catching up with november

much like the months that preceded it, november came and went faster than an ajumma trying to get a seat on the metro. besides teaching, marginally improving my korean, and settling into my winter habits of wearing a blanket as a second skin and semi-hibernating, here are some things that happened.

i went back to bosu-dong bookstore alley. it is probably one of my favorite parts of the city. it is wonderful to be surrounded by books, and to spend time in an area that has so much history and feels warm. the shopkeepers are amazing. one of them took the time to lead us up some stairs to a second floor that was all book storage. i would have loved to have taken a picture, but there was obviously limited elbow room. it was fantastic: imagine ceiling-high stacks of books, side by side and taking up virtually all the space on the floor.

one curious thing i’ve noticed is that le petit prince is revered here. in fact, everything francophone and france-related is seen as super fancy and special. case in point: every dozen blocks you will be likely met by a french-style bakery called paris baguette or tous les jours. that being said, i have yet to encounter a francophone here.

after a long summer, autumn swept in and painted all the trees beautiful yellows and reds. it has been very nice taking in the autumn foliage, especially since there is so little of it to be seen in the central urban areas. the mountains, however, are another story, of course.

mid-november signalled the beginning of holiday decorations and general festivity. mostly decorations, though. i’m not sure how many koreans actually celebrate christmas, but they sure love all the imagery and bells and whistles that the retail season heralds. so really, things are just like back home in that respect.

i am preparing to spend my first-ever christmas away from my family, which i am none too happy about. but, until teleportation is invented and properly marketed, that’s how it’ll be. so far, december has been cold and dreary, as usual, but it also brings with it the close of the year, which i am eagerly awaiting. it’ll be amazing to welcome the new year from this new place.