Ringing in the New Year

We went to the big city for the new year, literally. Seoul proper has 11 million people milling around its city streets and the greater Seoul area has a population of 23 million. I thought I would be intimidated by such a place, but I wasn't at all. This may be due in part to the fabulous tour guides we had. Nathan and Kat were gracious enough to show us around the city even though it had to have been the coldest weekend in a dozen years. I still get a chill when I think of Kat braving the whether in her cute mini skirt. She must be more Korean than American. :)

And to anyone out there who knows Nathan....he only got us lost once.

We went to a great Van Gough exhibit. I've never been to such a crowded museum, but after seeing some of the paintings I know why it was.

We hurried through the outdoor markets and only bought a pair of gloves for Jason and a sweater for Nathan. I was too cold to move my limbs much so I didn't get anything.

The Gyeongbok Palace was beautiful. I think it's the setting for a Korean soap opera type show that I've seen a few times. I always wish I could understand it because it seems so dramatic. I'm going to keep hoping for a english language made for TV movie. One that takes place during it's age of glory when the emperor and empress lived there.

Here's some info on the empress if you looking for something to read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Myeongseong

The cherry (or silkworm pupa) on top of the weekend was dancing the night away on New Year's Eve. We had sparklers, champagne, and really bad (but catchy) american pop music.

Although I missed the annual stay over at Carley and Stefan's place - I'm sure we did them proud with our skills. Nicole would be impressed with my Sir Mix-A-Lot moves.

May 2008 bring you all the love, laughter, and sleep you need.