!!MERRY CHRISTMAS from Korea!!

Wednesday was Christmas Eve, but I still had to work. It was very bizarre being at school teaching and no one really being into the Christmas spirit. Besides showing 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' during my grade 5 classes, you would have never known it was Christmas here. Korea celebrates Christmas in a very different way from North America. I took the liberty of compiling a mini list of things done differently:

1. Christmas lights and decorations are few and far between. Basically department stores and a few main streets. Seoul was far more geared toward Christmas than Incheon
2. Koreans spend time with friends, not family

1. Many couples spend Christmas alone together

1. Koreans don't buy presents for each other

1. There is no big family dinner with turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc

1. Christmas movies don't exist :(
2. Christmas carols are known to them, but are not popular
3. Cakes are the most popular Christmas item. Koreans buy Baskin Robbin ice cream cakes, Dunkin Donut cakes, and other famous bakery cakes for Christmas. They sell like hot cakes here.

When I finished work I headed home to change and make dinner for myself and Nicole. I cooked us a delicious pasta dish with brown penne noodles, seasoned shrimp and pasta sauce. I also made us an amazing fruit platter just to make sure we stayed healthy.

This is the delicious fruit platter I made. I had to take a picture of it because I even displayed the fruit all fancy.

Nicole and I ate, did some drinking and then headed out to meet Tiffany and Carmela. We were very very late meeting them, so we just headed straight to Seoul City Hall plaza and met them there. The City Hall area was very crowded with people and it actually felt like Christmas. There was a giant Christmas tree made of lights, the hotel next to the plaza was decorated with lights and Christmas lights lined the streets. We had planned on going skating on the man made rink in the center plaza, but it was sold out and packed. Plus, the ice was really crappy and the only skates you could rent were 'plastic' hockey skates. I don't think I would have been able to skate.

My wife (Nicole) and I decided to take a couple picture in front of the giant Christmas tree. I apologize for the poor quality of the picture.

Anyways, the four of us just hung out and watched the skaters, most of which couldn't skate at all and most of which were couples. It was really funny and cute to watch.

Tiffany and Carmela pose for a Christmas shot in front of the rink :)

This is the ice rink and it may not look busy, but they were still letting people on the ice as this picture was being taken.

When we had finally had enough of watching people skate we just cruised around the area and finally agreed to head for hot chocolate at Starbucks.

We decided to head back to Incheon after we finished our drinks at Starbucks. We opted to take the bus home because it's more comfortable and we don't have to transfer at all along the way. Since we were just in time to catch the last buses home from Seoul there were people lined up for miles. Tiffany and Carmela took a different bus home then Nicole and I. Nicole and I managed to get a seat on the bus, which made the 45-60 minute ride home far more comfortable. We decided we wanted to stay out and go for drinks, so we got off in Guwol-dong and headed to our friend Rio's bar and spent the night there drinking. Then we headed for food before heading home for the night.

Nicole and I at Rio's with my new friend Jessica that I met that night. Turns out she lives in the 'Onion' with Nicole and I.

This Christmas Eve was definitely different from Christmas Eve back home, but just being with good friends and getting out of Incheon for a few hours into Seoul helped put me in the Christmas spirit.