메리 크리스마스!

Merry Christmas!!

It's already the morning of the 26th here, which means I am at the office, still full from all the Mexican food I devoured very late at night last night.

For some reason, I thought that perhaps Christmas day would feel more Christmassy ... but it didn't. The forecast called for the possibility of snow last night, for which I was pretty dang excited, but no snow. Boooo.

Still, if one looks, one can see signs of Christmas in Korea. It's odd because stores and restaurants are all open Christmas Eve and Christmas, and it doesn't feel any different from any other days. I realized how much emphasis Americans place on Christmas- usually, when walking into a restaurant near Christmastime, Americans will greet customers will "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" or something of that nature. Koreans are the same. Some of them are wearing Santa hats or antlers, but their behavior and demeanor are exactly the same.

Anyway, despite it all, I sought out and found sparkly lights (though someone ought to tell Koreans that proper Christmas trees shouldn't be purple!) and some Christmas spirit. Along with Arctic weather.

Though I'm still a little sad that I'm not with my family, I wasn't as disconsolate and inconsolable as I thought I would be (frankly, I thought I would be a blubbering mess!), even if I did get a little teary-eyed when I FaceTimed with my family on Christmas Day (Korean time). 

I'm fighting to stay healthy and not succumb to the tickle in my throat, which is proving tough, what with the weather and all (high of 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the next week, ugh). 

Regardless, merry, merry Christmas!!