38th parallel: 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.

Changgyeonggung Palace

Palace Gangam Style ?

Looking relax on a sunny day? No! It was freezingly cold, we're just pretending..................................

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.