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| PHOTO CRED. ChongWu - www.mercuryespresso.com |
Last night my boyfriend and I went for a little stroll in our neighbourhood and ended up at Mercury Espresso Bar, a local coffee joint. We overheard the barista chatting with someone about living in Korea and a few minutes later I couldn't resist striking up a conversation with him. My ears always perk up at the mention of the word Korea, no matter what context it's in. So we stood around with this random guy, who lived in Seoul, just like us. Like war veterans we swapped stories, comparing exactly where we were stationed, how much time we put in, and generally trading experiencing.
Similar to me, this guy loved Korea. And like me, it seemed he loved Asia in general. My second home. It makes me happy to hear people who speak so highly of Korea. I feel like it is a part of the world so far away from us, that we don't really give it any thought. I know I didn't before I got a bee in my bonnet about moving there. So it's great to hear people with the same fond memories and words on Korea.
We talked about Hongdae, about cheap sight seeing, fantastic national transport, good food, norae bangs (singing rooms), and Korea's cherished love for throwing a festival for just about anything. (see this blog for THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL and here for THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL and here for THE LANTERN FESTIVAL) It was fun to see this guys eye's light up when he spoke about Korea and listen to the stories he told.
Oh Korea. How I miss you! I think we all do. Just yesterday I was writing to a friend who is still 'in the trenches' to enjoy her remaining time there. Although we were on Korean soil just 4 short months ago, I warned her that now, it all seems like a distant foggy memory.
In other news, next Friday is a big Korean event. My tummy is rumbling just thinking about it! Through my fantastic new friends at The Korean Consulate, I have been invited to a really cool looking soire. First off, the venue is STELLAR! It's being held in, I assume the main ballroom, at..... CASA LOMA. I grew up in that neighbourhood, so those grounds are familiar territory for me. Casa Loma is a beautiful castle steeping in history and makes for a gorgeous backdrop for any event! The event is called "Rendezvous Korean Cuisine 2012" and as far as I know there will be a good dose of Korean culture involved as well. A fashion show and maybe some traditonal music performed. I cannot wait! So stay tuned for a blog entry sometime after June 6th that will be full of pictures and delicious details from the whole night!
