none other than the fabulous Psy. It was amazing! I loved the whole experience, and I mostly loved that I was able to experience it at all. I stumbled across information about Psy performing from a facebook group only two days ago, so I scrambled to get as much information as I could. Kudos to the Internet and facebook, because I was able to find out everything I needed about the event, including time, location and the free shuttle buses. And I also learned that all the tickets my gu (similar to district) was handing out were gone, and that I likely wouldn't make it on time to get in. But even with no ticket and the slimmest chance I would even arrive before the gates were closed, I decided to venture out and give it a try. I mean, it was a chance to see Psy perform live for free! You just can't throw in the towel for that until you do anything you can to make it.

I rushed out of my office as soon as the bell struck 4:30 p.m. and power walked to the Metro stop, determined and on a mission. I traveled past 9 stations to reach the interchange to get on line 2, where I traveled another 10 stops. Originally I was only going to travel 8 and catch a city bus to the stadium, but moments before getting to that stop, I saw two groups of Koreans pull out their tickets and discuss the shuttle bus location. I only really understood, because I had read the name of the shuttle buss point prior, but I wasn't confident about catching the shuttle until I saw them planning to go. And good thing I did wait, and that I got there when I did! As I stood in line waiting for the shuttle, my excitement was growing, because it was seeming more and more likely. Apparently the 5:30 p.m. shutting of the gates, was not observed, thankfully for me and countless other attendees. As I shuffled along in line, I remembered a tiny detail... I had no ticket. What to do, what to do?! Hello Korean man to my left, do you happen to have an extra ticket? And like that, my entrance was possible! God was definitely on my side and hooked it up. The man gave me an extra ticket he had with no hesitation. It was amazing. I thought he would be the first in an long line of many people I would have to beg for a spare ticket. Turns out, the man (my ticket friend) was their with his friend from church that has an English service and a group of about 100 or so foreigners. I was really excited to hear about that, because I haven't come across detailed information about English services here yet. So I plan to check out the church as soon as I am in Daegu on a Sunday, which should actually be pretty soon.

But anyway, to the main event. I shoved my way on to a crowded shuttle bus and arrived at the marvelous Daegu Stadium. Once inside I grabbed some concession stand treats (a meat stick, popcorn and water, all for only about $4!) and searched for a seat. I lucked out again and got an aisle seat, though it was pretty far from the stage. But I was just happy to be inside the stadium. The opening ceremonies were really beautiful, and included a light show, fireworks, the lighting of the torch and the singing of the national anthem. I realized that was the first time I had heard Korea's national anthem, so it was pretty moving, and I kind of teared up a little. Most of the time I had no idea what was going on, but I clapped and cheered with the crowd and just took in the general splendor. I was so happy to be a part of such a hugely important festival, because I really felt a sense of experiencing the culture.

Of course everyone's favorite part of the evening was when Psy came on stage. I don't know who was more excited, me, the little kids behind me or the adjumas. It was great fun watching Psy perform and watching the crowd's reaction. My favorite part of the evening was when Psy sang gangnam style and I danced it with the rest of the crowd. It was so awesome to dance to a real, live version of the song! After Psy performed, the evening was wrapped up with a beautiful fireworks show. 

Then I had to get home. It was intensely crowded and people were only looking out for number one. I felt bad for the police, because it was a huge crowd to deal with. But after about 40 minutes of waiting in a line that constantly swayed from side to side as intruders pushed their way in from either side of the line, I was able to get on a shuttle bus and make it to the subway. Overall it took me about two hours to get home, but it was totally worth it. I'm so glad I didn't give up before I tried, and that my ticket friend was awesome enough to give me a ticket! It really worked out well and was a great night to experience Korean culture.

Bits of Travel and the Best Sister in the World

 

Hey sexy lady!

 

Getting our massage on.

 

How we do.

I have the best sister ever, because she came to visit me in Korea! Luckily her Moon Festival vacation lined up with my Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) vacation, so we were able to travel to Busan together. We giggled a majority of the trip and had such a great time together! I tried to convince her to move to Korea; she tried to convince me to move to China. But we just wouldn't budge. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful relationship with my sister, and I know that if we ever settle down in the same country, we will certainly have to live close to each other and have ridiculously giggle-filled lives. It was an absolute joy to spend in-person time together after so many months of Skype. And considering we don't even live in the same country and haven't for the past two years, which have actually been able to see each other quite often. It's fantastic! 

We enjoyed the beach in Busan and got Thai massages. We also went to Spa Land, which is a huge bath house with a variety of saunas. My favorite sauna room was the wave dream room. It had comfortable benches and it wasn't as incredibly hot at the other rooms. I really enjoyed the different pools in the women's bath house. It was quite an experience, though, because there were naked women every where! It was actually quite freeing and very relaxing. We also went to Beomeosa Temple. It was very beautiful and in the mountain, which was a nice escape from the city.

Andong Mask Dance Festival

 

The group.

 

Bubbles!

 

Latvia

 

Russia

 

Masks!

 

Andong beef

Last weekend I went to Andong with Elizabeth and Jocelyn to check out the Mask Dance Festival. It was such a fun day trip! We saw many different kinds of masks from all over the world, and Elizabeth and I even made our own as pictured above. The festival had so many activities (Taekwondo performances, music, group dancing, food booths). We enjoyed the main dance performance featuring dancers from Uzbekistan, Latvia, Indonesia and Russia. The Russian dancers were my favorite! They were more like gymnasts, jumping incredibly high and doing back flips one after another. Their dancing is quite a physical feat! The dancers from Latvia were also good and did more of a contemporary style of dance. We finished the evening by trying some Andong beef, which is famous for being the best beef in Korea. We had it bulgogi (Korean bbq) style, and my was it delicious! The meat was very tender and flavorful. It was some of the best bulgogi I have had yet.