Daniel Comes to Korea

After a delayed flight and a sleepless night in LAX, Daniel arrived in Seoul Christmas night. The cold stung our cheeks and turned our ears and noses a red to rival Rudolph's, so he promptly donned the hat and scarf I gave him as a gift. As soon as we walked in my apartment, I heard the zip of his large red suitcase and he began pulling out presents from our mom and my friends. Thank you everyone! I felt so spoiled.

I taught him to say "hello," "thank you," and "nice to meet you," in Korean. When I woke up coughing in the night, he rolled over and said, "gamsamnida." He knew more Korean in the first two days than I did.

The next day, Daniel was happy to see that Koreans also drink Pepsi.

Friday I got pretty sick again, so Saturday, I psyched him up to venture into Seoul by himself and meet up with Kyoung Tae. She took him to see a war museum, and a park in the Han River, and a tea house in Hongdae.



Early Sunday morning, I took myself to the emergency room by taxi for another ear infection, and we spent the rest of the day hanging out. He was really very sweet about it, sharing a twin bed with a person so sick.
He tried many new foods, including bibimbap, kimchi, kimbap, bulgogi, hodo guaja and sashimi. Mmm, yum!



Thursday, we met my darling friend Ji Hyun for what we thought would be lunch, but turned out to be a day packed with sight seeing. She took us to lunch, to a palace

to Myeongdong


to Insadong

and to Seoul Tower observatory before taking us to dinner.


Thursday we met up with Kyoung Tae again, and, since it was a holiday (세헤 복 많이 받으세요 ~ Many blessings and luck for the new year!), got to see this lovely girl in the traditional hanbock at the sushi buffet.


Happy New Year, everybody!