Category Archives: Celebrations

Back in the swing of things

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This post is very overdue in coming.  Apologies.  Between an active holiday season and slow jumping off into 2014, I’ve been neglecting my writings.

Not that this is really any kind of earth shattering stuff, but some of you have decided that it’s somewhat amusing and/or entertaining.

Quick catchup:

Went to Bali for Xmas and New Year’s.  First time we’ve traveled to a ‘foreign country’ during fall/winter since Paris in 2005.  Was in Cayman for six out of seven ‘festive seasons’ and I don’t count that as a foreign country.  We had a good time that keeps getting better as time goes by.
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Meaning that while we were there there were some challenges that made it tough for us to reconcile our expectations with the reality of what we were experiencing.  It was like this:

Know what I mean?

In any event, we got back to Seoul in one piece and have had a kind of shaky start to the new year.  A few funds have been delayed in getting to us, and hopefully all of that will be rectified in short order and we’ll be able to move forward in a few ways we’ve been counting on.

We went to a place in Pangyo this past weekend called Avenue France. For the record, it is completely (and not unexpectedly) inappropriately named as it is neither anything like an Avenue or anything like France.

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At least the “Paradise Pie” a la mode at Tartine was good.

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After we devoured half of it, we realized it should be warm and scraped the remaining ice cream off the top and had the gal nuke it for 90 seconds… Then it was great.

I finished off the weekend this morning with the Super Bowl. Quite a change from last year.

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But whaddya gonna do?

In the meantime, time marches on and the continued quest for satisfaction is underway…

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Happy Time Thanksgiving

Giving thanks

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This will be my eighth Thanksgiving away from the USA; Jenn’s as well.

We both moved to Cayman in 2006, and don’t think (!) we ever went back “home” for Thanksgiving once we got there.

We’ve always missed our families, albeit in different ways.  I’ve had a few chances to call and Skype during the family meal, but Jenn has worked in a British school system for the last few years where the holiday is not observed, so she’s missed out on those chats during her family’s meal. And my mother has frequently taken a photo of us and placed it on the table for us just like we were there.

This year it’s different.  We’re both having trouble grappling with this holiday this year.  Not that we don’t have a lot to be thankful for, but unfortunately we’ve all too aware of what we’re lacking versus what we have.  Which is not really the point of the holiday; and that makes me feel a little more weird…

Like maybe I should snap out of it and be freakin’ happy to be alive and healthy and have a wonderful wife and dog and cat and roof over my head and warm clothes to wear and food to eat… and that there are people out there who don’t have any of that.

But… it’s all relative.  And the fact is that I don’t think we’ve ever felt more alone for Thanksgiving then we do this year.

Away from the family home is one thing…  away from family itself is another… and away from the people who were our adopted family is just plain brutal.

We’re going to a brewpub for Thanksgiving this year.  I’m sure it’ll be nice, but it won’t be Copper Falls in Cayman for the third year with friends we’ve had for over four years, and it won’t be our place in Mystic Retreat where we hosted American Thanksgiving the year before that (where I cooked the turkey accidentally upside down), where even though I’d just been ousted from a job, I was surrounded by loved ones… but really, it certainly won’t be home.

Baby, you’re a firework

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Jenn & I went to the Seoul International Fireworks Festival on Saturday night along with about 5 million other Seoulites.  There were a few different ‘shows’ within the evening… some better than others, but all were pretty amazing.

And Sunday, on our travels, we stumbled on a different set of seemly random fireworks in Pangyo (which we later figured out was part of a foreigner festival).

Quite a difference, no?

Then to cap off the entire Sunday, we visited Craftworks Taphouse in Pangyo.  I highly recommend the Craftworks Burger.

Craftworks Burger: "A big-boy burger! Our flame-grilled beef burger with Cheddar & Pepperjack cheeses, pulled pork, smoky bacon, sauteed onions, roasted bell peppers, and our house-made chipotle mayo, lettuce and tomato."

Craftworks Burger: “A big-boy burger! Our flame-grilled beef burger with Cheddar & Pepperjack cheeses, pulled pork, smoky bacon, sauteed onions, roasted bell peppers, and our house-made chipotle mayo, lettuce and tomato.”

Unlimited Veuve Cliquot is a fantastic thing.

Bubbly Brunch Birthdays

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It was that time of year again… when Jennifer and I celebrate our birthdays.  This year was especially tough in that our old friends and family are halfway around the world.   Not that the friends were are making here in Korea aren’t real friends, they’re just new friends… and the process of building meaningful memories takes time.  Add to that that we’ve discovered that we are sharerers.  We do enjoy celebrating (just the two of us) but we really enjoy sharing with a group of friends.

We decided to buck up and head out and make the most of the weekend.

Friday we met up with Nicole & Pat and a few of their friends at Ttukseom Hangang Resort, which was great fun…

Ttukseom Hangag Resort, Seoul. Panorama

Ttukseom Hangag Resort, Seoul. Panorama

Saturday morning, I started to get an ear infection which was a bit of a hiccup, but we soldiered on and eventually made it to Craftworks Taphouse in Pangyo.  They have an Itaewon branch (natch), but this one was far closer and since my baby loves her some beer, we made it happen.

The best way to share these shots is from Evernote Food, so hit this here and check it out.

Next up… Sunday Bubbly Brunch Day.  We decide to treat ourselves to arguably the best posh hotel brunch in Seoul: Kitchen Restaurant in the W Hotel Walkerhill.  Aside from it being way too short time wise (two seatings, 11am & 1:30pm – and you can’t stick around), the food and experience here is fantastic.  Top notch.  Add to that one of our dear friends in Cayman arranged for this:

Kitchen Restaurant, Seoul complete with view of the Han River and birthday flowers & cake.

Kitchen Restaurant, Seoul complete with view of the Han River and birthday flowers & cake.

Absolutely an amazing gesture and one that we’ll never, ever forget.  It literally brought us to tears.  And it wasn’t because of this:

Unlimited Veuve Clciquot is a fantastic thing.

Unlimited Veuve Clicquot is a fantastic thing.

Well, maybe a little.

The rest of the brunch can be viewed here.