A very Lotte Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my followers!  

This is what Christmas time in Korea looks like:

Tree hugging in the Subway Station.

On a tree outside a trendy shop in Seoul.

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A Christmas present from one of our student's  parents. 

Lina Bean!

This is the first Christmas I've spent away from my family. It's a sobering experience, having a holiday be so much like an ordinary day. 

Every year I fight to maintain our family's traditions, yet this year I've participated in none. I didn't send a single Christmas card, I don't have a tree, I didn't watch any Christmas movies, my Bing Crosby quota is not fulfilled, and my presents will all be sent in January.  I feel guilty for checking out but it's probably for the best. If I had been my usual Christmas-geek self the disappointment of a solo Christmas would have been far greater.

That said, I managed to have a rather productive day. I made a visit to Lotte Mart, a Walmart-like store, all on my own. I discovered that large stores in Korea a abrasive to the senses, the grocery section especially. It's really loud both because of the number of people shopping and because of the vendors shouting the specials out to every person who walks by. There are plenty of smells, delicious and ...interesting. Then of course there are the visuals. 

???

Those things are as big as my head.

Pig feet, I think.

I believe that is fresh brewed soy sauce, or maybe fish sauce. 

I couldn't get a good shot of the piles of unwrapped meat. Perhaps on my next shopping trip. 

The big purchase of the day was a toaster oven!

Pineapple cookies! Finding the ingredients was a challenge. The texture isn't right but they taste almost
like Mom made them. 

All in all, it was a good Christmas; those I love are safely tucked in in their respective beds and I made cookies in a foreign country. Next year will be a welcome return to the Christmas I know and love though.