Crowds and other Korean delicacies

It always feels crowded here. And the crowds are exhausting. A fun Korean fact: bumping, nudging, or flat-out shoving is normal. No one thinks twice about it - except the Westerner who is quite used to her "personal bubble." But alas, I've been bumped, nudged, and shoved so many times the last six months I've grown quite used to it. Observe:

This is Myeongdong -- a popular, cutting edge shopping district in Seoul. I was sitting on the second floor of a coffee shop, digging deep to find more energy, pondering whether I wanted to go back outside and walk around in that, again. This was back in December, when my bubble still felt violated on a daily basis.

Winter here has been bitterly cold. This was a crowded ice festival we went to in January, on the east side of the country. This was also the day "slide" was added to the "bump, nudge, shove" list. We got taken out by people quite literally sliding into us.

January and February I hit the slopes, which - you guessed it - were crowded (I took up boarding this season because I couldn't find enough room on the hill to ski). I tell you the truth: I have NEVER seen anything like a Korean ski hill. I've also never seen such a busy ski patrol. People were skiing, boarding, and sliding into each other left and right. Again, no one seems to thinks twice about it: just get up, wipe off the snow, and continue on with your day until you get taken out again 38 seconds later. If I were to start my own business here,I'd open clinics at the base of ski resorts. I'd make bank.

Last weekend I finally made it to a well known flea market in Seoul. Quite the overstimulating experience. It's rare these days for Koreans to buy anything secondhand, thus the market is a treasure trove of trinkets. I was thoroughly exhausted after two short hours; I haven't been pushed around that much since my rugby days!

Even the meals feel crowded.
This is a traditional (and typical) Korean meal -- complete with a zillion delicious side dishes. Stop by for a visit, I'll take you to a few of my favorite places... (hint, hint)

Besides the crowds, life here is fairly normal. I spend all my time with people. On Monday I hang with my favorite family: the Stewarts. Zach's eleventh birthday is this week, and we threw him a big surprise party on Sunday. Look at the little stud, surrounded by his "best friends in Korea." Rough life, Zach... rough life.

As you can see, the numbers have grown. The gals went from two this time last year, to five, to eight, and now we're pushing fifteen. Whitney had to get a new apartment to fit all the people on Wednesday nights. But growth is to be expected when God is breathing on something.

One weekend in February we crashed Scott and Dionne's apartment, where we laughed, cried, worshiped, ate, slept, and laid many-a-hand in an effort to encourage and edify one another. 'Twas delightful, and another weekend is already in the works.

A recent favorite in the new year: my neighbors. We met Ashley and JJ at the end of 2009, and quickly discovered they live in the next apartment building. They also love board games. Charissa and I live for board games. For two months, the four of us have been getting together for game night on Tuesdays. They bring the wine, we bring the dessert.

Oh, before I forget. Turns out I brought a friend back from Thailand with me. I named him Wormy. Thanks to Asian medicine, he's been flushed out of my system now, but I thought some of you would like to know. I mean, how often do you know someone who contracts a hookworm and lives to tell about it?!

Just kidding. They're not that bad. I kinda miss the little sucker (literally).

The first weekend of March was Korean Flag Day. We went to the park, where hundreds of flags filled the sky and the sounds of Korean festivities echoed throughout the air. The costumes were vibrant and the people were joyful.

And this man ate raw pig. Mmm...

I, on the other hand, found a little friend and was quite content to play with her for the rest of the afternoon. She laughed gleefully and I was giddy. The color coordination was totally planned.