On the Flipside: A Korean Adventure (2): April 2013

Since making the big decision to move to Korea, Ian and I have talked a lot about how to deal with missing our family and friends back home. It has been 8 months in Korea and luckily with skype, kakao talk, whats app, and emails we have been able to keep in touch and cope with being so far from home. Another big factor helping us along these past 8 months has been all the great new friends we have made here. I don't think we would have the same Korean experience without our "Incheon family."

Technology has been a key factor in minimizing home sickness, but nothing truly beats having friends come visit! We were so lucky to have 3 of our friends come visit Korea this past week! Having Larissa, Teresa, and Molly in Korea has been an amazing and unforgettable experience! I have known Lariss my whole life and met Molly through her. The three of us also all lived together for three years in university. I loved playing the tour guide role and showing my friends around our Korean bubble. I also loved being able to share their first Korean experiences. It also made me realize how much I have become accustomed to in Korea; there are so many simple little Korean things that are now second nature to me. Incheon really feels like home!

So here is what we have been up to this past week. We have been very busy but it has been great! On Saturday April 20th, our Incheon friend Ashley organized a Pub Crawl in Incheon. Ian and I met up with our Incheon friends and although I was very excited for the pub crawl, I couldn't contain my excitement for the Poprawa sisters to land in Korea later that day! Part way through the afternoon, I left and headed for the airport to pick up Larissa and Teresa. There flight landed early, so when I arrived I immediately starting running with my neon pink welcome sign to our meeting spot. They said they saw me running from far down the terminal because I was also wearing my bright pink rain jacket. We may have made a slight scene at the airport, but it was worth it! I then introduced the girls to the subway system while we headed to my apartment. After settling in (the girls thought our Korean shower that seems normal to me was hilarious), the three of us headed to Bupyeong for their first Korean dinner (dolsot bibimbap, and of course a side of kimchi) and then we rejoined the pub crawl. I was nervous about finding vegetarian food for them, but thankfully they both eat seafood!

On Sunday, we headed to Yeouido Island in Seoul for the Cherry Blossom festival along with our friends Isabelle, Adam, and Natasha. It was a nice sunny day to walk around the park and along the Han river. We loved playing the game "Spot the Mouple (matching couple)." We then headed to Myeong-Dong shopping area, ate 32cm tall ice cream (you find these extremely tall ice cream cones all over Korea), Ian bought a hilarious neon bright yellow hat, and we got dinner (dak galbi and seafood galbi for the vegetarians) before coming home. On Monday the girls explored Bupyeong, and then visited me at school. I think my students were a little shocked to see so many waygooks (foreigners) together in one spot. They took lots of pictures and practiced asking the girls questions. We also played soccer with my students. That night Larissa and Teresa headed to Sokcho for two nights for some hiking and to experience another more rural part of Korea. On Thursday, they did the same DMZ tour that Ian and I did back in November. That night, our friend Molly flew from Shanghai to Incheon for the weekend.

This past weekend was so fun! It was unfortunate that our Incheon friends went away for the weekend, as they didn't get to meet Molly, but Ian, Larissa, Teresa, Molly, and I had a great time together. We all commented on how at times, it didn't really feel like we were in Korea. With the girls, we started the weekend by walking around Changdeokgung Palace, exploring Bukchon Traditional Village, walking the streets of Insadong (one of my favourite areas in Seoul), and having a roof top patio lunch with sangria, before heading towards the Seoul Namsan Tower. That night we met up with Ian, went out for dinner and had a great night out in Hongdae, listening to live music in Hongdae park, playing beer pong, and dancing into the night!

Other weekend activities included going to a sheep cafe, yes a cafe with 2 sheep! Ian and I have been to cat and dog cafes, but a sheep cafe was another one of those only-in-Korea type of experiences we had to check out! It was a cute little cafe that served amazing breakfast waffles, and we were able to pet and feed the 2 sheep. Other activities on the itinerary were walking through Namdaemun market, exploring more of Myeong- Dong, finding Traditional Korean Tea, and taking a stop in a Korean photobooth. At night, we went out in Itaewon and had dinner and drinks at the Canadian bar - appropriately named Rocky Mountain Tavern. We ended the perfect weekend with a Sunday afternoon baseball game in Incheon. Baseball games involve a lot coordinated dancing and cheering.

Sadly, on Sunday night it was time to say goodbye to our visitors. It was tough seeing them leave and it really hit me how I much I miss our friends from home, but I know Larissa and Teresa will have an amazing adventure traveling through Asia and I will see them soon enough. I am not sure the next time I will have a reunion with Molly, but this past reunion was amazing so I know the next will be just as perfect! Thanks girls for visiting us!!!

Now Ian and I have a mini break before our next visitors land! My family (parents, aunt, uncle, and cousin) are visiting us and will be here in exactly two weeks! I can't wait to see them and act as their Korean tour guide!

Here are some pictures from the weekend!

Larissa and Teresa's first night in Korea - Incheon Pub Crawl!

Cherry Blossom Festival in Seoul - Yeouido Park

Natasha, Teresa, Larissa, Isabelle, Nadia

Walking along the Han River and Ian being goofy.

Han River

More cherry blossoms.

First day with Molly! This is at Changdeokgung Palace.

Walking around Bukchon Traditional Village.

Walking around Insadong we stumbled upon this funny sign!

Taking the cable car to the top of the hill.

Love locks near the Seoul Namsan Tower.

These benches were called the "Love in Action" seats.

Walking down the hill we stopped for some Korean exercise.

Listening to a great band in Hongdae park (university area in Seoul).

At a sheep cafe in Hongdae, called Thanks Nature Cafe.

Ian feeding the sheep.

The most delicious waffle!

Namdaemun Market

Korean traditional tea in Myeong-Dong. We made it on the wall of memories.

Korean photobooth.

At the Canadian Pub in Itaewon.

Sunday afternoon baseball game!

Unlike back home in Canada, spring has definitely sprung in Korea! Along with a few friends, Ian and I went on a weekend trip to Gyeongju, a city nick named the Rome of Korea. This city is about a four-hour drive southeast from Incheon (if there is no traffic). It is famous because it used to be the capital of Korea during the Silla Period (BCE 57 ~ CE 935). We really wanted to head there when the cherry blossoms were blooming; however, it was a little tricky planning a trip around the season because cherry blossoms are only in bloom for a very short amount of time. So as it turned out, our timing wasn’t the best. There were still plenty of cherry blossoms in bloom, but we were told that had we gone the previous weekend every tree would have been blooming. Oh well, it was still an amazing trip!

We left Friday and drove through the night to Gyeongju. We didn’t get the best sleep on the bus, but it was worth it to start Saturday already in the city. We rented bikes, had a map, and a mini stamp book for the major cultural heritage sites in Gyeongju and we were off! It sort of felt like a waygook biker gang. We went to Bunhwangsa Temple, walked around Anapji Pond where we discovered a little bamboo forest, biked around Daerungwon Tombs Park, and went to the traditional Gyochon Village. We also stopped midday to lay in the park and have a picnic. It seemed like every Korean child in the park was flying a kite, and a few of us joined in on the action. I simply loved biking around on the perfect spring day. It was great to be able to wear shorts and to get some sun on our faces! After our long day of biking, our butts were a little sore! We went out for dinner to a Korean restaurant near our hotel and then just bought drinks and chilled in one room together. We were exhausted from the little sleep we got on Friday night and from our active day.

Sunday morning, we woke up early and headed to Seokguram Grotto, a temple on a hill/built into the rocks. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. I liked the easy stroll to the temple, as the pathway was lined with the colourful lanterns. After a bibimbap lunch, we headed to Bulguksa Temple before heading home to Incheon. This last temple was really nice, but I think by this point we were a little templed-out. So after walking around for a bit, we all headed to a café shop to treat ourselves! Overall, our trip was so much fun! It really just made me so excited for spring and summer. Coming back to cold Incheon, I am eager for warmer spring weather to get here so we can wear shorts, eat ice cream cones, chill on patios and enjoy the sun! We have a lot coming up, starting with a pub crawl this weekend in Incheon and the Poprawa sisters make their Korean debut! Larissa and Teresa are coming to Korea on Saturday! I am so excited to see them and the following weekend Molly arrives! I can't wait for these ladies to visit us in Korea!!

Here are some pictures from the weekend :)