This year is the first time we celebrated Christmas in Korea, we usually celebrate Christmas overseas or in the air, what I mean in the plane while traveling to our destination.  We didn’t travel this holiday because we are leaving Korea soon and we are planning to travel for six months, I am hoping I could get a visa so I can tag along with my husband.

As we are going to Seoul for the weekend to eat Bulgarian food we really didn’t prepare anything for Christmas, we had a pizza and spaghetti from Pizza School and baked goods from Paris Baguette.

My husband went with me this time at Pizza School to order pizza. When we arrived I first thought the shop is closed, although I see the owners eating their dinner. Well it turns out I pushed the door instead of pull, silly me! Business as usual, the owners stopped from eating and prepared our order, new customers came in too.  I was surprised to see the owner’s son because every time I dropped by their shop to order pizza, it was only him and his wife although I saw another female once which I think their daughter.  I was happy to know that they have kids, because grandpa is not getting any younger. When we left with our orders the son greeted us Merry Christmas, we say thank you and greeted back. Probably the son is studying at University in Seoul and came home for vacation.

Instead of buying Christmas cake we opted for baked goods because the Christmas cakes left at Paris Baguette are all in white cream, I prefer chocolate cake. Unlike most days Paris Baguette is quite busy,  there are a lot of customers coming in and out. The baked good trays are empty but there are a lot of Christmas cakes on display. I think they hired extra baker because at the back of the counter we can see two people in their white uniform baking cakes.

Well this is how we celebrated our first Christmas in Korea.

This is a long overdue post, sending package to the Philippines is what we love to do the most. Mostly our boxes will contains chocolates, noodles, clothes either new or old and every thing that we think our family will love to received. It is my habit to send package to Philippines twice a year from the items I bought on sale in Korea. I send my boxes thru postal office or EMS, everything went well not until I sent something and went stolen, after that my next boxes arrived to my family opened and taped.  I was furious but nothing else I can do but blog my disappointment.

My mother told me to sent my package thru LBC because my cousin used LBC when she sent package to her family from abroad because the box arrived safely, as well one of our distant neighbor but what should I do there’s no LBC in Korea until recently.

[The LBC jumbo box at home]

The dilemma of moving out from Korea left me uncertain if I want to send many boxes thru postal office or went home just to make sure the souvenirs I bought from the countries we visited will reach home safely. Well, I was given a third choice when LBC Balikbayan boxes finally opened in Korea around August 2013 (if I am not mistaken), their main office is in Hyehwa-dong the little Manila of South Korea where most Filipino see each other every Sunday. So I either used EMS or call LBC hotline (1661-5899) for jumbo box.  If I used EMS I have to pay a lot because the rate is per kilo, while in LBC the rate of jumbo box is by zone. I have decided to call the LBC hotline on Thursday (Oct.10?) and a Korean woman pick-up the phone, I looked for someone who speak English just to find someone who can speak Tagalog. Haha

Well, it is going to be easier to explain my thoughts if I am going to speak to someone who can speak Tagalog, right? I also sent message to Korea Balikbayan page in Facebook. Anyway I was told that they are going to call back because the one who can speak Tagalog is not around, lunch break. I received a call while I was outside going to supermarket and was asked for my address, how many box I need and where am I sending.

Everything went well and was told the 2 jumbo boxes I have ordered will arrived in three days, I waited but nobody arrives on my doorstep within 3 days.  Ahm, I counted again maybe it is three working days which mean Saturday and Sunday should not be included,  Edelyn (the Filipina who works at LBC) is very helpful she updates me or follow up if the boxes I have ordered already arrived.

Anyway on Oct. 18, finally the tekbe ajossi knocked on our door and I got the boxes I have ordered, I was pretty excited and I started filling up one of the box with my junks (that’s what my husband call my things). I was overwhelmed with the box because it was bigger than I expected,  I literally fit inside the box I think two people sitting can fit too! When my husband see my boxes he was excited too not for anticipation of sending it but the anticipation that our apartment will be clean and free of junks.

To cut the story short I have informed Edelyn on Oct. 29 that my box is ready for pick-up and the next day tekbe ajossi came to pick it up, it was heavy and luckily the guy is a big guy and there’s elevator in our unit but of course it will not changed the fact that he needs to bring it down from the 4th floor to 1st floor. I am on hesitation if I will go down or I’ll just stay, I choose the latter he might think I don’t trust him with my box. Lol!

[The LBC jumbo box being delivered to my family]

The next day I transfer money to LBC’s account for payment, it cost ₩120,000.  LBC’s rate for jumbo boxes – ₩120,000  to Luzon and Manila, ₩140,000  to Visayas and Mindanao, with free pickup and delivery.

Well, my family received the box after two weeks. Safe and sound, nothing is stolen.  The good thing about LBC Balikbayan box you can send gadget without hidden cost or tax.  I still have one jumbo box left at home which I am going to send before we left Korea,  yeah right within less than three months I will left the country I consider second home.

If you are planning to send balikbayan boxes to Philippines you can call LBC Korea hotline 1661-5899. LBC Korea branch is located at: 1F, 102-1 Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul Korea.

JUMBO BOX

• Free delivery and pick up of the box (anywhere here in Korea)
• 73 x 52 x 73 size
• Maximum weight: 100kls.
• Luzon/Manila (120,000 won) Visayas/Mindanao (140,000 won)

When I went out last Wednesday to workout in the nearby M2 gym I was surprised to see snow in the ground and even blurted about not knowing that there is snow fall.  My husband who’s with me told me it snowed at night which I regret because I was not able to see the first snow fall this year.

So when it snowed yesterday, I didn’t let go of the chance not taking photos of the ground.  When my husband go to school, I walked with him thinking he can snapped few photos of me in the snow but I was not lucky because he was in hurry. So I just snapped photos around and went to bus stop, I went to downtown to buy frozen chicken breast at the Korean Mart.

Instead of going down in the bus station stop I went down at Miranda Hotel and walked to the nearby park to take some photos and have some adventure. I walked around for few minutes before walking down to the bus terminal.

The snow fall was heavy, every one around me has umbrella and all I got is a camera.  I went directly to Korean Mart to buy the chicken and went straight to bus stop, while waiting I decided to buy  잉어빵 (Bungeoppang) it is a sweet snack sold in the street in the shape of fish (carp), made of flour and bean paste. While waiting I tinker my phone and got an email from my husband telling me to buy donuts from Dunkin Donuts if I am still in downtown and if I am already at home ignore it.  So I waited until I got my order and walk back to bus terminal, there’s a Dunkin Donuts in the terminal it is nearer to buy there than going to the Dunkin Donuts near Watsons.

When I went inside the Dunkin Donuts I was overwhelmed because they have a lot of flavors unlike the one near Watsons where they only have few flavors and it is always the same thing every time I visited the shop. I immediately took a tray and started to pick the donuts I desired. My husband asked me to buy a dozen but I bought 6 more additionally using my own money of course, my husband will not be happy if I go overboard on what he asked.

I went back to bus stop and luckily within few minutes bus #8 arrives, the bus is full and the entire trip is quite slow because of the snow in the road.