Skiing in South Korea

Our family loves to ski and were really excited to get to ski in the same country where the Winter Olympics will be held in 2018. I did hours of research for our trip, ski resorts, accommodations, weather conditions in December, on and on. After all that time, I decided that we would break ourselves into the South Korean ski scene by going to Alpensia. Alpensia will be be the home of the ski jump and biathlon.

This area has a huge Holiday Inn complex, along with a higher end hotel. Some of the Holiday Inn rooms have kitchens, so if your children aren't keen on bulgogi or chap chae, you can bring your own food. The village does have several restaurants available, including a Dominoes Pizza.

This resort, at least in December, has several choices for lift tickets. You can buy a ticket for 8:30am-12:30pm, 12:30pm-4:30pm or an evening pass from 6:30pm-10:30pm. They do close for a lunch break from 4:30-6:30 and groom the trails. The slopes are all lighted and open in the evening, which is fun and different. Honestly, I don't even know if there was a pass for the whole day. At the time we went, they had 3 slopes open and they were all short and green. We also had a wonderfully warm December, so all the snow was man made. The machines couldn't keep up on the second day, and you had to avoid muddy patches on the slopes.

You can rent all of your equipment from Alpensia, from boots to hats, ski pants and jackets, helmets, etc. I was surprised that you could rent ski clothes, but it was a very popular service. There were a few children's groups there that were using that service, along with some other people. One of the things that I have noticed about Koreans is that when they do something, a sport or a "look" they go all the way. There is no hodge-podge of outerwear, everything matches or it mismatches, but with a purpose. You won't see the old guy on the slopes with his red one-piece snow suit from 1978 that has duct tape on it. You won't see the kids wearing jeans to ski. No, every sport has it's "uniform" and it will be worn to the hilt. This is true with many aspects in Korea. If you are goth, you don't start out with dark lipstick, you go to the Korean version of Hot Topic and buy out the store. Anyway, what I'm saying is that the rental coats and pants were nice because not everyone wants or can afford the super matching outfit.

While skiing, it was nice that everyone was lined up to get on the lifts, orderly. This isn't the case in the States or in Europe. There is always some of the herd mentality. While this can be true in Korea for street food or other things, it was not the case at the ski lift in Alpensia.

We skied for two days and decided that was enough at Alpensia. They couldn't make the snow to keep up with the beautiful weather and the slopes weren't enough to keep us occupied. It is a beautiful part of Korea and we will go back. If we are lucky, we can score some tickets to see some of the events for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Pampering Day (well kinda)

Pampering. Who doesn't love a good pedicure and manicure? The salons are all over the States, it's an easy thing to pop in and do. And haircuts? I love getting my hair done. I have always lucked out and found a great stylist at every duty station. The person that cut my hair in South Korea is due with her first baby any day now. She's a fellow  American military spouse and I felt comfortable with her cutting my hair because there wasn't a language barrier. With her closing up shop, I had to venture out and find something else.

The language barrier is something of a soft spot. I'm not embarrassed that I don't speak Hangul yet, I can say hello, please and thank you. It is not an easy language, but, I haven't tried too hard to learn much else. Many Koreans in service industries, especially around the military bases speak English. English is taught in schools here, it's one of the most popular world languages. If they don't speak English or feel comfortable with it, one of us will pull out the trusty google translate and we will get the job done. I was just a little nervous to find someone local because, well, I'm not Korean. I don't have Korean hair and I don't have the Korean standard of beauty, which is high! I finally just sucked it up and went for it.  I found a place, prices were good, and I was going to get my much needed pedi/mani! I haven't had either since moving here in August. My MIL and I went in Omaha before we moved to South Korea. It was time that I pampered myself!

I got settled in the massage chair (massage chair, bonus! I only found a massage chair for a pedicure in Europe one time and that was at a military base), chose the up-sale of gel for fingers and toes and waited for hot water. It came, about melted the skin off my feet. She did see my face and heard my squeal and put in some cold. Once the water was comfortable, I picked my gel color and was prepared to be pampered. 

No, that didn't happen. The manicurist came over and put a food tray with a bowl of water in my lap so I could soak my nails. Now, I am about 5' nothing and can not touch the bottom of the pedicure bowl with flat feet. So, I had to move up to the balls of my feet and balance this tray with slightly less than scalding water on it. That lasted about 30 seconds and when she reached for my arm, and the pedicurist reached for my left foot, the tray almost tumbled off my lap. Thankfully, she had put a thick towel under the bowl, or else I would have been wet at the beginning of my spa treatment. 

OK, so now we're settled, no soaking of the nails. She set up shop on my left side and just started clipping nails, which are short, and cutting off cuticles, which were in terrible need and had my reach across my body with my right hand to do the same. It wasn't comfortable. She did ask if I wanted square or round nails, I told her whatever looked best with my small nails and that seemed to be the right answer. She did  not like my color choice and had to ask me twice if I was sure. 

Meanwhile, my feet are being cheese grated, literally with a handheld cheese grater. She went on and on about how bad my feet were and don't I have a husband and how do I get such dry feet. I don't know about you, but I don't really care about my feet so much when it is 30* outside. I just don't and I don't think my husband does either. Also, I really don't need to see how much dead skin has been grated off my feet. Is that just me? I know they are dry and in need, that's why I'm here, but I don't need the proof. 

Somewhere in here the ladies began talking about my hairy arms. Now, I've been a hairy person from birth. I used to be embarrassed by it, now I just accept it. Koreans are not hairy people. They have virtually no hair on their arms or faces that I've noticed. They always have perfect makeup, hair and skin. I know they are talking about my arms because the manicurist keeps making eye contact with the pedicurist and the looking at my arms. Finally, the pedicurist asks me if I want my arms waxed. It went like this, "You arms so hairy, you want me wax?" "No, that's OK, thank you." "In summer, you not have hairy arms, you must wax. I wax now, $20 for both arms." "No, that's OK, not today, its only January, I'll pass." Side conversation ensued with the manicurist looking at me incredulously. 

Back to the fingers, she has now set up the gel dryer on my lap and plugged it in. I questioned her if this was a good idea, since I almost lost the bowl of water off my lap and this thing was plugged in. I didn't want to be electrocuted as it tumbled off my lap into the pedicure bowl. She agreed to get another towel and let me build a wall around the dryer so it might just catch fire and instead of electrocute me. I thought it a fair idea, I don't think she did. 

The pedicurist is now pumicing the heck out of my feet and if that wasn't enough, she gets out the Dremel tool and starts sandblasting my heels. There is skin dust everywhere. (insert gagging sound) I asked if she needed a mask, she said it was fine. I was not fine. This was the most insane thing that I had ever had done in a pedicure chair. I did ask if she could take it a little easy, if she took too much of my heel off, my shoes would be too big. She told me I was fine, "You fine, feet will be just fine." 

Fingers are on their second set of polish, me reaching across my body every two minutes so she can polish and stick them in the dryer. Not comfortable. 

My toes are now having the cuticles trimmed so carefully and the yucky big nails are being done so gently. Honestly, they were. As crazy as the de-callusing was, she was extremely gentle with my cuticles. 

Finger lady is now done and my fingers looked OK. I did ask her to clean up a few nails because the polish was quite noticeable on my cuticles, but she did it. She did oil my arms and rubbed them, nothing I would call a massage. Oily arms, but not I wasn't electrocuted on my pampering day. Now, I could relax in my chair with my right arm NOT squashing my boobs every two minutes.  I could enjoy the massage chair. 

Toes are being polished. She has put the dryer in her lap because I didn't feel comfortable resting the dryer on the foot pad above the water bowl. Again with the electrocution fears. When she is done, she tells me that my feet are so dry, and legs too, that I need a special scrub, only $15 extra. I went for it.The scrub wasn't something like the spas at home, not a sugar scrub, or anything gritty. This had an alcohol base to it because it felt cold going on. She rubbed and rubbed that stuff on and came away with all sorts of ick. She was happy to show me how dry my skin was and didn't I feel better now. After that, she oiled my legs and rubbed the oil in. She didn't get my on all the upsales, but that scrub was amazing and my feet haven't been this soft since 1975 when I started walking, I'm pretty sure. 

After that, I needed my haircut. The pedicurist yelled across the shop to the one and only male employee to come and cut my hair. "He has short hair, he do a good job for you." He and I talked/gestured briefly about what I wanted done, I showed him several pictures of the cut I wanted on several different models. When he felt satisfied about it, he started cutting. The cut went really well, it looks good, I must say, then he started with the razor. I've had razor cuts, now big deal, he did not go crazy with the razor. He shaped up my neckline really well, then paused. Paused long enough that I peeked up at him in the mirror and saw him staring at the side of my head. Tentatively, I see him move that razor to the front of my ears and he shaved my cheek. I know! The gall. I have to say again, I know that I am a hairy person. At that rate I'm going, I'll be able to bypass playing Mrs. Claus in my old age and go straight for Santa, himself. I might need a pillow, but the beard might grow in nice by itself. I was a little mortified, not gonna lie. I must have stiffened because it was his turn to peek in the mirror. I didn't flip out, so he flicked that razor down my right cheek three more times and moved on to the left. I couldn't flip out because it's nothing I haven't contemplated doing myself. He didn't take it to the skin, I'm not worried about it coming in black. It is what it is, my cheeks probably haven't been this smooth since pre-puberty. 

I paid my bill, it was less than I would have paid in the States for a cut and color. I'm no hiatus from coloring, so the price for my day of "pampering" was fine. Here's what I went away thinking, pondering, wondering. How in the world has South Korea gotten to be such a superficial country? Now, I have only been here a few months, and I am not saying that the US is not, but it feels like it is taken up a notch here. Many reasons why, one of them being that you can't throw a rock and not hit a beauty shop of some sort in almost any area of Seoul that I've traveled AND they almost always have several customers. My husband would remind me that there are 10.9 million people in this city and they have to shop somewhere. Yes, but I can not even explain to someone who has not visited Seoul how many beauty shops there are here. Secondly, it is a rare occurrence that Americans are so bold as to tell you that you need to wax your arms, ask how your husband can stand your dry feet and shave your face without asking. It is bold. Different. Not terrible, I judge because it's different and I was a little taken aback. I wasn't offended really, just a little shocked. Did my hairy arms, face and dry feet offend these people? No, well, probably not, I mean no. They just were surprised that, in their eyes, I wasn't at my best. They wanted me to be at my best, they helped me out. They didn't suggest plastic surgery or liposuction, that will probably be my third time in the salon. Lastly, how did the possibility of electrocuting a customer not cross either of those women's minds?? Really, I was nervous. 

Joining the choir

When we first moved to Belgium, I joined the international choir. We were on a NATO base, and the choir performed for many fun things; Battle of Britain, Tree Lighting at HQ, Independence Day, SHAPEfest. It was a great time. I knew that if I could find a choir in Seoul, then I would have "my thing."
I started looking for choirs before we left. I didn't want a church choir, I wanted something secular. If we sang religious music, fine, but I didn't want it to be affiliated with any specific church. It didn't take much searching until I found the Camarata Music Company. This choir was started by a very talented conductor from Wisconsin! He's an expat in Korea now, leading this choir among many other things. Because of him and the success of the choir performances, the Camarata Choir has had singers from 73 different countries. That's insane, I think, but so very cool. We have Kiwis, South Africans, Australians, Germans, Latvians, it's so crazy where people have come from to live in South Korea, for many different reasons. Anyway...
We got here just in time for me to start rehearsal for the Pops concert. It was a big choir, about 60 people. We sang everything from Can't Stop Believing to Old Devil Moon. We had so much fun, the music was great, the rehearsals were long, 4 hours every Sunday, but we really sounded wonderful. We had a band that played with us, and for a few songs, we had a singer from a local band, MagnaFall. That concert was on September 10th.
Right after that was over, I  mean the very next weekend, we started rehearsals for Handel's Messiah, the whole thing! We practiced every weekend, minus one for a Korean holiday, other than that, we were at it. Rehearsing every Sunday at various locations around Seoul as our choir swelled to over 120 singers. Many of the singers had sung with Camarata before and were amazing.  We worked so hard over those few months. Our conductor, Ryan, has done this piece many times, and changes up some of the little things. Dynamics, emphasis on certain syllables, etc, it was hard and precise and so worth it.
Our performance was on December 10th, and we packed the place. We performed with a symphony, which was amazing and had professional singers from South Korea come and do the big solos for us. They were so good, I am so happy we rehearsed once with them before we had the performance, because

most of us newbies were in awe of them. The ambassador from the US attended, the ambassador from Finland attended, people from everywhere packed this church to hear us sing Handel's Messiah. And we sounded great. I was so sick, I sounded like a frog had swallowed a cricket and so I had a very, very limited range. I sang what I could, quietly, and lip-synced the heck out of the rest.  I had told the conductor that I could sit out, that was fine, but he insisted that I perform what I could since I had rehearsed with the group the whole time. Really, I was very humbled, because I am not half the singer that most of those people are, and it was a privilege.
I'm glad that I was able to find this choir so I could have my own special thing during our time in South Korea. The choir makes made me a better singer. I made friends from all over the world. It helped  me see so many different places in Seoul that I might not have know about otherwise. It has been just one more thing that has made our time in South Korea special.

If you are interested, you can check out the link above and you can also take a look at their Facebook page, Camarata Music Company.

First Sightseeing in Seoul!

First thing we like to do in a new city is a hop-on-hop-off tour. We loved the ones in all the large European cities that we visited, so we ventured out to find on in Seoul. Luckily, there is one and it is relatively inexpensive, about $11.50/person. That gets you a full tour of the city, all the palaces, city gates, Namsan Tower (Seoul Tower) and goodness only knows what else we saw that day. We did the tour the third day of being in Seoul, and let me tell you, 14 hour time difference takes more than three days to recover from.

We hit the bus stop at about 10:00 am, not knowing exactly when it would begin. Seoul isn't really an early rising city, but we needed to get out early because the heat is killer! The buses give you a free set of disposable headphones to listen to the tour info. I think this tour had the native language, Japanese, Mandarin, English, German and a few others. It's always easy to find your language on the system.

We enjoyed the air conditioning of the bus for several stops. Boy Child doesn't always like sight seeing unless there is something in it for him. The first place that perked his interest was Namsan Tower. This tower was a beacon for us the night we came into Seoul. It is high on a hill and lights up with different colors. The bus climbs the hill and drops off passengers about 100 meters from the tower and shopping. One of the fun things about the Tower, is that a few years ago they started putting locks on it, like the bridge in Paris. (lots of things are borrowed in Korea) We didn't add to the fence, but posed for selfies and took some pictures of the smoggy view.

The Tower has some shopping, food stalls and sit-down restaurants in it. We sampled a few of the food stalls, found some things that were sweet enough for Boy Child and filling enough for us to get us through the rest of the day. Many of the foods were fried, but we were pretty sure we were sweating fat away.

We spent about 90 minutes up there, enjoying the view and people watching then hopped back on the bus. We were so happy to have seats and air conditioning.

The next spot we hopped off was the Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon. Husband and I could have spent hours there, even fighting off jet lag, mosquitoes and swamp ass. It was an amazing place, well perserved, taken care of and beautiful. Boy Child had a bad case of Jet Lag Crabbiness and we only spent an hour here. It is a place that we will venture back to, probably on a day we have a sitter or that Husband is off work and Boy Child still has school. If we are lucky enough to get some snow, this place will be amazing for photos.

After waiting 30 minutes for the bus to come for us, we hopped on and completed the tour circuit. There are many places that we didn't hop off for, but should have. Jet Lag Crabbiness hit us all on the bus and we called it a day. Honestly, the heat of the day was coming on, and that wasn't going to be good for any of us.

New Adventures in a New Country

August 2016 brought our military family to a new Army base, in a new country and new continent. We did have time to prepare for this move, bringing the necessities and a few of the comforts of home. After immense amounts of research, we knew we wouldn't have as much storage as we were used to in the States or even our house in Europe. No garage, closets at a minimum, etc. Most of that was true and we probably brought just the right amount of stuff.

We dropped in to the Incheon Airport late one week night during August and were greeted by our wonderful military sponsors. Thank goodness for them! We were running on very little sleep and had hopped forward 14 hours, there needed to be as little thinking on our part as necessary. First thing we noticed, that hit us in the face and demanded to be noticed, was the humidity. Good gracious, South Korea in August is moist. We have lived in some humid climates, Nebraska in August isn't comfortable, but Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma aren't really a picnic either. South Korea was really something else. Perhaps it's the amount of concrete, or the amount of people, but whew! is it humid. Next thing that was not to be taken lightly, traffic. The drive back was crazy, late at night and there was still a ton of traffic on the roads. Seoul has a population of 10 million, approximately, so there are always people on the road, even at 11:30 pm.  Our sponsors had been there before, many times before, and knew how to maneuver around it. After 9:00 pm, anyone can use the bus lanes. During daytime hours, the far left lane is reserved for buses or vans that carry 9 people  or more. Once that lane opens up, it helps with the traffic flow, tremendously.

They got us back to the hotel on the military base in 90 minutes and dropped us and ALL our luggage off. We were each allowed 2 bags of 60 pounds plus a carry-on, so we brought them all. We had no idea how long it would take to get our household goods with the rest of our belongings, so we packed heavy. Boy child was going to start school before our things came and the husband was going to need all the clothes that come along with that job. We were heavy, but we needed it.

As tired as we were, we were all wide awake well before 6:00 am that morning. Jet lag was going to be a force to be reckoned with.

*Seoul has a population of about 10.3 million people. The country, as a whole, has an approximate population of 50 million.
Omaha has a population of just under 1 million. The city may have busted that barrier since this article. Nebraska, as a whole, has a population of just under 2 million.