The Night Before Christmas and a UNESCO site later

 

                                                  Happy New Year! 

Saying Hi! during a teacher's trip   Christmas is over but for Westerners abroad, Christmas never feels the way it feels back home. This past Christmas was not the same for me, but it felt much more like my Mom’s Christmas with my homemade Egg Nog. I also received a wonderful box full of American necessities from Mom and some warm clothes from my Aunt T. These packages came the day after Christmas and I had no plans Christmas Eve.  

I had gone to another expat’s Christmas party for last year’s Christmas Eve. I could have thrown one myself or planned to go to one this year, but I didn’t think much of Christmas Eve. I was lazy and to be honest, much more excited about going to Thailand. When Christmas Eve came there was a lonely void, as distinct as the big string-of-lights Christmas tree in Yecheon. It was a reminder: no matter where I live, or where I am on Christmas—I should be with other native English speakers, and for Thanksgiving. This is my new rule, and I will try this until I no longer deem it necessary, or come back home.

The night before Christmas I listened to Luther Vandross and Kenny G and bought some sweets at the local bakery. There was a Christmas tree—believe it or not—in Yecheon at the local Methodist church, strung together by a string of lights.

After it passed, no one at school asked me about how I spent my Christmas, but an administration officer shouted, “Santa Claus,” when he saw the Christmas stocking hung at my desk, several days later. All of the teachers had Christmas off their minds (although it wasn’t really on their minds to begin with) and were thinking about the teacher’s trip to Andong.

It was a short ride and a short but much-needed trip. We visited several places, including a five-hundred-year-old school from the Joseon Dynasty. The school building was open, and you could see the mountains from the upper decks.

View from the school

All I could think was, Wow, what beautiful scenery those students had to explore through when they weren’t studying or in taekwondo. We also visited a Hahoe (Ha-wae) village of thatched roofs. The thatched roofs are like those of serfs in European medieval times, where similarly the poorer residents lived under them. Hahoe means a river runs around it. From the top of a hill, a part of this whole UNSECO site, we could see the Haheo village, and from the summit the view was incredible. 

Hahoe Village

Later, there was the Hanji paper. This type of paper comes from the Korean Mulberry tree—

and has the possibility of lasting 2000 years. Touching the paper was very special and I relished the moment.

Hanji paper   .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come next Monday I will be in sunny Thailand for three weeks. You will hear from me again in February! Stay warm in that Artic Vortex, and thanks so much for reading!

That's the principal--we call him 'Pumpkin'--wearing the big coat in the middle

 

Peace and good health,

                 Evan