Winter in Korea has not been so bad... I have even come to accept its cold embrace.
Sometimes I arrive at school in the morning with a nose to rival Rudolphās. The skin on my face peels off it is so dry, while my knuckles look like those of an elderly rhinoceros and crack like the pavement.
One freezing night I stood, unprepared clothing wise, in the cold for 15 minutes. I was vainly searching the dark street for a taxi home after shopping at home plus. I finally spotted one, but I was a minute too late as a couple of guys were already approaching it. I was actually afraid of impending frost bite, my toes had left me for someone else and my nose was running a mile. So, I did a very rude thing, pretending not to see the guys I ran straight for the door of the cab and jumped in. My brother, who was with me, was taken aback but followed suit and we drove off while I shouted ģ£ģ”ķ©ėė¤, I'm sorryyyyyy, from the closed window.
This may all sound rather cold, and dastardly, but the reason the cold season hasnāt been so bad is because I was mentally prepared for a wintery death from the moment I departed New Zealand. I read all of the dismal winter horror stories online, I prepared for a gloomy depression and a long period of hibernation. But actually winter has produced a number of stunningly fine days, blue skies and crisp air. In New Zealand, although winters get nowhere near as cold as they do here, there is often an abundance of rain, grey skies and an all permeating gloom.
Another bonus to winter in Korea is the snow, at first anyway. The first day that it snowed while I was at school, we all ran outside, balled each other in the face and made merry with the white stuff. But after a day or two it often gets icy and slippery. There was one day when my co teacher told me that her son fell over four times on his way to school. I wish I could have seen his slippery dance. That is the one good thing the ice provides, a bit of dangerous entertainment. Except for when you are the entertainer, then it can be awkward, and painful.
An additional perk to the cold season is the vast selection of places to ski or snowboard. Many are very close and easily accessible to Seoul. I went to Alpensia resort in Pyongchang where some of the ski jumping events for the 2018 winter Olympics will be held. It was beautiful, snow blanketed the trees, classical music played while you went up the chairlifts, and the taste of fresh snow after falling on ones face provided free refreshment. The slopes werenāt packed like they can be at Phoenix Park and the snow was generally sweet and powdery.
Ice skating was a first for me in Seoul. It was free and very busy on the day my friend and I went. Little show offs whizzed past me while I attempted to skate/hobbled around the rink. Iām afraid I was so cautious that it proved not to be overly exciting. I kept having thoughts of sharp blades and blood on the ice.
The final dash of excitement for me about winter in Korea is the food. Soondubu jigae, ģėė¶ģ°ź°, has become a warming favorite. It is a hot, spicy stew made with soft tofu, vegetables, and seafood. Often a raw egg is cracked into the steaming broth, which is served with warm white rice and several side dishes. Kimchi jigae, ź¹ģ¹ģ°ź°, is another winter friend, along with an assortment of different juks, (rice porridges). There are so many delicious hot dishes to warm you up and to comfort a cold stomach.
So, Iām glad I prepared for the worst; it has enabled me to able to embrace the dreaded Korean winter, fully clothed of course.
baratheonpilled
andulkaphoto
snowghoul
turnnoffyourmind
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