Showing posts with label Christmas in Seoul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas in Seoul. Show all posts

Monday, 27 December 2010

Wonderful Homely Christmas!

 
*I'm dreaming of a white Christmas- just like the ones I used to know... Where the tree top glistens, and children listens to hear - Sleigh bells in the snow...*
 
 
I have never experienced a white Christmas and this is the first!

I LOVE CHRISTMASssssss....

I LOVE spending CHRISTMASssss at home listening to Christmas carols, doing special activities like writing a post card or just making food, and hanging out with my family.

Obviously, all these wasn't possible this year since I am in Seoul - we could at most SKYPE - which we did!

BUT. Christmas this year was still a special 1 for me cause I spent it with the Korean "family" (all of whom aren't related by blood!) whom I was so blessed to have found over the past few months.

I wasn't expecting a party or anything like that at home. In fact, I was half expecting everyone to possibly be dating and hanging out "somewhere" cause there were 2 couples in the house and I was obviously a lamp post. 
 
As Christmas eve was spent in the Jjimjilbang with the rest of the International gang, I woke up to a cold winter morning ready to go home and sleep the rest of the day!

Look at the icy White Christmas morning! Doesn't look as heart-warming as the song's lyrics!

I got home and found 언니 working on her little Christmas arts & crafts! These is want I call heart-warming!

 Inspired by her - I too, fished out a piece of random cloth that was meant to be recycled and started to make a Christmas Tree! (I know - funny as it sounds - that was what I did! haha)

My proud art of a 2D Christmas Tree "hanging on the wall"!

The day went on - with us just hanging out in our cosy half-basement home. 

As usual, 언니 always has her menu prepared. And today, we were going to go Italian!

I just found so much warmth being at home here in Seoul. Fuzy Oozy feeling!




Just went trigger-happy snapping happy moments of everyone! (Including the cats sitting by the wall)

And since everyone was busy doing something, I wanted to add in some more, so I baked! 
(The usual Christmas Cookies - which turned out really unusual!)

Everything was looking good - look at these evenly shaped cookies!

I was so sure they were gonna be tasty...

Until.

I took a bite in them and realized they were hard as stone!
I had stupidly mistaken the dumpling flour as the cookie flour, which explains why they turned out like "chocolate-chip stones"... *sigh*

This is seriously a classic joke that's gonna go down in history. 

And all those cookies went straight into the bin though each of the guys actually stuck their tooth (or at least they tried) into the cookies just as a form of support. *How sweet!*

By the time we were done making Christmas decos, cooking, idling, dinner was ready - yummy spread - compliments from 언니. 언니 고마워!

Super tasty, Italian Christmas cuisine!

Happy family portrait!


Of course, as per our habitual weekend plan, we almost always have dinner together, then start chilling out at our tv-less home. Chatting, updating each other about funny stories and then snacking some more with sweet food, tidbits and our home-brewed Americano.

Since it was Christmas, we got a Christmas cake to celebrate!

One of the best thing is - we always hang out till 1 or 2 plus, after dinner just chatting about random topics and when we got tired, we just all retired to our own rooms and left everything (including the unfinished cake) on our dining table just.like.that.

Because it was sooo cold, the house was literally a refrigerator and there was simply no need to pack the food into the refrigerator. No insects or creepy stuff attacked our unfinished business... haha


And this was what I did one fateful Christmas day in Seoul - Super enjoyed the warmth at home! 
Feeling absolutely blessed!



Sunday, 26 December 2010

What did I do on Christmas Eve?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

You see, Christmas in Seoul is not like in Singapore. Over here, Christmas is like a national DATING HOLIDAY. Everyone hangs out as a couple. It's not easy for a lonely soul when it comes to Christmas cause all your attached friends are DEFINITELY gonna be with their better-half. So what can I do when my better-half is in Singapore?

Now what did I do over Christmas?!

- Wrote AND MADE a birthday card to my better-half (which would reach him a little late for his birthday!)
- Celebrated with my entire class by buying them a Christmasy cake!
- Went out clubbing with a bunch of International friends from Namu Guesthouse!

(Background: Namu Guesthouse was where Rose stay over when she came, and somehow, I made friends with the guesthouse staff and boo! That's how I so-happen to have International friends to chill with on the eve of Christmas!) 
 Childish-looking hand made card! *Erh...*


HEY! It's a pop-up card ok!
(Like he can read Korean? LOL)

Cutie-Christmasy cake which I blessed the class with! YUMZZ!

Do you know that cakes in Seoul are so cheap (as compared to SG)
This one is 1 or 1.5kg and prolly cost 25,000 won.

At least, everyone was a little more restraint. After all, we were suppose to be having lessons in class!


But all forms of restraints do return with a vengeance. You know right? 
(just forget about poise and dig in!)



Look at the scene in Hongdae station.. Now why did I decide to club!

This is why I love Hongdae! Everyone is just spontaneous and alive! People just set up a camp fire, cuddle around and get warm!


There you have it, me trying to pose next to BIG BANG!

I did a super foolish thing here because I didn't know how "big" BIG BANG was and I actually sneaked to another club JUST BEFORE their performance started cause I felt that it was too packed! *duh*

Totally missed all the action!

My International friends and I. German, fellow Singaporean & one more from Netherland!

Having Spicy Chicken at 4am in the morning along with Soju and Makgoli was nice!



Cheers to a Merry Christmas!
The night ended with all having a sleep-over at one of the Hongdae Jjimjilbangs!

*And this was what I did on the eve of Christmas!*


Monday, 20 December 2010

Gangnam Christmas Outing & 10 things to do this Christmas

I went to sleep last night at 4am and whilst i was falling asleep, random thoughts and words just flooded my head.

Christmas. Gifts. Dinners. Hang out. Friends. Family. And suddenly i wanted to climb out of bed to write about these following 10 things that came to my mind...

The TEN THINGS to do this Christmas:

1. Help - Because you have been helped some way or another and it brings immense joy, both to you and the party on the other.

2. Give - Because that means you have excess. Of what? Everything.

3. Receive - Because it simply brings joy to the giver.

4. Love - Because you have the capacity to. But first, love yourself.

5. Be loved - Because when you allow yourself to be loved., it means you can too, love.

6. Forgive - Because you have been forgiven too. If you don't forgive, it is your heart that's breaking.

7. Smile - Because some people can't even if they wanted to.

8. Hope - Because it means you are alive. Every breath represents a hope because you never know.

9. Laugh - Because taking everything too seriously will only make life harder.

10. Live - Because your life does not just belong to you, it also belongs to the people you love and love you.

Don't do these just for Christmas - do these everyday - i cannot guarantee 100% happiness or satisfaction, but i can guarantee you will feel different even if your situation remains constant. YOU - cannot change the environment, but YOU can change your mindset.

Here are just some shots of Christmas in Gangnam...
*Ahem* Yes, i organised a small class outing with my Chinese and Japanese classmates

Gangnam is known to be the high-class area where the who and who's hang out. This location is often related to wealthy people and hence, the place is often buzzing with life, good food and good brands.



Definitely looks more upmarket isn't it? 

Random street shots of the tall commercial buildings here.

I guess shopping here is comparable to Singaporeans shopping along Orchard road? 
Things are slightly more expensive.