Immediately after school got out, I hailed a cab and headed for Hwangseong-dong, where I had arranged to meet my friend Kristin at the Tous le Jours bakery (gotta love French bakeries in Korea). Imagine my surprise when the cab driver turned out to be that same wonderful guy who rescued me from downtown when I twisted my ankle a few weeks ago! He remembered me, too, so we had a friendly chat on the way to Hwangseong-dong.
Kristin was waiting for me, along with her boss, Kate, and her husband Park. Park drove us all to Bomun in his very comfortable car, which was a nice change from taxis. Bomun is the breath-takingly gorgeous resort section of Gyeongju. At present, it looks like a magical fairyland, owing to the thousands of cherry trees that are in full bloom. Tonight was the Cherry Blossom Concert, a free event that Kristin and I thought sounded like fun.
The concert was held in the elegant ballroom of the Concorde, a resort. I felt a bit under-dressed in my jeans, but no one seemed to notice or mind. There were a few choirs, as well as a world-renowned Korean singer who recently entertained at the White House. The music was amazing. Never mind that I couldn't understand the words, somehow that made it even more ethereal for me. The singer performed "Grenada" with more gusto than I have seen even in Mexico. He even did "My Way," formerly made famous by Sinatra. Pastor Baek was performing as well tonight (he plays the guitar really well and has a terrific singing voice), and he and the famous singer did a duet rendition of "Edelweiss" at the very end of the concert. It was so lovely, I nearly cried.
Then, following the established tradition of Koreans to provide food at every opportunity, we were served tea and huge, delicious slices of buttery cake with chocolate-covered plantains and a little tubular pastry. I have never before lived anywhere where people fed me as much as they do here! After we finished our treats, Pastor Baek came down to chat with us. He is the neatest, friendliest, funniest guy! He and I joked about eating spiders (in reference to his recent trip to Cambodia).
On the way home, Kristin and I entertained our Korean friends by performing the "Kickin' It in Geumchon" song, which has been stuck in both of our heads all day long. I think we're just going to have to make it the anthem for us ex-pats, since it so perfectly expresses much of our experiences! Upon learning that I had not eaten dinner, Kristin's boss gave me a roll of kimbap, which I delightedly devoured after they dropped me off back at my apartment.
Honestly, I don't think I can ever live in the US again! Korea has spoiled me!
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