My husband reminded me this morning that it is our wedding anniversary today. We were married in June 2003 in the Philippines in a civil ceremony but we had a Korean wedding ceremony in May 2004. It wasn’t our idea, we didn’t want to have a wedding party but the parents-in-law were worried of what the people might say if we didn’t have one. Anyway, it wasn’t a lot of trouble. They planned everything and we just had to be there. One thing I regret though, I was at my fattest self on my wedding day. I didn’t know about Phentermine that time.
On our wedding day, my then four-year old niece Isabel was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an extracranial solid cancer according to Wikipedia. She had undergone several surgeries, chemotheraphy, radiation therapy and even stem cell transplantation. She is eight years old now and so full of life. She sings well and when you talk to her, you would think she’s older than her biological age — not sure if that’s really a good thing.
If you have seen the Korean romance-comedy drama “The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince”, they this place should be familiar. I went there last Friday afternoon with some friends (and my son) after eating Chinese food at Yeonhui-dong. The place wasn’t difficult to find. We took the taxi and asked to be taken to Sanullim Theater. Oh well, it isn’t really far from where we had lunch.
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince is one of the most popular Korean dramas last year. It even earned its female lead, Yoon Eun Hye, the best actress trophy in this year’s Baeksang Awards. She and Gong Yoo also gained more CF because of the popularity of this drama.
We were excited when we got to the place, a two-storey building. The second floor is not open to customers though. The first thing you’ll notice is the raw finish. Some may like it (I did) and others may not. The walls are autographed by the stars, the staff and fans who visit the place. My friends even signed on the board near our table. The counter has espresso machines and lotsa other things that I really didn’t notice.
I was shocked by the prices of the coffee! I don’t even go to Starbucks since I don’t really like fancy coffee. I like mine black with a hint of brown sugar. My friend ordered an ice caffe mocha for me. My son tried it and liked it. That was his first coffee.
The shop wasn’t full when we were there. There were less than twenty customers that time. Two were Japanese, three Chinese, three Pinoys and the rest were Koreans. Most took pictures. I don’t believe people go there for the coffee…
The staff was really nice. IMO, customer service in Korea is topnotch!They played the drama’s OST and that made my friends really “kilig”. They said it was a surreal experience and I’m glad they enjoyed it.
As mentioned earlier, May 5th is a national non-working holiday here in Korea for the Children’s Day celebration. Today, May 8th is celebrated as Parents’ Day or 어버이 날 (eo-beo-i nal). However, today is not a red-marked day on the calendar.
Filial piety is an important virtue in Korea. This is one of the things we (as Pinoys) have in common with Koreans. Love and respect for parents and ancestors is cultivated from youth. I remember reading that during the Choseon dynasty (1392-1910), being disrespectful of parents or ancestors is punishable by law.
In today’s tradition, carnation (the flower) is offered to parents. Gifts also show how much they are appreciated. It doesn’t matter how cheap or expensive it is because it’s the thought that counts (really?). I might just give my parents-in-law custom pens, but I think they might appreciate our time more than anything else. We visited them last weekend, and my husband is hinting that we visit them again this weekend.
My friends and I were talking about the Beijing Olympics the other day. I told them how seriously addicted the Koreans are to their national soccer team. I remember my husband waking up at 3 o’clock in the morning to watch the team play during the Athens Olympics. I thought we were the only ones awake at that ungodly hour! When the team scored a goal, I heard cheers all over the apartment complex.
I wasn’t much of a soccer fan before I came here. I’m a BIG basketball and tennis fan. I really loved watching tennis games since the 1980s when Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf were lording over every tournament they attend. My eldest brother is a tennis fan too! Every Sunday, he would bring his Wilson tennis racquets and teach his co-workers at the Angeles Electric Corporation for free! I remember him asking my sister to send him New Balance tennis shoes in particular since he thought they were the best. He offered tennis lessons for free when he was in the Philippines but he never got to teach his youngest sister
I think one of my frustrations is never learning to play tennis. I thought it’s a really sophisticated sports. I love seeing the players in their full tennis gear. I would’ve loved to see myself in the same attire. In fact, I’m planning to enrol in a program in the fall. I would love to get my hands on the best head racquets (I could afford). This is in the list of my “to-do” things before I die! My husband had joined a marathon, bungee jumped and had traveled to the Saharan desert. Me? I just want to learn how to play tennis (like Steffi Graf).
Two Sundays ago (April 27) we took an hour and a half drive to Asan, a city in the province of south Chuncheong. We went there for the birthday festival of one of Korea’s national heroes, Yi Sun Shin (or Lee Sun Shin/Yi Soon Shin). It was I who suggested to go there as I haven’t been to the place and I’d seen the drama The Immortal Yi Sun Shin.
Yi Sun Shin has a god-like status in the country. If you could read the novel or watch the drama on his life, you would understand why. His statue dominates over one of Seoul’s busiest streets, Gwanghamun. There is also one street in Seoul, Chungmu-ro, named after his title of Chungmugong or Martial Lord of Loyalty. Sadly, he’s not well known outside East Asia (or I never knew him until I saw The Immortal Yi Sun Shin). I admit, I admired the man too after watching all those films and reading more about him. I bought my son a shirt with the number 23 at the back. It isn’t for Michael Jordan, but for the 23 battles the Admiral fought and won.
Yi Sun Shin was loyal to his country till the end, no matter how many times he was “betrayed” by the ruling class during his lifetime. He believed in social justice yet he also dedicated his life to the king. In the end, he got what he wished for… He died in a battle like a dignified soldier and spared his king the guilt and shame of putting a loyal warrior to death. The king, at that time, mistakenly believed that Yi Sun Shin was a threat to his existence.
In Asan, we went to Hyeonchungsa, a shrine built in the 1700s and dedicated to the war hero. Entrance fee is 500 won. The walk from the main gate to the main shrine is more than 400 meters. You’ll see two ponds to the left at about 50 meters from the gate.
At about 300 meters from the gate is Yi Sun Shin’s house. My husband said it is simple and small considering the Admiral’s status. He came from a Yangban (noble) family and his grandfather was a member of the King’s court. There’s the archery range at the right side of the house and further is Yi Myeon’s grave, the Admiral’s son who was killed fighting off the Japanese. I met two old men under the gingko trees at the archery range. They were Korean war veterans and told me that they lived in the Philippines for more than a decade, training at Clark Air Base. They spoke English well and were very nice.
We celebrated Children’s Day here in Korea yesterday, May 5th. It’s a yearly celebration that started in 1923. I believe ALL parks were busy yesterday. We tried to go to Uirimji (a lake) in my husband’s hometown but we couldn’t find a parking spot so we just had lunch at a Korean restaurant and then traveled back to Seoul. What usually is a three-hour drive turned to a six-hour slow ride!
As a mother, I think that everyday should be Children’s Day. (And like Oprah) I advocate safety for our kids. I’m a stay-at-home mom now but I’ll be going back to work early next year. One of my worries is finding someone to take care of my son. However, hiring a private a nanny is almost impossible. I’d rather have a relative stay with him while we’re away (or else buy a nanny camera). I have a nephew who had a not-so-pleasant experience with three nannies! I just don’t want my son to experience the same.
At our place there are a few daycare centers, also called “children’s house”. Most, if not all, of them have a nanny camera installed. Parents can log-on to the internet and see what’s going on at the center. If I were working in one of those places, I wouldn’t feel at ease knowing that my every move would be subject to scrutiny by the kids’ parents. Though as a mother, it will give me a peace of mind to see how things are going on with my child while I’m away. If you’re using a nanny camera, should you tell your nanny that you have one?
Like I said in my previous post, we ate Koreanized Chinese food for lunch today. I planned to do a Coffee Prince-inspired tour for my friends today. I thought of bringing them to the Chinese restaurant where Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo’s characters ate “tang-su-yuk” or sweet and sour pork. The place is called “San-dong-su-gyo-dae-wang” or “Chinese Dumpling King.” It is located on a street more popularly known as “Yeonhee-dong mat gil” or “Yeonhee-dong’s Street of Flavors”, for the many restaurants located in the area.
We reached the place at 3:15PM and found it closed! They are close from 3-5 PM on weekdays. We were a bit disappointed but not totally disheartened We just took pictures outside and moved on. I have a not-so-nice picture of the exterior. I was carrying my son and trying to avoid the traffic.
We walked some more and found another Chinese restaurant. It’s called “Jin Bo” and has a very nice interior. I was “famished” that I didn’t bother to take pictures inside! We ordered four “sam seon jjajang myeon” (5,000 won each) and “tang-su-yuk” or sweet&sour pork (small for 14,000 won). They didn’t offer water but a fragrant jasmine tea. After lunch (a late one!), we took the taxi to the 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. I’ll blog about this later… we have a three-day weekend and we’re going camping!
and asked to be taken to Sanullim Theater. Oh well, it isn’t really far from where we had lunch.
