This weekend I am heading to the South Korean Capital, Seoul. When we first arrived in Korea, our employing government agency EPIK (English Program in Korea) held a ten day orientation in Seoul. But they kept us so busy with classes and training on a small college campus, we had no time to explore the city.

But this weekend I'm heading up there with little agenda other than exploration. Danny went there several weeks ago while his parents were visiting, so he'll play guide to some degree for Brandon and me.

Here is one photo I took that first week in Seoul of a street just beyond our college-campus lodgings.

As an added variable, this weekend holds one of the biggest holidays in Korea; the Lunar New Year. I know very little about this holiday. As opposed to the traditional, solar New Year in the West, people don't go out partying and dropping large glowing orbs. Rather, they spend the day with their families and pay homage to their ancestors.

Here is a link to the Wikipedia page describing Lunar New Year.

In a local cafe today, I was looking through a recent issue of Newsweek which featured a host of stories and photos from the Israeli incursion into Gaza. A Korean high school student from the neighborhood happened upon me and struck up a conversation -- he's always interested in practicing his English.

He noticed my magazine so I offered him a look through. He stopped on a picture of three Palestinian boys, probably just his age, in ski masks hurling stones at something outside the frame.

Before I had a chance to ask about his opinion on the conflict, he pointed to something in the photograph. I leaned over and he said, "Nike." He was pointing to the name brand on one of the boys' hat. He then pointed to the shoes of a different boy in the picture and said, "Nike." This was clearly a sign of approval.

Later, when I did ask him what he thought of the situation in the mid-east, he replied, "I'm too young to have an opinion."

Apparently not so when it comes to choice in name-brand apparel...

I'm sorry to have neglected this blog for so long; there's really no good excuse. But I'm on a holiday and have little to occupy my time for the next few weeks. If I manage to stave off insanity from lack of purpose, I should be writing with some regularity.

Rewinding back to Christmas, the holiday season here was largely enjoyable. While lonesome for family and tradition, friends here, both American and Korean, made this Christmas a happy memory.

We spent both Christmas Eve and evening of Christmas Day in Brandon's apartment. He lives in a wonderful three-room abode with a glorious view of the ocean. We performed many of the typical holiday rituals including exchanging gifts, eating Christmas cookies (my parents actually mailed a batch) and listening to Christmas carols. Here, our friend Mila is decorating a small artificial tree that Brandon's grandmother sent.



Here is our friend Rie from Japan with one of the gingerbread men my parents sent.









And here I am with my friends Danny and Brandon next to the finished tree.







On Christmas morning, a friend from my health club took me to his church. In this photo, Mr. Park and I are sitting in the church basement, enjoying some instant coffee after the service. Afterwords, about 50 people from the church went out together for a lunchtime feast of raw fish. Not your father's Christmas Day, perhaps, but festive nonetheless.





Finally, on the evening of the 25th, we all returned to Brandon's apartment where Danny and Brandon made vegetarian chili and we drank Champaign, again a gift from my parents.