An Unexpected V-Day Adventure

Valentine’s Day was different this year.  Of course there’s the obvious; we live in Korea.  But the oddness of today reached far further than that.

I awoke early to a sprinkle of snow and kept my fingers crossed that school would be cancelled.  The to-do list for our fast approaching trip hadn’t gotten much shorter over the weekend and I spent most of Saturday night sick with food poisoning (or something equally unpleasant).  Sleep and errands on a Monday sounded fabulous to me.  Not wanting to get my hopes up too high for a day off, I got my morning work-out in.  More snow.  I chatted with a friend from home.  It snowed harder.  Just as I got in the shower to begrudgingly start getting ready for work, Ryan got the call.  Kindergarten morning classes were off (yay!) but we’d have to wait to hear about elementary afternoon classes. 

Ryan got some to-do's out of the way and I caught up on email responses from hotels for our first few days in Vietnam.  We got the second call.  Afternoon classes were off!  With the help of our supervisor, Ryan got some information on which local hospital would have the vaccinations we needed for our upcoming trip.  After mapping out the bus route we were off.  If only it were that simple. 

the view from our balcony

What was a light blanket of snow in our neighborhood, proved to be a full on blizzard as we got closer to the hospital.  When we realized the bus wasn’t making the turn up the hill and towards our destination, we got off.  A howling wind whipped our umbrellas around us. 

Before

After

With no taxis in sight, we asked for help calling a service.  No luck.  We were pointed back towards the bus stop.  After getting on the bus again, the driver informed us that buses weren’t making the trip up the hill.  We’d need to walk.  This was easier said than done.  We didn’t know exactly where we were going, and with the mix of heavy wind and snow it was hard to see too far in front of us.  With the help of a frustrated taxi driver (who refused to take us where we needed to go) and a group of police, we made it.  Then the real fun began.

After what seemed like a complete tour of the hospital we found the place we needed to be.  We were ushered around to multiple rooms and asked questions we couldn’t understand.  We were led around some more.  We were asked to wait.  We paid for the shots.  We got the shots.  Then we made the costly mistake of asking for a record of the vaccines we’d received.  The lone nurse who spoke a little English was clearly frustrated we didn’t ask for this before.  We were asked to wait again.  It was beginning to get dark and we weren’t looking forward to our trek home in the snow, but we waited.  An hour.  Finally the paperwork was presented, as was the news that we needed to pay for the records.  We struggled to understand the reasoning of a snappy doctor who argued every point we made.  No one told us we’d need to pay, we don’t need a certified copy, we’ve waited an hour!

After much haggling (and no records) we found ourselves on the street with sore arms, befuddled and freezing.  No buses.  No taxis.  Until finally, there was one!

Thank goodness for a welcoming host and delicious dinner at Green Spoon.

Happy (bizarrely hectic) Valentine’s Day honey!  I love you (and our crazy adventures) today more than ever.

♥

Diary Day

January often means resolutions and new beginnings.  For Korean couples it also means Diary Day.  Couples show their love and commitment by purchasing a diary or planner for their significant other.  This practical gift ensures couples will mark down all the birthdays and special anniversaries they will celebrate in the coming year.  Not to mention all the 14th holidays, which should also be recognized in the diary or planner.

Right now our planners are full of tentative travel plans for the month(ish) we'll be traveling once we're done teaching the first week of March.  Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand plans are in the works.

Don’t forget to pencil in our return to the states in your own planner.  Mid-April!

Hugging Holiday

Today’s informal 14^th holiday is “Hug Day.”   

The cold winter weather calls for snuggling, so grab your favorite guy or girl and hug them!  That’s what today is (and what every day should be) all about.

Movie Day

Is it the 14^th again?  That means November's couple holiday is upon us.  
Today is Movie Day, where couples relax indoors to escape the autumn chill, snuggling together to watch a movie.   

My research indicates that couples sip orange juice together (not sure why) as they indulge in their movies.  Since I finally seem to be rid of my cold/sinusitis/whatever it was, I'm going to pass on the orange juice and drink wine instead for two reasons:

1. I didn't get to properly celebrate the official Wine Day of October.

2. Wine and popcorn happen to be some of my favorite things.

Happy Movie Day to you.  And more importantly, CHEERS!

14th Holidays: Wine and photos- but not necessarily together

I promised to alert you to the (often couple related) Korean holidays that fall on the 14^th of each month.  Since last month was a busy one, it completely slipped my mind at the time.

What you missed in September was Photo Day.  On Photo day, couples take pictures together so they can remember their love.  We often see couples capturing photos of themselves, with their camera phones in outstretched hands. 

Photography is huge here, so it’s not surprising that one of the 14^th holidays revolves around it.

While Photo Day seems nice, I think we’ve discovered our favorite of the holidays so far.

Today, October 14th, is Wine Day!  As you may have guessed, this is a day where couples drink wine together.  Ryan and I tend to celebrate our very own Wine Day a few times a month, and if I didn't have a cold that's been hanging on for four weeks, I would definitely indulge in some today.  Instead, I'll leave the wine drinking to you.

Gambe!

(Or in English, Cheers!)

Green Day (the holiday, not the band)

Today is the South Korean holiday known as “Green Day.”  To celebrate, couples are encouraged to drink Soju together (always sold in a green glass bottle) and then do something “green” and outdoors.  Perhaps a hike up one of Korea’s many mountains. 

Or maybe a nice walk along Oncheonjang river.

For singles, the holiday can still be celebrated by drinking Soju with other singles.

Whether single or attached, happy Green Day!

Silver Day

As mentioned previously, South Korea observes a monthly holiday on the 14^th of each month.  As promised, here is an update on the holiday for July.

Today is “Silver day” in South Korea.  Couples celebrate the holiday by giving each other silver jewelry.  Often rings are exchanged to symbolize commitment, especially if the couple has been together for one hundred days or more.   

The number 100 is significant here, and shows that the relationship is getting serious.  Couples may also give necklaces, bracelets or silver earrings to celebrate Silver Day.

Maybe I should remind Ryan that there’s a Tiffany’s in the local mall….

Just sayin :)

Happy Silver Day everyone!

Recurring monthly holidays and the twins that observe them

On the 14^th of each month, a different informal holiday is celebrated in South Korea.  Most of these holidays are romantic, and meant for couples.

In a previous post we mentioned Valentine’s Day (February 14^th), White Day (March 14^th) and Single’s Day, (April 14^th).  Although Ryan is not single (ahem), he decided to partake in the holiday food, traditional black noodles back in April anyway.

Although it came and went without us realizing it, May 14^th was Rose Day.  On this day, couples exchange roses to show their love for each other.

While it’s not a couple’s holiday, we were honored the following day on May 15^th which was Teacher’s Day.  We received socks, cookies, perfume and cologne, bath products, new umbrellas, and carnations (both fake and real).  Carnations are the signature flower for the holiday.

Today, June 14^th is Kiss Day.  From what I understand, it’s just an excuse to kiss your significant other.  However one website proclaimed it “a day to kiss everyone you meet.”  Awkward.

The holidays that are recognized on the 14^th of each month are meant to show off a couple’s commitment to each other.  Being part of a couple is very celebrated in this culture.  While sweet, some people’s enthusiasm is a little over the top.  Couples in coordinating outfits are not uncommon. 

Often only their shirts are the same, but sometimes they go all out.

Last week we spotted a young couple matching from head to toe.  They wore black T-shirts with the New York City skyline printed on them in gold.   Their identical jeans had the same golden skyline stitched on the back pockets.  Where’s your camera when you need it?

Ryan and I seriously contemplated purchasing these outfits when we saw them for sale.

Ok, so we didn’t contemplate that at all, but we did have a good laugh over them.  We were even more entertained when we saw these.

We’ll keep you up to date on the rest of the “14^th” holidays as they arrive.  Since we are a few time zones ahead, you'll be informed of the holidays before they happen in the US.  That way you can celebrate them on the actual day.  I’m sure you will.

White Day

Yesterday, March 14^th, was White Day in South Korea.  It is a holiday where men who are in a relationship are supposed to give chocolate to women.  It is similar to the Valentine’s Day we celebrate in the states.  On Valentine’s Day here, the women give candy and presents to the men in their lives, so White Day (exactly one month later) is the men’s turn to give the gifts, usually chocolate.  We have heard there are different types of chocolate for the seriousness of the relationship.  Mainly the gift giving signifies that the man or woman is “the only one” for the gift giver.

Apparently there is also Black day, observed another month later on April 14th, where singles that didn’t celebrate Valentine’s day or White day have their turn.  They dress up in all black, and eat Jajangmyeon, a noodle dish with black sauce.  This is done in groups, and celebrates being single.

Here I am anticipating White day Saturday night.  We saw signs and candy everywhere.

I wish my White Day gift was one of the adorable bunnies a man was selling in the subway Friday night, but I’ll settle for some chocolate for now.   

Maybe Ryan will consider a bunny for St. Patrick’s Day?