Songtan - The Guide Hog

Just down the hill from my sister’s house in Korea sits a nondescript hole-in-the-wall restaurant. I can’t even tell you what’s it’s called. What I can tell you is that the food is delicious!

Britt’s buddy Oliver – aka Slim (all the pilots have call signs) – is stationed here unaccompanied, but his wife, Heather, was in town for the week, so they joined us for dinner Sunday night. Nobody working at the restaurant spoke English, much less offered English-language menus.

Slim confidently ordered, “Two beef, one pork,” which turned out to be lots of small beef steaks and several pieces of thick bacon plopped on the grills built in to our tables. The waitress piled up the perimeter with small dishes of kimchi, salads, lettuce leaves, sauces, whole garlic, glass noodles, pickled veggies, rice, soups and a breaded schnitzel-esque meat.

After the meat cooked, we rolled it up in lettuce leaves with random selections from the smorgasbord. Yum!

I forgot my camera, so I commandeered Slim’s iPhone to document the evening.

We kicked off the meal with a little glass of soju, the ubiquitous Korean rice wine, but I quickly switched to beer.

Britt pouring the local beer, Cass.

Scissors for cutting the meat.

Megan, Heather and me (before and after Meg dropped her kimchi).

When I told people we were heading to Korea for the semester break, well-wishers told us which sights to see, what food to eat, where to find the best skiing, how to get around on public transportation and so on. I smiled, nodded and thanked everyone for their tips. But there was really only one attraction for me:

I am absolutely smitten with my third nephew, 15-month-old William. He is the son of my sister Megan and her husband Britt, who is stationed at Osan Air Force Base, about an hour south of Seoul. Our three-week winter holiday gave us the opportunity to spend Christmas with them. We’ve been here a week and done a couple touristy things, but I’m more than content to hang around the house with my little lovebug.

When I hear his babbling in the morning, I race to be the one who gets him out of bed. I say, “Good morning, William!” and he says, “Sha Sha.” Can there be a better way to start my day? We let Mommy sleep a bit longer while we eat breakfast and play.

Will’s enthusiasm for life is contagious. He loves to play with balls. In fact, “ball” was his first word, and he says it with a deep reverent voice. Baaaall. His grandparents bought him a mini ball pit, where he rolls around, giggling and tossing the balls in the air. He also loves cars and frequently has one gripped in his little hand, even when he eats (thus, many of his cars experience cheese-related axle problems). Vehicles shooting down his car ramp trigger an excited “Ooooooh!” and lots of clapping.

Another favorite toy is an activity center on a round stand. He smacks one of the buttons to start the music and then marches around the circle in a wiggly dance, slapping a button with each pass to keep the tunes playing. He gets a kick out of it if the grown-ups join in. As a teacher and avid reader, I know that strong reading habits start early. That’s why I’m so thrilled to see William independently choose books over other distractions. Often he pulls books off the shelf and flips through them alone. Other times, he will stop whatever he’s doing, pad into his bedroom and emerge with a book. He’ll hold the book up to me and then plop down in my lap to read. A Christmas gift that we’ve read over and over is Honk, Honk, Beep, Beep (which is so cute that I just ordered it for nephew #5, due in April to my brother Mike and his wife Summer).

Although the weather has been bitterly cold, we all bundle up for long walks through the neighborhood and downtown Songtan, a strip of shops, restaurants and bars aimed at the American community based here. Meg, Britt and Will live on the top of a VERY steep hill, so she actually tethers the stroller to herself when we walk down. We also pop over to the Air Force base to exercise. Meg, Will and I hang out at the Parent & Baby fitness center while Tony and Britt hit the gym.

Christmas morning was a low-key affair. We all had a few presents to open, but Tony and I were mostly excited to give Will his new car ramp, which has provided countless hours of entertainment. My mom sent another surprisingly engaging “toy” – a wooden spoon and small pot filled with red tinsel. William has cooked lots of “spaghetti” in the last few days.

My best Christmas present? Time with my little man. I haven’t seen him since July, and I won’t see him again until next summer. Every day with him is a wonderful gift.

Getting ready for a walk (in front of their apartment).