Christmas in Korea and beyond.

Christmas in Korea

You would assume that globalization would be a bit of a comfort when traveling or living in a foreign country. The traditions that you hold close to your heart would be the same no matter where you go, right? Well, not when you live in Asia. The times of the year that you instinctively begin to prepare for are not as instinctive when no one around you really cares about your holidays. When about more then half of the Korean population aren’t catholic or Christian its hard to embrace the time of year that most of North America have celebrated since the traditions of Christmas, that we know and love, have been brought over from Europe about 200 hundred years ago. This is where my next blog begins, the year that Christmas was almost forgotten.

This winter managed to get off to a good start. I think it was around the beginning of December when we managed to get about 10cms of good packing snow. After about 30 seconds of debating, I managed to round up all the other foreigners in my building and headed out to make best of what little snow we were going to get this year. Sure enough snow balls started to fly and happy Koreans littered the street. From young to old, people were scattered all throughout the streets enjoying the limited amount of snow. It was a winter wonderland, even for my standards. The chaos that followed any kind of snow fall was interesting. With so little snow, for Canadian standards, I’ve never seen a car with chains or people sweep snow off the streets with tattered brooms. I soon realized that in any country or state where snow isn’t as abundant like back home, people aren’t entirely prepared for any amount of snow.

Within days the snow was gone and a slightly cooler temperature lingered. This only secured whatever little hope I had for another white night of fun and mayhem.

As Christmas was now on our minds, the thoughts of presents and secret santa’s began to take over our mundane lives. This year the thought of having 2-4 weeks vacation was out of the question. The luxuries of hiding within the time line of the education system were no longer possible. I was now bound to a for-seen time line that only allowed me Christmas day and New Years day off. So now it was up to me to do what I thought a Christmas away from home should be. Well, Kristin managed to beat me to the punch, but of course I agreed. This Christmas was going to be spent on the slopes of Korea. We booked a small tour to the mountains of the East to go skiing for the 24th and 25th. There was some assurance that I would see snow for Christmas.

The skiing was great. The people were a bit too much, but all in all it was a good trip. We ended up spending Christmas this year with 6 other foreigners in a youth hostel at the base of the slopes. The fact that a youth hostel existed at the base of the slopes is a travelers dream. If there is one thing that Koreans know how to do, it’s to make expensive vacations cheap for the less financially able.

New Years wasn’t as extravagantly planned, but still well executed. Kristin and I, along with two other Americans, decided to spend New Years close to home. A simple outing to a nearby district allowed us ample fun followed by an easy getaway home, if need be. We were not prepared to travel all the way into Seoul to only be paying 40 dollars for a cab back to Incheon. Mind you, 40 dollars for a cab could get you from Guelph to Toronto, which I am sure would be unheard of to many of you.

As for the next few remaining months that I have left here, I plan on putting together a few trips around the country. One being to the DMZ (demilitarized zone), the border that is still at war. I know I have been to it and beyond those lines, but this time I am going to see the politics up close.

Hope all is well and that you had a smooth holiday.

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