Winter's First Snow

Saturday, December 5 saw Chungju's first snow for the winter. I commented to Brandon and Andy that night that it was my first real snow in a place where I've lived. I've seen snow before, once in Colorado and on the ground in North Carolina, but I've only experienced it where I've lived one other time--when I was too young to crawl, which doesn't really count! Being from the south does have its disadvantages. As I had headed out of my apartment that morning to do some shopping, I was so shocked at the whiteness coming from the sky. "It's snowing!" I had shouted. "Oh my gosh!" I went on like that for several minutes, gawking through the window at the sheer beauty. Brandon only smiled broadly at me. "I heard you actually," he confessed. I must have been quite loud, then: He was up one whole flight of stairs on the seventh floor!

That afternoon, I hung out with a Korean teacher-friend, Pam, and her friend. They took me on a scenic drive and ended up at a beautiful, elegantly modern restaurant called Solvang, just across the street from the Chungju Dam. It was snowing off and on as we drove and I was instantly amazed at how effortless the ride was. "It's snowing," I kept thinking. "Shouldn't you--like--not be driving?!" In San Antonio, of course, the city would be shut down for days if it even got a light dusting of snow. But things seem to go on here as normal. I kept remarking at the beauty of snow-covered scenery as my Korean friends chuckled to themselves. I feel as if snow turns almost anything into something elegant; the ride itself was magical for just that reason. Later that night, my Austrialian friend Rowina commented on something similar. It was her first snow, too, and she and her boyfriend gawked at the sight as the locals surrounding them shook their heads.

The restaurant itself was beautiful. David took me to it for a cup of tea last weekend and I thought it enchanting then, too. It was more so this time: The veranda that wraps around the front was enveloped in 1-2 inches of snow that seemed to sharpen and enhance the most mundane decorations; tell-tell footprints were noticable on its wooden planks. We couldn't get a window seat, but the view from where we sat was equally as stunning. I could see the serene lake and surrounding hills blanketed with very fine white powder. As we sat inside, we could see the flurries rain down even heavier. It all felt so peaceful, inviting, and warm from where I sat lounging on a cozy, overstuffed couch. The only thing needed to improve the scene would have been a steaming cup of tea.

The night was as special as the day. Our expatriot friends put together a Thanksgiving feast rivaling any I've experienced back home. Not only was there twice as much food as people in attendance, there were tastes from many different regions. We had kimchi jun, which is a Korean-style pancake, kimchi- and kogi-mandu, apple pie from Chungju apples, pie made from Texas pecans (by yours truly), humus, Belgian chocolate, vanilla ice cream, and various fruits and veggies--to name a few selections. Nationalities were quite diverse as well. We had people from Australia, New Zealand, Korea (of course), a woman from China, and a guy from Canada all celebrating the American tradition with us. My New Zealand friend suggested that it felt more like Christmas than Thanksgiving and I had to agree with her, due to the recent snowfall. It was wonderful! The evening itself was enjoyable, if for nothing else than the company of familiar faces. As one of the attendees commented through Facebook, "Old friends, new friends... I could not be more excited!"