Seoul

I took a spontaneous trip to Seoul a couple weekends ago. Woke up on a Saturday morning and thought, hmmm what should I do today? Seoul? Sure! So off to Seoul I went with another adventureous friend. The bus trip took 4 hours and cost 20,000 won (close to 20 dollars).

After living in Chicago for 4 years I had this perception that I could tackle any city. Seoul forced me back into realization that I really am just a small town girl. Chicago has a population of close to 3 million, right? Seoul is home to 10 million people. It puts Chicago to shame.

It's a city constantly moving in unison. The subway system is clean, quiet and precise. The streets are crowded, loud and inviting. The people are pushy, intriguing and welcoming. I loved it.

The most eccentric and lively cities I've visited thus far.

The subway system. Thankfully I wasn't in charge of navigating.

Street in Myeng-dong; neighborhood of Seoul

Christmas was in full swing

There are foreigners everywhere in Seoul. There must have been a Santa bar crawl going on cause everyone was dressed up. I found it appropriate they are at a bar called HO BAR III.

We stumbled upon some tap dancers in a park. They had a band accompanying them. It was really cool to see. I have a video of their performance- hopefully I can post it soon.

Itawan is another neighborhood in Seoul. A lot of foreigners live in this area. The U.S. military base also resides here. We went to this tiny little store to pick up some "foreign" food. I wanted a little taste of home so what do I buy?
Peanut butter (extra crunchy), Nutella and Nesquik!

My little reminders of home.

After visiting Seoul, Jinju just seems so tiny. I've become jaded....

Lots of people have been asking me about Christmas here, so let me give you my 2 cents:
Christmas isn't hosted as the momentous holiday in Jinju as it is back home. Sure, there are some Christmas lights and English Christmas music playing in stores and coffee shops, but the lack of snow greatly effects that Christmas feeling. According to my co-workers, most Koreans spend time with their families in the morning and go out with friends in the evening. Shops, restaurants and bars are open on Christmas so apparently everyone goes out for dinner and drinks.

My Christmas plans are work till 9pm on Christmas Eve and then stay at a pension (cabin) near the river on Christmas Day to BBQ (no baking-since Korean don't believe in ovens), play cards and be with friends. A very different Christmas than what I would be having in Michigan.