This year was the first time I've celebrated my birthday in a country other than America. Since many of the other holidays this year have come and gone without much acknowledgement on my part, I wondered if my birthday would be the same. Thankfully, the 14th fell on a Saturday and I began the downhill slide into 30 without the presence of work, or my students.
After an hour and a half Korean lesson (more to come on that later), my friends and I headed into Seoul for a St. Patrick's Day festival. In its 9th year, and organized by the Irish Association of Korea (IAK), the festival suffered from a loss of sponsorship this year due to the plundering economy. However, last minute funding provided the boost necessary to spread a little luck 'o the Irish. In 2008, the festival welcomed 18,000 attendees to its street parade and open air concerts. Despite its limited resources this year, the IAK hoped to see a similar strength in attendance.
After arriving at the Daehangno neighborhood subway station, it was evident that we weren't the only ones with knowledge of the festival. Hundreds of foreigners exited the train and swarmed up the stairs onto the street. Upon entering the park, we were bombarded with a sea of green—hats, wigs, shoes, bags, clothing, etc. What is usually known as the Korean theater district was transformed into an English speaking, outdoor pub crawl. Usually surrounded by Korean chatter, my ears were on high alert from the sounds of American, Canadian, British, Australian, and of course, Irish accents. With an excuse to celebrate, wear green, and drink free Guinness; people were perpetuating the stereotype of rowdy, crude Westerners. Having arrived late due to our morning Korean lessons, we missed the excitement of the much anticipated colorful street parade. However, we were able to enjoy surprisingly good Irish music from a live band complete with traditional Irish dancing.
Irish music and dance video...
After meeting up with a few other friends, we visited a famous artisan who specializes in unique and traditional Korean crafts. Her tiny studio was just big enough to fit five of us inside where she showed us her latest work. Luckily, Wendy was able to translate and we left with an understanding of the time and work she puts into each masterpiece. After leaving the shop, we toured the streets of the surrounding neighborhood. Theaters and small museums dot every corner with an abundance of Western food restaurants and cafes.
After a long and chilly afternoon outside, we were all ready to warm up inside for dinner. Di Matteo is an Italian restaurant owned by a quirky Korean comedian who happily proclaims his physical resemblance to a monkey. An online review named Di Matteo's wood-fired pizza the best in Korea and from what I've tasted so far, I'd have to agree. The thin crust was a perfect balance for the melt-in-your-mouth cheese toppings. After dinner, we indulged on cheesecake and wine at a nearby cafe. Cheesecake has been present at every birthday I can remember and I was thrilled to continue the tradition so far away from home.
Between the Irish festival, Italian food, and good friends; I will never forget the birthday I celebrated in Korea.
1 comments:
That really was a busy day.
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