First Sunday in Seoul

Sunday the 21st was my first Sunday in Korea. It was strange not being able to easily drive to my parish in Tulsa with no hassle and go to church with my family. But luckily for me, my friend Amy from TU is in Korea this summer visiting family and she was able to meet me for mass on Sunday! Amy and her aunt kindly met me at my hotel and we took at taxi to Myeongdong Cathedral for their 9 am English mass!

It was a beautiful morning. The sky was bright and clear and it wasn't hot yet because it was early. Even though I was far away from Tulsa I felt completely at home in the Cathedral. I love the way Catholic churches are the same all over the world. The liturgy is the same, the readings are the same, the prayers are the same, the Eucharist is the same. I was united with all of my family and friends through the Eucharist and felt such peace all throughout mass. Even just walking towards the Cathedral made me feel at home as I walked towards Christ in the tabernacle, and Christ in his people, the Church. 

The church is up on a hill, so it rises above you and sits alone on the skyline. Beautiful!

Inside, looking down the nave, after mass.

Amy and I, pumped after mass in Korea!

After mass we went to have an early lunch of Seolleongtang, which is ox bone soup made with bone broth, rice, meat, and green onions. It tastes like something your mom would cook for you if you were feeling under the weather- comfort food. It's very good. After lunch we walked around and looked at shops.

Early lunch

We love Kimchi. <3

Lookin' good Lee Min-ho

Haha Hyun Bin

You've gotta have dessert to celebrate the Lord's day, right? Amy and I went to a "Well Made Dessert Cafe" and got an Oreo Ice Cream Waffle which came with free coffee. So. Good. Waffles are big here. Street waffles, breakfast waffles, and dessert waffles. My mom would love it, she loves waffles. 

Waiting on our waffle.

LOOK AT IT- Oreos, oreo ice cream, chocolate sauce, and hey why not stick two pirouette cookies on there too?

The aftermath...We couldn't finish it. Notice how my side is more finished than Amy's haha.

Unfortunately I didn't eat these delicacies, but aren't they cute!? I saw them in a cafe window and had to take a picture. Okay, even though Totoro (the character/pastry on the far right) is a Japanese character from Studio Ghibli, he's EVERYWHERE in Korea! I see plushies, phone cases, pouches, and keychains in tons of shops. Which makes me want to buy all of them. I love Totoro...

After some more walking in the humidity and heat and shopping we got bubble tea. Because when you're with Amy Chang in Korea might as well live it up. :)

Isn't she too cute?!

Amy brought me back to my hotel and then we joined a few people from my group to go see Seoul's Embassy Day. All the embassies had tents around a huge grassy area displaying food, arts, and other things from their respective cultures. It was pretty cool but extremely hot. I was using my umbrella as a sun shield. I do that a lot here. A couple of K-pop groups made an appearance (not to sing, just for pictures) but I didn't know them. They were VIXX and Apink. A girl in my program was really disappointed when she heard I saw Apink, she's a fan. 

In front of a statue of King Sejong the Great!

The views here are breathtaking. I love the mountains.

Amy had to head back to her aunt's home while we were still at the Embassy day, so we said goodbye and parted ways. It was so wonderful to see her though. She is one of my very good friends whom I love dearly, so I always enjoy hanging out with her, but getting the opportunity to hang out in Korea was such a blessing. It was so relaxing and nice to spend some time with someone close to me after having spent so much time with strangers and new friends. And besides that, Amy, being Korean, and I, being a lover of Korean culture, have always bonded over Korean things- so being in Korea together was a dream come true for me. I love you, Amy!

That night I had mandu (dumpling) soup for dinner, while my friends had samgyeopsal (pork belly).

After dinner we walked around Insadong and heard some amazing street performers. There was a girl singing and a man on guitar accompanying her. She sang a beautiful acoustic rendition of 2ne1's "Lonely." I was majorly impressed.

During one of the girl's songs a family sent their little boy up with some won to drop in the guitar case, but the little boy didn't understand what to do. He walked up to the man playing guitar and held the money out to him. Of course the man kept playing guitar since it was the middle of the song and the little boy who was probably around two and a half or three became increasingly frustrated, hopping and shoving his money at the man while on his tiptoes, before finally running away into the arms of his laughing mother. It was so cute. :)