Christmas in Korea

December 25th, 2010.

This is the day that marked the first Christmas that was not spent with my family. The first Christmas that all 5 Prymacks were not celebrating together. I must admit that I do see some satisfaction in the fact that I was the first one to miss a Christmas at home. Not because I wouldn't have preferred to be home with everyone, just because I think that it would have been harder to be home and have one of my other family members absent. Especially since I had long been preparing myself for this since it seemed inevitable with an older brother in the military and a younger brother constantly jet-setting around the world for to fight with swords. For me, it was as though Christmas didn't exist. Korea doesn't celebrate Christmas, so there were scarcely reminders except for the Christmas movies that I watched on my laptop and the Hanson Christmas album that I listened to on my laptop. To be fair, I do both of these things year-round if we are counting Love Actually as a Christmas movie.

My Christmas was celebrated in a way that allows for many a parallel to be found with the way I celebrate at home. And here's why:

1) I ate until I felt sick

2)I drank before noon

3)I was in great company

4)I wore pajamas for most of the day

5)I got to watch my family open their presents thanks, skype!

It was dissimilar also, obviously. And here's how:

1)There was no turkey

2)There were no hugs from my family sad face

3)There was no egg nog

4)I took my friend to a Korean hospital where she was outfitted with a Darth Vader-esque mask for her sweet bronchitis/former smoker's cough

So, as I said, we did not eat turkey. Tragic, though it was, we did manage to eat until we felt sick. Which I always find to be a sign of a job well-done. What we DID do was produce a spectacular college-student-grade feast featuring pasta with chicken and mushroom sauce. This dish was partially produced in a kettle. We also had a salad. We also had more cheese than I would ever advise. And nuts. And fruit. AND OLIVES. So, I was happy. I was even happier since there is photographic evidence of me wearing a Santa beard for the duration. Both as a beard and as a sweet eyebrow-hair statement - an obvious nod to Einstein.

Perhaps the most touching part of all of the festivities was when a song featuring the lyrics 'Christmas in Korea's a new one for me. Trading your sleigh for a Jeep...' came on in the midst of our exchanging of Secret Santa stockings. Le Tear.

Countdown to Christmas 2011 has begun.