Chu-Seok holiday and the International Fireworks Festival

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Hello everyone!

It's been a great week this week with lots of tourism!! As I mentioned in my last blog it was the Chu-Seok holiday (like a thanksgiving celebration) so when I broke up from school last Friday, I didn't have to go back until the following Thursday :-)

The Friday was a fun 'Chu-Seok day' at school. We did fun Chu-Seok activities in the morning and had a really exciting assembly in the afternoon. The children did some dancing and Korean drumming and then we had some real Korean drummers come in and do a show. They have these ribbons coming off their hats, which move really effectively with the slightest movement of the guy's heads and they had this cool dog costume thing, which the kids went wild for! I've put a few pictures on here but couldn't put many as they had children in them! I also wore the traditional Korean outfit all day called a 'Hanbok'. It is the most unflattering thing I have EVER worn! Basically it's made for tiny, tiny people with no chest, so it basically stuck out in all the wrong places on me - boobs, hips and bum, yet there was no waist to it so it just hung off me like a tent. It was also boiling so I got really hot inside all of the layers, turning me into a big, fat looking, sweaty marshmallow! If I had a picture with me in it and no kids I would've put it on here as I'm not that vain as to care what I looked like, but unfortunately they all had children in! Facebook has got a few delightful ones on though I think (if you fancy a laugh!)

I also got some lovely presents from the parents on the day. I received a box of goodies from one of the Mum's, who said "It's all disgusting but I thought I should get you something traditional" - I haven't actually tried any yet but some people say it's not that bad. It looks like lots of funny coloured cereal bars to me. I also received a variety of different teas and a lovely box of macaroons and cookies from a posh 'French goodies' shop, as well as something in a round box, which I got excited about because I thought it was cheese, and it actually looks like some sort of turkish delight (again I haven't actually tried it yet)! Which brings me to my favourite presents:

1) A Gangnam style scarf! Oh yes! I'm sure most of you are aware of the Gangnam style song taking over the charts in a large amount of countries (including England) and now, not only do I live very close to Gangnam, I also own some socks and a scarf with Psy himself blazened across them! The message from the parent that came with the scarf said "enjoy your holiday Gangnam style". I think she may have been watching me on my nights out!

2) Some vitamins. OK, so I know I've been working hard and everything, but do I really look that rough? They're like these 'women's health and wellbeing' tablets, which are massive and stink! I had one and nearly vomited from the taste so I'm not sure I'll go there again unless I feel really rough!! Charming! :-)

However, I shouldn't complain as many of the gift packs that were in the shops for Chu-Seok were spam gift packs. As in, simply, 9 tins of spam laid out in a decorative box! Now, I do like spam, but would find it difficult to appreciate as a gift like that. Quite bizarre!!

Anyway, after school on Friday we of course went out for dinner and drinks. I also went to my salsa class, but then back out to the pub to rejoin everyone later! Ian who I work with had been given a 'voucher' for 100,000won, about 50pounds, for one of the bars in Itaewon because he teaches the owners son. So we went there and drank that away quite quickly then ended up in Gold Bar. On the way we found one of those games where you have to hit th enail into the wood in 3 goes to win a prize. The man said we could have a go at doing it in 7 because we were girls and we still didn't manage it! I did get given a business card from a dodgy modelling agency guy after my turn though, so I must have at least looked attractive whilst I was doing it! This night out turned out to be another 4am hometime so Saturday was a bit of a write off in terms of doing anything productive, although it did give me a chance to plan the rest of my tourist activities. We attempted to go out for drinks in the evening but we got settled into the bar that we ate in, got a bit chilly so asked for blankets (which they randomly provide in a lot of places in Seoul) and realised we all just wanted to go home! Next time we go out on a night like that I might take my zebra snuggie with me so I don't need to bother the staff for blankets ;-)

So after the Saturday write off I felt I had to be a tourist on Sunday, especially as it was the official Chu-Seok day! So we all trundled off to Namsangol Hanok village, which is a traditional Korean village right in the middle of Seoul. Katharine's boyfriend has been over from England so I made them have some tourist shots throughout the day! We watched some Korean dancing and drumming, then had a little wander around the village and bought some tourist tat (as you do!) We also found this huge time capsule, which was made on the 600th anniversary of Seoul being declared the capital of Korea. Loads of different countries had sent messages of congratulations, which are all carved into the time capsule! It was a lovely day as most of the people at the village were actually locals rather than tourists, so we felt like we were really joining in with the celebrations :-) To top it off we went for traditional Korean BBQ in the evening! Yo can't beat a bit of BBQ'd meat!

On Monday we decided to go hiking. There are loads of places to go in Seoul so I chose a nice easy one for out first attempt :-) We got on a tube and got off right in the middle of the city and I was thinking we must be in the wrong place, then we turned a corner and there was a huge wooded area and a massive hill! So we climbed to the top, getting eaten by mosquitoes all the way and laughed at by Korean people who thought we were really unfit! I tried to use the panoramic function on my new camera at the top but not sure it worked that well! There was also a huge pile of rocks at the top, so we added ours to show we'd been there and then followed some signs telling us we were going to a temple! We seemed to be heading down a long way and I was a bit worried that we would have to go all the way back up after we had seen the temple, but we kept going anyway. We then came to this huge building, which looked like a hotel and Katharine went inside to use the toilet, but it turned out it was the temple! A monk came out and asked us to come in, took us in a lift to the top floor, and there was the most beautiful temple I have ever seen on the roof of this really ugly looking building. He gave us some incense to light and took us into the temple to show us how to pray to the Buddha. We all realised how unflexible we are as we went up and down onto and off our knees, praying to it! We then went inside to the big meeting hall where there was literally a wall full of Buddha's of all sizes (see the photos). It was stunning! We had been there aobut 45 minutes at this time so thought we should probably go but the monk took us into another room and asked us to sit down and share tea with him. He made this herbal kind of tea in a really peculiar way. He would pour it into one bowl, and then another, then back into the pot, then into another bowl, then the first one again, and then back into the pot to pour it! He said that you have to get the timing just right for each different pouring to make it taste right! I poured the second and third rounds and he said I was wise because I did it so evenly. Little did he know that I'd pured a tiny dribble into Katharine's as she had whispered after the first round that she really didn't like it and didn't want anymore!! I'm not sure if that makes me more wise or less wise than he thought!! :-) He also made us feel really unflexible again as he could bend and stretch in all different ways - he got Scott (Katharine's boyfriend) doing exercises as he couldn't sit cross legged and the monk was horrified! He then said to us "do you know what is bong?", to which we all looked confused. He then lent to one side and broke wind really loudly and laughed hyserically! We, of course, being British and therefore finding toilet humour hilarious, also laughed, but with a look of pure confusion on our faces as it was literally the last thing we expected from a monk! Once we'd calmed down though we continued to drink our tea as if nothing had happened. He then gave us all a bracelet and I told him I would go back and see him, but I'd bring him some PG tips to try!

I then went a little bit less touristy on Tuesday as I had some school work to do and I also went and bought myself a new laptop, which I then played on for a number of hours! I treated myself to a MacBook air and it's amazing! :-) I even bought the cable that connects it to my TV so I can play DVD's in colour now! Woo! Wednesday was also quiet, although we did go out in the evening for more Korean BBQ as my friends Rosanna and Andrew were back from their holiday int he South and they wanted to meet Scott. It was a really good meal and then we had a couple of drinks with a few more people - basically we were all trying to postpone going to sleep as we knew when we woke up we had to go back to work!!

So Thursday and Friday we were back at work so there really is nothing to report there!! I did do my cheerleading club, and went to the gym on Thursday, after the hour long walk home from work, so the 'getting fit for the Philippines' campaign started off quite strong. I then went to the pub on Friday, which could've potentially ruined all my hard work, but instead I had a salad and a gin and tonic and then went to Salsa class, which turned into a Salsa dancing night, and I danced for 4 hours solid. I felt that every gin and tonic I ingested was being danced away........... :-)

On Saturday I got up and went to the supermarket (yawn!) We then decided to go to Yeouinaru Park alongside the river as we had been told there was an International Fireworks festival going on there but that it would get really busy, so to make sure we went early! Whoever told us wasn’t wrong as the metro system was manic at 3pm in the afternoon! In fact, I jumped on a tube as the doors were closing as I found a gap, and left everyone else behind so I had to wait for them at the other end! It was hilarious and the people on the tube loved it – proper slapstick comedy! Anyway we found a spot on the grass when we got there and settled in with our books and sunhats. Then it gradually got busier and busier as more and more people arrived, squeezing themselves into the tiniest spots. Some Korean people squeezed onto a small spot near us and gave us roasted chestnuts (very festive) and rice cakes! Lovely! Then the fireworks started and they were the most amazing fireworks I have EVER seen! It was a competition between 4 countries and they each had 20 minutes to impress! First u was Italy and they had some lovely fireworks that made smiley faces in the sky, and ones that slowly moved down the sky like a waterfall. Then it was China, who disappointed slightly, but it was still good, closely followed by the USA who gave it a really good go, with sparkly ones and wriggly worms! But then, Korea came out! Their start was like how everybody else’s finale had been with the sky filled with white explosions. I feel they then cheated a it as they had installed fireworks in all the arches underneath the bridge, which all came on at the same time and streamed into the river. They also had remote controlled coloured birds, with fireworks streaming out the back and eve more glittery ones than the USA and Italy put together. They then had the loudest and brightest finale of the lot. We were at least half a mile away from the fireworks and they were still really loud and absolutely filled the sky! It was crazy!! We then decided to walk home as the amount of people getting on the metro was insane, and we though it would be a lovely walk along the river at night, and of course I’m on the fitness regime! When I got in two and a half hours later at 12.30am I wasn’t sure it was such a good idea, but it was fun and my legs are looking great!!

Which brings me to today! I’ve been very chilled, as I’ve done some shopping on Itaewon high street and then been to buy a bike, which I then cycled back along the river! Yes I really am serious about the Philippines in 3 weeks ;-) My plan is to cycle to work some days, and then take some lovely trips along the river at weekends (obviously not when the dreaded winter arrives). Our location really is great for this so I have no excuse really! And I really enjoyed it today. I also found a fab shopping place whilst I was waiting for them to sort out my bike - it has rows and rows of little booth like shops with shoes, handbags, clothes and phone accessories - basically, everything you need! I'm taking Katharine there on Wednesday although I think she may explode with excitement! I have also caught up with loads of people in England tonight and have successfully avoided the pile of paperwork that is currently at my feet…….

…….which I really should now do considering it’s gone 10pm on a Sunday night!

Ta-ra for now J

Claire

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Photos

Chu-Seok traditional gift
From Bernardo's Mum. She said it's all disgusting but she had to give me it because it was a tradition!

The hammer game!
Trying to get the nail into the wood in only 3 hits (7 for girls!)

Hanbok
The most unflattering garment I have ever worn!

Gangnam Style scarf
My favourite gift!

TOURISTS!!
Katharine and Scott being major tourists :-)

Traditional Korean stuff
at the Namsangol Hanok village.

The view....
....from the traditional Korean village out onto the city.