A Korean Christmas; Take 3

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.
- Agnes M. Pharo



Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.
- Augusta E. Rundel

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given--when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.

-Joan Winmill Brown

Nothing's as mean as giving a little child something useful for Christmas.

- Kin Hubbard

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.

- Laura Ingalls Wilder

I love the Christmas-tide,

and yet, I notice this, each year I live;

I always like the gifts I get,

But how I love the gifts I give!

- Carolyn Wells

May the Holiday Season bring only happiness and joy to you and your loved ones.

From Home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.

- Emily Matthews

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.

- Charles Dickens

Musical Madness and Markets; Finding the Christmas spirit

December has finally arrived in Seoul and with it has come colder weather. It's to be expected, naturally. But more unexpected in Korea, a largely Christian country, is that the spirit of Christmas is -strangely enough- often hard to find. This will be my 3rd Christmas away from home and although i have now found a way to cope with a lack of family near by, it still feels like the hardest time of year to be away from the rituals and traditions of Western culture and family get togethers.



Fortunately, in Seoul, where the greater number of foreigners makes us a visible minority, people have taken pains to bring those smalls joys like good home cooking and small get togethers more available. These can be found in the form of traditional christmas markets held predominantly by the European communities of Seoul. With my friend Lindsay at my side, we have now ventured to explore, feast, and spend far too much money at both the "European Christmas Market" and the 'French Christmas Market' on the first and second weekends of December.
http://www.korea4expats.com/events-in-korea-European-Christmas-Market-2-4-Dec-2011-Seongbuk-gu-Seoul-5578.html

http://www.korea4expats.com/events-in-korea-French-Xmas-Market-Sat-10-Dec-2011-Seocho-gu-Seoul-5621.html



On the first weekend of December, Lindsay and I were able to feast on French sausages, eat Dutch pea soup and ginger bread, and scarf down Belgian waffles and German mulled wine! Excellent! It was also nice to hear everyone around us speaking a cacophony of languages around us. It was like being back home at the Saturday morning famers market only slightly more expensive ....and asian. We even got the chance to have our picture taken with a Finish Santa Clause!

On the second weekend of december, we ventured out to Seocho-gu and the French district to share in the delicacies once more. Chocolatines, pains aux raisains, pain de campaigne, wine, Dijon mustard, and several other yummy nibblets were purchased with glee. We also spent probably way too much money on some art prints cut from vintage French journals and magazines. But there's something about the frenzy or a market environment which makes you want to crack out your wallet and buy everything in sight! *sigh...

I feel it in my fingers,

I feel it in my toes,
Christmas is all around us,

and so the feeling grows.

Wagwak in action at the Freebird

Early December has also provided some great music listening opportunities. The annual 'Rubber Seoul' fundraiser for AIDS awareness and research was held on the first weekend of the month in Hongdae. Over six venues, some of the mentionables were bands like Wagwak (pictured above), The Rock Tigers and my faves, Apollo 18! It was a great night of gin drinking and head banging! My neck was sore for 3 days afterwards, which to me is proof enough that it was a rocking good time!!

Apollo 18: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tsrwLKRg_Y

The Rock Tigers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aKnwNkg_w8

Wagwak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV8DIxZb0L4&feature=related

December also ushered in the famous Scottish band "Mogwai" for their first official visit to Korea at AX Hall in Seoul on November 30, 2011. The audience comprised largely of foreigners and extremely young Korean posers who probably only became aware of the existance of this band when tickets went on sale in September.



I couldn't help thinking while they were playing that the difference between a PROFESSIONAL rock band and an amateur band is ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING!!!! They were soooooooo freaking tight and on the ball!! Their sound was increadible and their unity and communication on stage were perfectly synchronized! It's amazing what practice will do! LOL! I listened and was struck not only by the amplitude of their sound but also the influence of their sound on other bands like 'Muse' and a lot of the Korean bands I like, like 'Apollo 18'. The tickets were pricy (the advanced tickets I bought were 66,000 Won), but the venue was great, the set was long, and the music was impactful! You have to pay for good music here, but in the end, it's totally worth it.

Lastly, which perhaps I should have mentioned first, my artwork -the painting 'Full Moon' has been on display in the most recent I.A.C. group exhibition 'Erotic Fantasies' at 'Cafe Blind Spot' in Hondae near Sangsu Stn. !!!! Along with 8 other international artists, we explored the theme of erotic and exotic in our new works and had a very successful opening show. The exhibition runs until December 17th and I would encourage anyone who hasn't gone to go and check it out!! http://koreaiac.com/upcoming.htm

http://www.korea4expats.com/events-in-korea-IAC-Group-Exhibition---Erotic-Fantasies-to-17-Dec-2011-Hongdae-Seoul-5558.html

Perhaps, most excitingly was that my work was featured in the Korean Herald's review of the show!! This is super exciting and I think I need to jump forward from this and continue to work on my portraiture and building up a body of work in order to maybe hold a solo show here in the near future.

http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111122000544

Anything is possible and hard work can produce miraculous results.