On the Flipside: A Korean Adventure (2): November 2012

Ian and I are both new to blogging, and are still learning the ropes. After last weekend, I tried to upload a post and was unable to do so. We soon found out that we had reached the limit for uploading pictures. Even deleting older entries did not seem to do the trick… We have both quickly found that especially in Korea, it is best to just go with the flow. So this will be the new place where we upload pictures and entries, I guess until we reach the limit again. Anyways, we will deal with that again in a few months. Here is the entry I tried to upload last Monday.

This past Friday, Ian and I went with our friends Isabelle and Adam to Costco. It was my very first time in Costco, not just in Korea but ever and I have to say it was quite overwhelming. It was so exciting seeing so much western food in one place, Ian and I didn’t know where to start. We finally bought real cheese, which if you haven’t lived in Korea may not know is something that is very hard to come by. It was definitely worth the trek into Seoul on Friday to find the foods we were missing and craving.

On Saturday, it was my co-teacher Liz’s wedding. I received an invitation a few weeks ago and was really looking forward to it. In the morning, we met up with another one of my co-teachers, Jiyoon. Together we made our way to the wedding hall. I am so happy we met up with her before because from the moment we walked in we were a little lost. Korean weddings are traditionally very large and extravagant, and this one was no exception. As soon as we entered, we were ushered to the “Bride’s Room” where the bride, Liz was seated and there were guests lined up to take pictures with her. She was wearing a gorgeous, big, princess-like dress with a tiara on her head. After taking our picture with the bride we went to the main room which was beautifully decorated. The aisle was lined with birch trees, crystals and flowers. We sat with the other teachers that came from my school. My principal and vice principal also attended the wedding. Ian was a big hit among all of my co workers. Although, the majority of them don’t speak English, when they saw Ian they all immediately began talking. It sounded something like “Korean, Korean, Korean, boyfriend, Korean, Korean, Model?, Korean, Korean, Handsome…” Then they would stop and look at Ian and give me the thumbs up.

The actual ceremony was very short which is the norm for Korean weddings. Part way through, the bride’s cousins serenaded the newlywed couple. There were tons of photos being taken throughout the wedding, but there was a mini photo shoot after the ceremony. I was actually part of a few photos for the friends of the bride photos. After the photos, we moved into another room for a delicious buffet –style lunch. At this point, the couple changed into the traditional Korean clothing, called Hanbok. After lunch, Ian and I went for coffee with my co-teacher, Michelle, her daughter, and Jiyoon. I was happy that Ian had a chance to meet all of my co-teachers. Overall, the wedding was very nice and we were happy to be invited and part of it.

Saturday night we explored a new area of Incheon called Songdo. This is the International District, which has a very modern feel. There were a lot of modern art and building designs. The most famous landmark is the Tri-Bowl, built in 2010. It is suppose to represent the ocean along the Incheon harbour. We were able to go explore the inside, where various performances and exhibitions are held.

Sunday, we went to a soccer game in Seoul with a group of friends. It was fun to watch the game and hang out with friends. Overall, it was a great weekend. For the past few weekends we have been very busy, so it was nice to relax.

Liz in her Bride Room. Ian and I stood in line to take a picture with her.

They were playing music as guests arrived.

My co-teacher Jiyoon and I.

The couple had a photoshoot displayed around the rooms.

They were about to walk down the aisle. In a Korean wedding, they walk together with their family members in front. The family wears traditional Korean clothing, called Hanbok.