Feels Like Home

A piece of home made its way to Korea when my best friend came to visit last week. I was excited to show my first visitor around town and as I made plans for our week together, the list of events grew longer and longer. As a Korean-American visiting Korea for the first time, I knew Nicole's visit would be special regardless of what we did with our time; and I was simply grateful to have her presence in my life here.

Thursday

I braved the two-hour bus ride to the airport alone and found the experience to be ridiculously easy. It's much less confusing to sit back and relax, while the driver does all the work, than it is to maneuver one's way through the maze of subway tunnels in Seoul. As one of four non-Koreans at the baggage claim exit, Nicole had no problem spotting me once she came through the doors. Our reunion, as they usually are, was happy and tearful. 

We headed back to Ansan on the bus, took a nap, and then joined Andrea for dinner before heading to LOST night (our weekly get together with friends to watch the insanely confusing show, LOST). 

Friday

The warm weather was a blessing as we made our way to Yoido Island, in Seoul, for a cherry blossom festival. Unlike the trees we saw on our road trip a few weeks ago, these flowers were in full bloom. The cottony puffs were magnificent against the yellow haze in the sky, and it was impossible not to photograph every other tree. 

A view of the city through the yellow dust-covered sky.

Everyone else was posing with the flower pots, and you know what they say...

"when in Korea..."

Yoido Full Gospel Church—the largest church in the world with over 800,000 members!

After a quick Korean lunch of bibimbap, we headed to Changdeokgung Palace, one of the "Five Grand Palaces" completed by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty in 1412. Because of its beautifully landscaped gardens and integrated architecture, Changdeokgung was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. 

Our English-speaking tour guide. Her English wasn't bad, but my attention span was non-existent so I came away with no more knowledge about the palace than what I entered with.

Matchy, matchy.

The palace gardens were very serene.

Saturday

We left the apartment at 5:30 am on Saturday morning and headed into Seoul for our DMZ tour. Even though spring is here, the grounds within the DMZ have not yet turned green so the view was exactly the same as it was during my first visit to the border in the fall. However, one potentially exciting thing happened while on the bus—I'm sure I caught a glimpse of the elusive vampire deer. Now, many people have doubted my sighting (because I did not actually see the deer's fangs) claiming it was most likely a simple roe deer; however, I cannot deny the possibility that it was actually a vampire deer so that is what I choose to believe. **See my previous blogs for more information on vampire deer.**

After entering this building, shared by North and South Korea, I took the picture below.

This is the one picture I regretted not taking after my first visit to the DMZ—thankfully I got a second chance. The picture was taken out the window of the above building. It is the actual MDL (military demarcation line) that separates North and South Korea. North is on the left, South on the right. Once again, my position in the building had me standing in what is technically, North Korea.

Despite our early wake-up time, we did not want to waste the rest of the day by napping so we stayed in Seoul and shopped around Hongdae and Itaewon before meeting friends for an Indian buffet dinner. By the time we finished dinner, we were exhausted and couldn't wait to get back home.

Sunday

Happy Easter!  The traditional Easter meal of ham, vegetables, dyed eggs, and jello salad didn't make its way to Korea, however, a huge spread of galbi (marianted, grilled pork) was a delicious substitute. After a memorable day in Seoul, we visited Seonyudo Park along the Han River. The postmodern park is unique in its design, which incorporates beautiful foliage into the structures and architecture of what was once a water purification plant. The result is an eco-conscious space that inspires beauty and evokes romance. 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

A visit to my school gave Nicole the chance to see my students—naughty and nice. Many of them were completely shocked that she's Korean, but only speaks English. I think they were equally surprised to hear that she doesn't regularly eat kimchi! Although they were usually too shy to probe her with questions during her visit, I fielded many questions the following day. 

Equally intrigued with Nicole, my boss treated us to a delicious lunch on Tuesday of bulgogi (marinated sirloin) fish, and soup. The gesture was greatly appreciated, and once again, I answered questions about Nicole after she left. Overall, she made a lasting impression on my school and even won me a few extra brownie points with my co-workers. Thanks!

Unfortunately, Wednesday was Nicole's day of departure and as I put her on the bus for the airport, I was disappointed to see her go. However, I am so glad for the experiences we shared together in Korea—far away from home. 

~Nicole, thanks for visiting me!  Korea misses you almost as much as I do.~