Goodbye Korea Series | Gloria and Seulhee Unnie

One of the things I miss the most about Korea are our friends. We met some amazing and wonderful people while we lived in Busan. I never thought that I would meet people that would become life long friends. Two people I miss the most are my unnies (Korean for older sister), Seulhee and Gloria. I met them through Markus, when they all worked on the Magic English Bus together. I really think they were the best thing to come out of that experience. When I met them, we instantly clicked and I knew I found my true unnies.

We would meet once a month, usually on Wednesdays, for dinner and drinks. I was always excited, because we would stay out really late eating delicious food, drinking too much soju and talking about life. They were more than just friends, they became like family. They knew everything about us and we knew all about them. We never ran out of things to talk about and they always had great advice. Sometimes, I wish that we could go back to our Wednesday night dinners. I truly cherished the time that we had with them and I'm anxiously waiting for the day that we can meet again!

Oh Korea Quote #3

Despite the fact that I don't live in Korea anymore, I still have heaps of material for my "Oh Korea" series. I took a little break, but now they're back!

I really miss hearing all the random things that Korean people said. It was definitely a highlight of my life in Busan. For the third installment of "Oh Korea", I chose a really strange one. I've had loads of weird conversations, but this one was really out there. I was talking with a male coworker and I we were talking about health and sickness. Basically the conversation went like this:

Me: I get sick really easily.
Him: Oh really? You didn't drink mother's milk?
Me: ..... I'm pretty sure I did.
Him: Until when?
Me: I don't know, until I was 1?
Him: I drank mother's milk till I was 13. Plus I really like... * he put his hands in front of his chest.*
Me: Oh.....

At first I thought he was joking, but after a few more minutes of conversation I realized he wasn't. He was dead serious. I don't even think it's possible for someone to drink breast milk until that age, but I could be dead wrong. I asked a few of my Korean friends if this could happen. They said that because he grew up in the countryside, anything was possible. Apparently things are really different in the country. Either way, I'll always remember when a grown man told me he drank mother's milk until he was a teenager. Oh Korea, how much I miss you. 

Eats with Jeff #11: Grand Finale

It's been a long time coming, but I finally edited the photos from our final "Eats with Jeff". I can't believe that this was six months ago and that we've been in America for six months. Anyway, on this last eats we finally met Jeff's beautiful girlfriend Allison. I was bummed that we didn't get to hang out sooner. It would've been nice to have her along for all our eating adventures. She's really sweet and a perfect match for Jeff.

For our final meal, we decided to go to a crab restaurant. In the two years that we lived in Korea, we never ate crab and it's one of my favorite foods. We spied this fancy crab restaurant in Seomyeon during one of our other outings. Jeff researched the place a bit to make sure it was good and fitting for our final eats. I have to admit that I don't remember much about the food, but I do remember that I liked it. I mean we ate everything on the table, so it had to be good right?! Unfortunately, Jeff told me recently that the restaurant closed. It's the sad fact that in Korea the restaurant business is a competitive business. Restaurants are always opening and closing regardless if they're good or not.

After dinner, we went to our favorite coffee shop, Tokyoloose. It was great seeing Jeff and Allison interact. She's really funny and full of aegyo or cuteness, which I love. In the short time that we were spent together, I could tell she was bringing the best out in Jeff.

I really miss these outings with Jeff. It's been a bit hard being back home. We're starting over in a new city and it's easy to reminisce about the good times in Korea. I wish that we could've spent more time together. Jeff is a great friend and I'm thankful for the short time we had together. I'm looking forward to the next time we meet and we can have another "Eats with Jeff"!

Seung Ah Unnie's Korean Wedding | Busan, South Korea

Markus and I have been lucky enough to attend three Korean weddings in our two years in Korea. Three of my dearest unnie's have gotten married while we've been here. Korean weddings are completely different from American weddings. It's almost shocking how different.  At the first wedding we attended, I was overwhelmed and really confused. By this third one, Markus and I were pros. We knew all the tricks and it made for an enjoyable wedding experience. Despite the differences, there are still some really amazing things about Korean weddings and I'm thankful that I had the chance to witness real Korean weddings.

One of the biggest differences in Korean weddings is the venue. The wedding and reception is in the same place. Basically throughout Korea they have these nondescript office buildings and inside them are wedding halls. I once asked my co-teacher if Koreans got married in churches and she said that some did, but they were poor. Many Koreans look down on the couple if they don't get married in a wedding hall. It's sort of sad in a way because all the weddings I've been to have looked exactly the same. There is nothing unique or different, the only difference is the bride and groom.

One thing that I don't like about Korean weddings is the lack of reverence for the bride and groom. Everyone sort of stands outside the seating area and just talks loudly while the ceremony is happening. Everyone comes and pays their respects and then they just do their own thing.  It's a bit strange, but it's completely normal. At this wedding, there were so many people, the most I've ever seen. They were all talking so loudly and blocking the view that I couldn't see much. I got a bit annoyed and gave up. Instead of trying to fight for a view, Markus and I headed to the buffet.

The best part about Korean weddings is the food.  Traditionally, everyone gives a monetary present ranging from 30,000 won to 50,000 won ($30-$50) depending on how close you are to the bride or groom. Once you arrive at the wedding and hand over your present, they give you a ticket for the lunch buffet. After you've seen the bride and said your greetings, you can stay and watch the ceremony or head to the buffet. Since this was our third wedding, we knew the score. Almost 50% of the guests will go straight to the buffet. After Markus and I watched a little bit of the ceremony we quickly headed to the buffet to try and avoid large crowds. When we arrived we were shocked to see the place was full and that everyone had the same idea. The food at this buffet was quite exceptional and really delicious.

After attending three Korean weddings, I can say that I truly do miss weddings back home. I miss the sweetness and elegance of the wedding ceremony. I miss being able to dance and have a great time at the reception. Weddings in Korea are so rushed and for some people it's only an hour or two out of your day. I can't wait for some of my friends to get married so I can experience an American wedding again, it's been way too long.

Gyeongbokgung Palace | Seoul, South Korea

Back in 2011 when we first arrived to Korea, we traveled to Seoul for a long weekend. Many of our friends from other cities decided to go and we wanted to see them.  We spent a good part of our first day exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace in northern Seoul. The palace was first built in 1395, during the Joseon Dynasty. The complex itself is absolutely massive. When you think it's finished, it just keeps going. We didn't even see everything because it was just too big! Nevertheless, it's quite amazing that there is a huge palace in the middle of the city. It was a great way to begin our exploration of Seoul!