Saturday, 29 December 2012

Christmas 2012 at the DMZ and Yongsan Base!

 
Great planning! Vincent and his wife Jenna joined us for this year’s Christmas celebration and of cause took the chance to get some impressions, shopping, cultural points and interacting with us.

Happy me :)













 Three hours delayed but they also seem to be very happy!



Now all those intensive days we plan for and look forward to for a long time have past in a really rapid speed. However, we look with great pleasure back to the time we had together, with a different Christmas celebration up in the DMZ enjoying a fabulous Christmas table and a visit of Santa Claus! A Christmas Mass in the open at the Bell  Hill, and in the evenings  lots of charades and games.







 

 
 
 
We took the young couple to: Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, Changdeokgung Palace, several typical Korean luncheon restaurants and of cause the obligatory favorite “our” Bulgugi restaurant. We didn’t forget to give them some time for themselves to stroll around Itaewon and a City Tour with the possibility to visit some other “must” see places.


Santa is coming!!!
where????
 
  There!!!
 


................... Me Too! Santa!


Traditional and fabulous Swedish Christmas table.

Swedish Table brunch and Christmas Mass for the Security Batallion, JDO and their families.
 
After the ceremony we all went to the Swedish Club for some Swedish Glögg & Pepperkakor. Then we gathered our things and departed for Yongsan Base, were also Jaeyeon would join us for our Christmas celebration, starting off with some:
Charades!!!



 

 "Casablanca"
"Hindenburgh"
 


"Bullet"
 
 
"Moulin Rouge"





"Hitta Memo"


 
Finally dinnertime, and then........
The obligatary written Christmas poems for everyone and by everyone :)





Second Christmas Day was dedicated to "cultural points"!
 
Jippie!

 

 
 

 

       Done!!!
 
And then of to Ipark, eMarkt and dinner at the Navy Club on base....

 
Last chance to take some Christmas pictures and then all our time together with Vincent and Jenna is over. Well spend days that, as mentioned, past by really rapidly.

 

Now it’s soon time to reflect the year that went by, make some New Year resolutions and prepare for the last nine months here in Korea. I, from a cold and snowy Seoul hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all the best for 2013!

Sunday, 23 December 2012

My friend Ulla from Sweden, but coming from Australia, visiting me!

Preparations are very essential, at least for me, in order to have a smooth and effective time spending. This of cause is even more noticeable if you have a friend coming for only four days….

So house clean, dinners planned and shopped for, program for each day written down with some alternatives if necessary.

So check out what we all did these couple of days!
Looking happy and fresh in spite late arrival from Australia (travelling in this region takes longer than one thinks, for this area is ..........huge! After a shower, drink and talks we enjoyed dinner and had an early night since Ulla had been up for 28 hours.

Getting started!!!
Subway to Dongdaemun; purse heaven, shoe alee, cloth market, Korean lunch, Fabric market, accessory floor (400 sqm), home for dropping off our shopping’s, a drink and then to the Dragon Hill Spa, a massage, subway to “our” Korean restaurant for Bulgugi and upon return a drink together with Anders. That was what we did….the first day!


We had lovely chicken soup. The waitress throws in a whole bird and then cuts it up with a pair of scissors. The special souse was for us blended by our waitress because we’re foreigners....Koreans have to fix it themselves!













 
We made a tour throughout the base. Parked the car at the Gas Station Gate for a stroll around Itaewon, did some shopping and relaxing, returned home to change for the Christmas function hosted by General Thurman and his wife Dee. Afterwards we went to the War Memorial for some history lessons J and ended up with dinner and discussions at home.






NO!!!! Not done with the pictures of this day....
 
 
Representing the NNSC

Okay, okay.... ...... like to have fun as well!!!
But she was adorable!

Cheers to you all!

 Mingle, mingle little star..........
 
 
 War Memorial.
With focus on the Korean War.


 






New 24-hour pass











Oooo, I forgot to tell, we had after the War Memorial visit a pedicure and manicure while Anders prepared dinner that evening :)

 


Monday morning we congratulated each other with our 30st Anniversary and had a cozy breakfast while we let Ulla sleep a bit longer. Anders went to work and I to Pilates and Zumba.  Coffee, shower and on our way to Camp Kim, to process Ulla into the base, for during these first days I had to bring her in a new every 24 hours…(time consuming!!!). Afterwards, we took the subway to Namdaemun for some serious shopping. Lots of surprises when I came back home, just see pictures J.  We had a long dinner for the three of us before we turned in.
Thank you MG Jang and Mrs. Park for this wonderful surprise!




And THANK YOU my dearest KD (Korean Daughter) for this Oh so fun surprice! Gangnam Style.................


City Tour, hopping on and hopping off on several cultural sites and we ended up with a department store to find something for one of Ulla’s grandsons, Vincent.




 
Seoul Tower!
 
 
 
 
 
On the bench with all the Love Locks.




Palace Gangam Style ?


 


 
Beautiful details all around us!
 
 
We also went off at Insadong, were we had lunch and froze even more than before, so coffee was given. We missed Cheongwadae (sorry Ulla, it went to quick) I really wanted to see the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Republic of Korea, soon to be inhabited by their first female President Mrs. Park! But we did see many other sites including fabulous statues of very famous people, more about that an other time :)
 
Easy evening for rise and shine at 05:15 for Ulla’s return trip to Sweden, now I start to feel exhausted just by writing it all J

Now two days left to prepare: Vincent’s and Jenna’s stay with us, Christmas poems, packaging, song booklet, plus coffee at Jaeyeon's place and a farewell luncheon for her offered by Nam Hwa Kim.
There you have my past week!


Looking down from the 11th floor of the ROK military apartment building.
Jaeyeon oppening the door to her apartment, if you now can call it just that. Furthermore, she had to share the 10 sqm space with a room mate! And has done so for the past three years! Jaeyeon I admire you! Thesis was writen sitting in her bed for there are no chairs available.  

 Closing closet for two women.... and I think I life compact.....Start to feel I and many with me do not know the real meaning of the concept....
 
 
However, the view from the room is spectacular. Great with a positive attitude!

 
Time for luxury! Good food but even better company!
Left Jaeyeon Lee; Right our hostess Nam Hwa Kim


So now only left for me is to wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season together with your dear and near ones, so for now from me to all of you:

 
Merry Christmas!