A slushy black winter wonderland

It wasn't until after Christmas that Seoul received some frothy white snow. Luckily, Christmas lights are still up, so it isn't too late to get into the holiday spirit.

But the problem is: the snow doesn't stay white. Living in a big city with lots of cars, buses and motorcycles means that the snow quickly turns into something very, very ugly. It's black, slushy, muddy-looking and just plain gross. Thankfully, I brought my rain boots with me from home, so I can hop around without a worry in the world. But I do feel sorry for those women, who even still wear heels despite the icy sidewalks, because I know that black water slush is seeping into their pantyhose.

[A white Seoul]

And since we're on the topic of women wearing heels in the snow, I think it's absolutely ridiculous yet utterly fascinating at the same time that Korean women will not take their heels off for any reason. Whether it's to go to the grocery store for a carton of milk or to go to the gym, most women would rather be dead than caught wearing those ugly, duck-like, flat footwear that talentless females who can't balance on their toes all day decide to wear (ME). But where the utter fascination comes in is that in the last two days alone, I've seen three women fall flat on their behind (like what you'd see on America's Funniest Home Videos) because they decided that wearing 3-inch heels was a good idea for icy sidewalks. I just don't get it. Sometimes, it's ok to sacrifice beauty for the well-being of your body and poor tale bone, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, on Tuesday, Jamie and I went to a dog cafe, called Bau Haus, in Hongdae. It took us some time to find it and we made a few stops here and there, but we eventually got there. It was packed with kids and couples, so Jamie and I shared an ottoman to sit on, while we waited for an empty table. We waited for about 30 minutes, but it didn't seem that long as we practically cried about how cute the dogs were. Dog-owners can bring their pups to the cafe and let them roam free while visitors buy treats and feed the dogs. It's a great way to be entertained and to entertain the kids and the dogs. After a half hour, we decided to leave since it didn't look like we were going to get a table anytime soon, but we definitely plan on returning at a less busy hour. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking ;)

[A neat cafe we stopped by for a quick bite to eat]

[A creepy mural of Michael Jackson and a monkey (?)
we passed by on the way to Bau Haus]


[At Bau Haus!]


[A giant but beautiful Husky]


[And the cutest of them all: this little puppy bulldog with chubby bottom fat ><]


[And the dogs that didn't want to be bothered]

Other than that, my week has been pretty mellow. I'm feeling the beginnings of a cold (you know, that darn little tickle at the back of the throat), so I'm just trying to lay low so it doesn't get worse. I've heard some pretty nasty coughs on the subway and I can just see the green germs floating around, waiting to capture their next victim.

I don't have to work on Friday because the show is doing a special segment in light of New Year's, so I've decided to spend the weekend with my dad in Busan. I'll be leaving tomorrow night, which means I may not have Internet access until I get back. If that's the case, I'm sure you won't suffer since I rarely update this blog anyway these days (oops!).

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year's! Have fun and stay safe! Bisous xoxo