Seoul, Korea ∙ Arrival

Why Korea? The first reason was to attend the graduation of our friends, Curtis and Kathleen, from the School of Kingdom Evangelizers (SKE). The second reason was to explore the city of Seoul. And the third reason was...why not?!

I love the description of Seoul from our guidebook:

An intoxicating cocktail of high-rise buildings and people-thronged streets, all ringing with commerce, the Korean capital, Seoul (서울), is a veritable assault on the senses. Even small streets find themselves alive with frenzied activity by day and searing neon after sunset, while eardrums are set pounding by clamouring shop assistants and the night-time thump of a thousand karaoke rooms. Restaurants serving Korea’s delectably spicy national dishes lure you in with their amazing aromas and tastes while doing minimal damage to your figure (or wallet)... The city’s open-all-hours culture gives it an almost unmatched vitality, and the temptation to throw yourself in at the deep end is almost impossible to resist.

—The Rough Guide to Korea

All true, but we'll get to that later!

We were expecting to be met at the Incheon International Airport by Neal, a brother we had never met, nor seen (left). As we walked thought the doors from customs, we saw the smiling face of our good friend Kathleen (center). Also arriving were brothers from Canada (Curtis is behind the camera).

Once everyone was accounted for, we all piled into a van and drove to a local brother's restaurant, over an hour from the airport. It was nearly 10 p.m.—Aaron and I were long past starving and ready for bed. But the delicious smells and tastes awakened our senses long enough to fill our bellies and put smiles on our faces. We got to visit with Neal a bit and met two of his friends.

The meal was delicious and a lovely introduction to the fine cuisine of Korea.

The next morning, Aaron and I decided to leave the safety of our hotel room and explore the neighborhood. Our hotel was located in the city of Gimpo which borders Incheon. This location was chosen because of its close proximity to the Gimpo Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

After walking only a short distance it began to snow. We found out later that it was the first snow of the season for Seoul. It was our first snow in seven years.

Before our trip, I had to order hats, scarves and gloves online. I asked Aaron if he wanted a hat. He did not. As we walked along, snow falling, his ears began to ache and he changed his mind. We popped into an accessories shop and purchased a hat and earmuffs.

That was an experience, in and of itself. The lady of the shop spoke no English. Beyond greetings, we spoke no Korean. The conversation went something like this: We would ask a question in English. She would rattle of something in Korean. We would both laugh and try again. In the end it boiled down to some hand gestures. It was a very comical scene but with our purchases made, she walked us to the door smiling and waving goodbye.

We found a lovely little spot for lunch. Deliciously warm soup and free wifi!

We enjoyed the snow as we walked back to our hotel to prepare for the evening's events.