Reflections on Christmas in Korea

Santa came to Sacheon and I'm his Mum! Jordan donned the Santa suit for our tiny little church congregation last Saturday, and, with Gyum Jin interpreting, was able to hand out gifts (all donated by Kenny Anderson--along with the suit!) to the assorted tots in attendance. We had a whirlwind week with delicious food, like duck bulgogi on Thursday night at a nice restaurant with Gyum Jin and Kenny. It's more delicious than I can explain;

and kimchi bokumbop, particularly as prepared by a teensy little hole-in-the wall place by my old friend Erin's apartment, became another favorite! We actually had that dish twice. We found an adorable restaurant near the bus station which served it and decided to just eat there, tired after exploring Samcheonpo's bay market in the cold. But that version was just "nice," and I remembered the dish as far more savory when I'd eaten it with Erin before she left. Still hungry, Jordan suggested we sample the other also, so we walked another mile to the tiny, single owner place and bought the dish again--one serving, this time, to share. We watched her make it; and I'm going to take pictures of the little place later so I can remember always where it was. Jordan concurs--they make the BEST kimchi bokumbap by far!

But enough about FOOD (even though there's so much more to tell); Jordan was impressed as I always am with the local sights, smells and experiences to be had close to my home. These included this Buddhist temple, tucked up in the hills behind old villages, at the end of one of my favorite walks;

and the pagoda in Sacheon Park.

We looked out from each level and there are too many beautiful views, even in winter, to post them all on a blog, but here's one view of Sacheon.

We agree that the best way to experience Korea is in an area like Sacheon, which blends ancient traditions and views with current trends. We shared dinners with friends and co-workers, but on our own, we wandered through open air markets, village by-ways, the streets of Sacheon, the never-ending rows of fish vendors, Jinju's ancient castle (with Gyum Jin)and its historic museum, and sampled foods from street vendors and shops. There's a guy who daily creates a sweet loaf with a whole egg inside that you've got to try! My favorite thing to buy at the open market,though, besides pajeon, are these huge bags of rice crackers in multiple varieties. My students love them and so do I! This photo is actually from Busan, but it looks a lot like where I buy my stash in Sacheon for a $1 or 2 a bag.

My son was catapulted instantly to celebrity status by coming here. My co-workers, church friends, and students were so welcoming. But certain groups of students gathered around, popping by just to say "hi"...and one particular group of middle-school boys (the most entertaining group I teach) wouldn't attend any other classes while Jordan was in building! It was both embarrassing and delightfully heady for him

Jordan's back in the US now, finishing off his holiday with friends and family in Utah. I miss him horribly, along with everyone on the other side of the ocean. But, I'm deeply grateful for 5 of the most amazing days of my life--wonderful mostly because I got to share something new, dream-like, and foreign in my life with my best friend--my son.

Merry Christmas and Happy 2013! I hope this year, with all of the heartaches its bound to contain, also holds enough miracles to balance the scale.