Parental visit!!!!

I am extraordinarily lucky in many ways, and they all stem from having won the random lottery of life and coming into the world with magnificent parents. This was proven, once again, when said awesome parental units flew around the world to spend ten days checking out my newest home!

My parents arrived in Seoul on Thursday night. I was teaching Friday, but the new principal and vice principal at my school generously allowed me to leave after teaching, which is noon. They really didn't have to and they don't even know me, so it was extremely generous.

I met up with my parents Friday afternoon, after they had already done their first tour of a big palace in Seoul. It was unbelievable to see them! I took them to Myeongdong, a nice shopping area and we browsed and snacked.

The next day we went on a full day trip of the DMZ. I'm not particularly interesting in military stuff, but it was quite an experience. I don't like the situation one bit. Technically we did stand on North Korean soil which is neat I guess, but the whole day made me quite uncomfortable. It makes me sick imagining my sweet coworkers fighting in a war, and it also makes me sick thinking of the living situations of North Koreans. But either way, here are some photos!

I wasn't sure at first if the South Korean
soldiers were human because they were
so still.

The blue buildings are where meetings are held
between the North and South. Behind them is North
Korea.

North Korean soldier watching us watching him.

The armistice that ended-but-didn't-end
the war.

I agree.

We had terrible visibility, but this is North Korea.

Pretty good looking family. Missing the handsome
son of course!

Of course, even at the DMZ Korea needs to
add a little bit of cute. The beautiful blond
is my lovely mother!

Cool brushes in Insa-dong, another shopping district
with traditional stuffff.

After much shopping in Seoul, it was time to come back to Gyeongju.

It was pouring pouring rain when we arrived, and I didn't know the exactly location of my parents' guest house, but we found it. I had to work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but again my school was awesome and let me leave at lunch! Monday my parents came to school which was unbelievably cute. When I brought them up to the fourth grade a pack of adorableness followed us around in the hallway. One girl even made us each bracelets and wrote us all our own letter. My parents agreed that my school is fantastic!

I took them around to many lovely sights of Gyeongju, including Anapji Pond, Cheomsomdae, Bulguksa and Seokoram. Except for the latter, each site has already had a post in this blog!

On Thursday, my four day weekend began. We took a bus to a nearby city called Jinju. Here there was a lantern festival. The lanterns were gorgeous, and my favourite part was making our own "wish lanterns" which we later placed into the lake to float away bearing a candle inside.

However - the crowd was simply unbelievable. It was a holiday, so every person in Korea seems to have been at this festival. We were at one point carried along in a flock of humans so dense there was no choice but to go with the flow or be trampled.

Nonetheless, the lanterns were truly spectacular. There was a river with large floating lanterns over it, and an ancient fort full of lantern people, and beautiful fireworks to end the evening.

There was an international lantern section. Canada had
a pretty awesome representation!

Canada in Korea!

I haven't been surprised by Korean food for a while,
but these cephalopods seemed especially gristly.

Wish lanterns floating down the river.

Wish lanterns chilling. 

All my parents' wishes were for other people. I felt
like quite the self centered millennial when I realized
the majority of mine were for me. Oops.

The final destination  of out trip was beautiful Busan, the second biggest city in Korea. Normally when I visit, I catch a train that takes me directly to the biggest beach there called Haeundae. However, there is another beach closer to the city center called Gwangalli beach. I chose this for our hotel location because prices were insanely reduced. Turns out the second biggest beach was absolutely lovely and we had a gorgeous spot near a gorgeous beach.

In Busan I took my parents to the temple by the sea (Yonggungsa Temple, also had it's own blog post this summer), a big fish market (so different from the one in Tokyo! Instead of tuna there were flatfish, hagfish, penisfish, and giant crabs!), to the beaches and shopping. I love Busan and it was a beautiful way to end out trip.

Daddy at the beach!

I love Korea's cartoon mascots.

This store seems able to meet all of your
ceramic animal statue needs!

Swanky hotel!

Cool graffiti.  

Saying goodbye is always hard, but it was made easier given the it is official: I am coming home for Christmas. So to all my true friends who read my blog, see you SOON!

Mom and Dad, I can't thank you enough for coming to see me and my new life. I love you so much and am eternally grateful for your love too!