Allie's Got Seoul: The Chosen One

I survived my first term! Final exams finished. Grades submitted. And classes ended smoothly on Thursday, giving way to a three-day weekend! (And WHAT a difference an extra day can make!)

The celebration aptly began with a homemade pot of carrot ginger soup. I then spent a couple hours at my language exchange. I love this exchange because of the people I’ve met. As for learning Korean…I haven’t found it that effective. The core of the group is comprised of two foreigners with minimal Korean skills, a few Koreans with fairly proficient English, and two bilingual geniuses. It’s the company that keeps me coming back week after week!

On my way back I met coworkers at a Korean barbeque restaurant. They were celebrating the departure of two of our own who heading home for the holidays. One coworker is hibernating for three months while the other is only ‘flying south’ for a month (but will return to a different school in January!) I’ve been advised that I need to get used to the revolving door of friends in Korea. The evening progressed to the beloved local Alcohol Tree and eventually to the noraebang (karaoke room.) My 5:30am return home marked my latest night in Seoul to date. I had a great time, even though my sleep has been off all weekend. Annoying!

No surprise that I took Friday at a slower pace. But I actually felt great so ‘slower pace’ meant taking care of a few nagging errands. Rounded off the day with another last dinner with coworkers at the favorite dakgalbi restaurant. The cabbage, the sauce, the deok (rice cake,) the ramyeon noodles, the cheese! I love it all. Korean food is communal, so I do my best to eat around the chicken, though I should probably try a little harder…

Saturday was hiking day! We conquered the Seoul Fortress Wall of Inwangsan and Bugaksan. It was a shorter hike and closer in compared to others we have done. Per usual, I met interesting people and reconnected with other hiking buddies. Based on my blog you’re probably thinking that the only thing I do in Korea is hike mountains. When I tell you the panoramic views of the city were awesome I’m probably boring you. But…each time I look out at the skyline I am amazed by urban development and the sheer size of this city.

The fortress wall has been a secured area since a 1968 attempted attack by armed North Korean spies. Hikers are required to bring identification and fill out a form upon entering. This is the story of how I became “The Chosen One.” I am standing on the tightly slatted platform, pulling out my Alien Registration Card, when it accidently falls to the ground. I look down and to my disbelief I watch it as it slips through the tiniest of cracks. I was confused since it didn’t seem like this was possible. The chances that is fell at the exact right angle were one in a million. To lighten my mood, fellow hikers bowed to me and encouraged me to buy my lottery ticket as soon as possible.

The platform was built only six inches above a concrete slab leaving no hope of crawling under to get it. I hoped Korean ingenuity would save the day when a guard attempted to rescue it with a ruler and adhesive tape on the end. But alas. No ARC card. I nearly wished my fellows hikers a farewell but they ended up letting me into the fortress wall. They will hopefully recover the card and call me. If not, I’m off to immigration again.

I was pleased the hike ended in a part of town called Samcheong-dong, an area I’ve been meaning to explore. Cafés and shops lined the main drag of town. After a post-hike bite to eat, I convinced a few friends to join me for a warm drink and ‘slice’ of honey bread, a sweet treat I’ve noticed in a few cafés. Honey bread is essentially the thickest slice of white bread I’ve ever seen, generously drizzled with honey and cinnamon, and served with a mountain of whipped cream on top. I definitely needed company to eat this one. The calorie count exceeded 1,000 supposedly but it wasn’t as rich as perhaps it should have been. It still needed to be checked off my list and checked it was!

Sunday morning I met my running buddy bright and early for a good 4.5 mile track workout. In the early afternoon two coworkers and I checked out a café and bakery showcase. So. Many. Free. Samples. Heaven. And the food wasn’t even available for purchase…I couldn’t even feel bad about helping myself to numerous samples. Also available was high-quality, freshly roasted, freshly ground pour-over coffee. So good that I can say I actually enjoyed my first cup of black coffee. However, I fully plan on taking milk when I’m forced back to mediocre break room coffee at work.

After free sample exhilaration (and I literally mean exhilaration,) a hiking buddy and I met for a long overdue date. I proceeded to take her on a failed adventure to find a baking market. Baking is not conventional in the Korean diet, despite the exploding café culture, but I heard this alleyway is the baking mecca of Seoul. Unfortunately, the market did not want to be found. We ended up checking out the Deoksugung Palace which I heard was featuring the artistic juxtaposition of modern art in a traditional palace. Unfortunately, that was also another fail. At this point a third (and brand new) hiking friend joined us for a photo festival at the Seoul Museum of Art. I particularly loved the old but vivid photos of people and seeing the city fifty years ago. Seoul has come quite a ways in recent years! Capped the evening with dinner at an adorable Italian café before parting ways.

Now, at home, I prepare for the new week and new classes ahead. I am accompanied by the Christmas music of Kenny G, a warm cup of chai tea, and Banjo. I plan to do something in the Christmas spirit each day this month. Another holiday on the horizon! And it’s a big one!

Oh, and by the way, it’s snowing!