Sleepover With My Korean Host Sisters During Korea's Foundation Day!

My adorable sister Seo Yeon, whose cuteness, adorableness, and mannerisms remind me so much of Emily.

Thanks to Korea's Foundation Day, we have a three-day weekend to do as we please! I made plans to see the Kim Family and spend some quality time with my first host parents and sisters. Unfortunately, my parents were headed to a couples retreat with their church so I was not able to spend time with them. However, yesterday, Friday, I met up with my sisters at the basement of Lotte Department Store and, from there, proceeded to do some "eye shopping," wandering arm-in-arm through throngs of people enjoying the Busan International Film Festival (or BIFF, for short), looking for a place to eat lunch, and finding it at a second-floor niche called Mom's Touch somewhere in Nampo-dong.

MOM'S TOUCH CHICKEN BURGER REVELATION
Immediately, I saw a fast-food counter, and fries and burgers on the overhead menu. My sisters assured me that I would love the chicken burger - which did sound good from the description. I sat down completely unprepared for this chicken thigh burger to blow my mind. It was so delicious! I couldn't believe how whole, full, real, and scrumptious the chicken tasted. I have grown accustomed to mediocre meals, especially at fast-food joints, but this experience was worth a mini review. Mini review done.

KOREAN PATBINGSU VS FILIPINO HALO-HALO

After that, Seo Yeon, Ju Hyeon and I walked around some more holding hands and making me remember what it feels like to have sisters again. We had some strawberry patbingsu for dessert at Cafe Benne (which they pronounce as Cafe Beh-neh, and not "Bean," which I thought was the correct pronunciation. If they are right, then everything I know about the world has now effectively been thrown into question).

I discovered that Seo Yeon does not like red bean, and was all too glad to eat the red bean portions of the patbingsu. For the record, though this patbingsu was delicious, it has nothing on the Filipino halo-halo, and especially Mama's Filipino halo-halo.

As you can see from the pictures, there is absolutely no comparison!

Shy Seo Yeon. We were waiting for Ju Hyeon to bring up our order of patbingsu from the first floor of Cafe Bene

View of the other stores crowding all along Nampo

My beautiful sisters!

SISTERS BEING SISTERS IN A CANDY STORE
After dessert, we went inside a store selling foreign candies and other goodies. I bought a few items for my sisters, whose looks told me they would take every item home with them if they could. Seo Yeon was so excited about everything and asked Ju Hyeon if she could buy this or that. Ju Hyeon, being the responsible older sister, would peek into the waller their mother had given her charge of and, with a grim face, solemnly shake her head, telling an increasingly sad-faced Seo Yeon, No. Another bag of gummy bears or mint chocolates was not in the budget.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry upon seeing this mostly-silent exchange between the sisters. I grabbed the packages and plopped them down on the counter before either one of them could object (because they are fond of objecting). They were both so happy that it made my heart glad!

I am not usually one to spoil the younger generations, but this was a rare occasion.

I wish the occasion wasn't so rare though. I am missing my sisters from home and can only hope to show them love and care through what I do for my sisters here in Korea.

SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT LIP TINT

After this, we went inside tens of cosmetic stores looking for the perfect lip tint. Seo Yeon and Ju Hyeon have flawless, porcelain skin, so they were not interested in powders or foundations, blushes or bronzers. For extra special occasions, such as days when they're not in school, they will tint their lips and put on circle contact lenses.

 

WATCHING BEGIN AGAIN AT LOTTE CINEMA

We went to Lotte Cinema and watched Begin Again with Keira Knightly. This was not necessarily my cinematic cup of tea, but seeing as how the last movie we saw (a thriller set on a hijacked airplane) practically scarred poor Seo Yeon, I remained quiet as they chose the movie. Like the burger place, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this movie! I left the theater wanting to write music, play an instrument, and sing, sing, sing!

DRINKING BUBBLE TEA RUSSEL'S TREAT
We met up with Russel around 10 p.m. and, half-asleep, sipped on bubble tea that he insisted on treating the girls to. They are usually very shy, but their shyness slowly melted because of his easy humor.

We took the bus home, and the girls ordered chicken(!) for more movie-watching. I was practically asleep on the living room floor so I warned the girls that I might not be able to stay awake through the whole movie, and I was so full from our various meals, desserts, and snackings that I also objected to having any part of the chicken.

ORDERING A MIDNIGHT SNACK OF CHICKEN
However, when the girls opened the lid containing the freshly-delivered chicken, all of my protestations melted into nothingness. I dove right in, rekindling my life-long love affair with chicken.

WATCHING RATATOUILLE UNTIL 3 IN THE MORNING
The girls settled on watching the 2007 animated film Ratatouille, which I was sure I was going to have to endure for the girls' sake. However, at three in the morning, I was the only one still awake, inspired to cook up magic in the kitchen, and chuckling to myself in the dark living room - the girls having long fallen asleep on various uncomfortable-looking positions around me.

I woke up first and relished in the quiet of my first home here in Korea. I have grown to love my second home, but often think of this place and this family and the love they showed me all of last year and even until now. It feels incredible to be reconnected.

Seo Yeon told me last night that Mom was so pleased with the photo album I gave them as a gift that she can often be seen flipping through the book, admiring each image page by page, and sighing over what a talented photographer and awesome daughter I am. [Insert happy sigh and what remains of my melting heart here].