Christmas in Korea 2016

Perhaps you are wondering what it is like for an expat like me spending the holidays -- a time traditionally spent with family -- abroad, thousands of miles away from home in a foreign country. Well, everyone's experience is probably a little (or perhaps vastly) different. Here's how I've been spending the holidays.

Christmas Eve was kicked off with some caroling with a group of friends from my church here in Korea. We met up in the center of downtown where there is an enormous Christmas tree made up entirely out of lights. Most of us sang while a few played percussion instruments and I embellished with violin accompaniment. We caroled there for about 40 minutes and then headed over to a nearby Starbucks (yes we have those here) for some warm holiday drinks. After that, we headed over to NC Wave, a giant department store, where we caroled out front for probably another 30 minutes. The Koreans really seemed to enjoy it, and everybody joined in when we sang Jingle Bells. I have found that Christmas music isn't as widely familiar to Koreans as it is to us Westerners. However, there are two holiday songs which almost any native will know: "Jingle Bells", and Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is You". :)

Caroling at Daein Night Market

We wrapped up the caroling and most of my friends dispersed. Me and a friend, however, decided to go shopping to find my friend a warm winter jacket. After about an hour of shopping with little success, we decided to check out a new taco place we had heard about across town. While walking in that direction, we happened upon a young Korean busking outside of a convenience store who looked to be in his mid-20's. We listened, and then decided to ask if we could join in since I had my fiddle and my friend had her cajon from caroling. One song turned into two songs and soon another random guitarist joined us and many people had gathered around. We played together for 1 hour, inviting a group of traveling foreigners to stop and sing a few carols with us. And then something cool happened. I was approached by a Korean couple who complimented me on my playing. The man introduced himself and told me he was the conductor of a local chamber orchestra, asked for my contact information and invited me to play with him some time! Yeah. Stay tuned for more on that.

After busking, my friend and I continued along our journey to find the taco place. Unfortunately when we arrived, we found the aforementioned establishment to be closed. Although we were disheartened by this realization, we would not let that ruin our holiday spirits and opted for some Monster pizza next door. (Side note: I recommend using caution when adding red pepper to one's pizza. Failure to do so will result in one's inability to taste anything else.) With full stomachs, my friend and I walked a bit more around town and then grabbed a taxi back to our apartments, concluding one solid Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning:
I woke up around 7 am, seriously regretting my foolish decision to order a Christmas Chai at the Starbucks the previous night as I figured the caffeine must have been what kept me tossing and turning. As far as I could tell, I had only gotten perhaps an hour of sleep. Oh well. There were places to be, so out of bed I hopped so that I wouldn't be late to meet my friends at the church to help prepare food for our church's Christmas potluck.

I arrived at the church, only 10 minutes late (not too shabby for a person so dysfunctional after a rough night's sleep). There, I found my cooking buddies standing outside the church cafe and was immediately asked if I had the phone number of one of the Korean staff members -- the kitchen was locked and none of us speak good enough Korean to get help from the church office. Not to worry, after some rigmarole and a few phone calls, we eventually got into the kitchen to prepare the potatoes and 'roast beast'. After the joint Korean-English service, the English ministry headed upstairs to the place where we host our normal services to commence our annual Christmas potluck including games, a gift exchange, and of course, gorging ourselves on holiday treats.

This year's church potluck

Immediately following the potluck, my cajon-playing-singer friend and I walked about 25 minutes back to my apartment where we were met by our Korean friend who had come to pick us up for a gig at the migrant center on the edge of the city. We piled into a van full of fellow musicians and were on our way.

Outside the migrant center was sunshine, comfortable temps, tables with delicious multicultural delicacies, a stage for us to play on and about 200 or so people who had come out to join the festivities. Our group ate and mingled before donning Christmas hats and performing music for about an hour. It was one for the memory books. After the performance I had  probably 10 different migrants approach me and ask to have their photo taken with me including a tiny Korean girl who stalked me from afar -- not even joking, it seemed like every time I turned around, there she was, smiling shyly at me! But I didn't mind. #30secondsofcelebritism. HA.

When the festivities at the migrant center were over, we musicians piled back into vehicles and headed to our next destination, a local restaurant on the OTHER side of the city where a VIP Christmas party was being hosted held. There we enjoyed a complimentary Christmas dinner (aka STEAK). If you know anything about the price of eating beef in Korea, you know that's a real treat. After more munching and mingling, the music making continued, of course. We played late into the night before finally going our separate ways in a light drizzling rain which I had sorely hoped would turn to flakes after having sung so many verses of "Let it Snow" throughout the course of the evening. Oh well.

My family during Christmas 2014

Since Korea is about 14 hours ahead of my home time in Wisconsin this time of year, my Monday morning was my family's Sunday evening and their prime time of celebration. I took advantage of this by engaging in a nice Skype session with them while enjoying a "second" Christmas and playing a few more carols on my fiddle amongst my messy apartment filled with cards, the Christmas gnomes my parents had sent in a box, and stringed lights.

This and so many other things are why celebrating the birth of Christ truly is the best time of year. T'was a good Christmas, and one to remember!

Happy Holidays everyone!

P.S. If you are interesting in checking out what my band has been up to recently, here is a link to our most recent gig since before the holidays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAaVS0zVtK0&feature=youtu.be