Seoul on New Year's Eve

Happy 2013 everyone! Tim and I have been busy over the last couple weeks - the main reason I haven't updated the blog - but it was a fun, interesting, exciting couple weeks. On the Sunday before Christmas, Tim and I went to The Nutcracker ballet at the Seoul Arts Center near the soul of Seoul! It was quite extraordinary to say the least. We took a bus from Osan AB straight to the theater and then after the breathtaking performance - I caught myself holding my breath more than once - the bus took us back to the Base; my kind of travelling. Here are a few snapshots of our experience:

The Seoul Arts Center

Outside the theater

The elevator in the foyer outside the theater

Display for the Nutcracker

View of the stage from our seats

View of the auditorium from the front

The bows at the end of the performance

The Nutcracker in Seoul

The cast at the end of the performance signing autographs

Outside the Arts Center

Tim getting street food, of course :)

We enjoyed our little Christmas at our home in Korea and even a totally normal American pitch-in meal on Christmas Eve at our new friends' house, Paul and Angela Doughty. Turkey and all the fixins'! So on Christmas, we relaxed, ate homemade cinnamon rolls, opened presents, and went to a homemade pizza dinner hosted by Brad and Andrea Hunt! It was a beautiful day to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Tim went back to work the 26th but was off again the 29th when we took a bus to Seoul again. We stayed at the Dragon Hill Lodge on Yongsan Army Base which is just about in the heart of Seoul, but then Seoul is home to 20 million people and stretches out a bit. For three days we explored what we could of Seoul while doing most of our travelling on foot. Day one was spent with our good friend Mason Locke who we met while he and Tim trained together at Sheppard AFB in Texas. We walked around Itaewon which was only about a 5 minute walk from the Army Base. Full of shops and even more coffee shops and restaurants, Itaewon was the equivalent of Osan's Songtan shopping district. We returned to the Lodge in the evening and caught up with some other friends, Evan Farren and Christine Valiga. Day two was spent in Myeongdong and Namdaemun. Myeongdong is the most fascinating shopping district I've seen thus far in Korea! It was full of people and things to see from dried octopus tentacles you can buy to eat right there on the street to Jimmy Choo shoes. We walked all day and ended up at the Lotte Department Store. The Lotte Dpt. Store was at least 13 stories high and had every range of items. The bottom floor was even an upscale grocery store with little eateries. It was essentially an enormous mall with a cinema at the top. Outside it was all lit up with beautiful Christmas lights - finally some lights! Namdaemun is a more traditional Korean market, but by the time we really made it there we were plenty cold and hungry, so we made the trek back to the hotel.

We found a ceramic Chloe in the middle of Itaewon, S. Korea!

Tim found his new favorite hat

At Los Amigos in Itaewon with Mason!

We made it to Myeongdong

On the Subway

Very cool bowing mannequins

In the middle of Myeongdong

Can you find me?? 

We found a random bunny and it looks like it wants to eat Tim!

Mmmmm, there truly is nothing like buying raw seafood on the street.

Christmas lights!

My new coat! And eating with chopsticks! It was a very good day :)

New Year's Eve we had to move to a different hotel, but stayed in the Penthouse with about 6 other friends. Tim and I walked from our new hotel to Insadong, which is a very traditional and artistic part of Seoul. We were very close to the Kyongbok Palace built in 1395 so we did our own walking tour around the grounds. It was very cool to see this traditional Korean palace with the skyscrapers as a backdrop! Once it got dark, we went with our friends to an Italian restaurant (yes, Italian in Korea), then made our way to Seoul's equivalent of Times Square on New Year's Eve. It was packed! We were being squished on every side, but Tim the periscope could at least see the stage as he is typically taller than most Koreans. There was a concert and then at midnight the mayor and some other dignitaries in Seoul rang this humongous bell 33 times to ring in the New Year. Very fun!

Flower lights made of PAPER!! So incredible and beautiful :)

"Is it really Korea?" 

"You won't believe your eyes."

"Come and see you'll know why." - Not sure why this was painted there, but it's true :)

Insadong

Kunjongjon Hall - two-tiered throne room where kings conducted the affairs of the state and hosted ceremonies.

TheKyongbok Palace!

Kyonghoeru Pavilion - banquet hall for the king and his guests

Our teeth don't quite look the same as the statue's

Front view of the Palace

Throne inside the Palace

View from our penthouse room

In the Square waiting for the bell to ring!

Tim's periscope view :)

Brunch before we went home at The Flying Pan Blue!

That is about all for now and if we do anything else exciting, I'll be sure to let you all know through a new post. :) Until then,

~ Nicki