Christmas Tree @ Home

Most homes in the Philippines will have by now a Christmas tree right in their living rooms. 

Before I flew out of Seoul, the extravagant Christmas displays of the Shinsegae Department store were busy attracting tourists and passers-by at night, and the steps of the Myeongdong Cathedral were illuminated by thousands of LED-lighted white flowers.

And while the prices of electricity may be lower in Korea, it's not the same in the Philippines, and having thousands of lights to decorate one's Christmas tree may translate to a huge electric bill unless you have solar cells to back up your electricity supply.

But I guess, since Christmas comes only once a year, nobody really cares about paying for the spike of electric consumption in December. After all, it's the spirit that counts, not the expense. Ha-ha-ha!

Although it's nice to watch the twinkling lights of your Christmas tree, you may have to turn them off before going to bed to avoid fire from overheated lights.

No matter how colorful and bright, or simple and bare your tree is, it's always the love of the people around it that matters. After all, it's not the decorations, but the togetherness of the family that matters most.

So, from our city plaza to yours, Merry Christmas!🙏

Merry Myeongdong Christmas!

The first time I saw it, I immediately thought 'have they uprooted the flowers from Dongdaemun and brought them here?'

If you have seen the 20,000 LED flower lights at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, you would have thought the same thing. At the DDP, thousands of white LED flowers were spread across the lawn to resemble a galaxy of stars at night and a white flower garden during the day.

Here, at Myeongdong Cathedral, the flowers added drama to the garden terraces, attracting tourists and non-Catholics to the center of the Roman Catholic faith in South Korea.

The best view for a photo is from bottom of the steps just before dark so you can still capture the silhouette of the Cathedral above the steps.

The cathedral management might have decided to install these LED lights in time for Christmas when most Catholics in Seoul will probably visit the cathedral for the second most important holiday in the Catholic calendar.

By that day, the Nativity Scene on the cathedral entrance will have been finished and probably will be the subject of every visitor's photo.

Merry Christmas in Myeongdong, indeed!

The Philippine Parol @ The Seoul Lantern Exhibition

Two years back, I spotted a Philippine Christmas tree right in the middle of the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, South Korea. It was one of the most popular lanterns of the Seoul Lantern Exhibition as couples and families wanted to pose for pictures and selfies right in front of the huge Christmas tree.

And at this year's edition of the Seoul Lantern Exhibition that's ongoing at the Cheonggye Stream, I spotted another 'parol', a Philippine Christmas lantern!

Although Christmas Day is about 6 weeks away, in the Philippines, Christmas trees and Christmas carols may be seen and heard sooner than that!

That must be a reason why, right at the Cheonggye Stream, the Philippines has a representative lantern that's up, lighted and twinkling! 

(The crowd with their umbrellas in front of the parol)

These three huge circular parols, standing on three columns decorated with green, red and yellow capiz shells forming stars and parols themselves, are one of the most popular attractions of the exhibition.

Even though it was raining last night at the opening of the Seoul Lantern Exhibition, there were still crowds pausing in front of the parols for photos and selfies.

If you're in Seoul and have time at night to drop by the Cheonggye Stream, the lanterns light up starting at 5PM every night until November 22. And the Philippine parols are installed near the Samil-gyo (Samil bridge), where there's an entrance to the exhibition.

Merry Christmas! I guess. Ha-ha-ha!

Christmas Trees In Seoul: Millennium Seoul Hilton

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Following my posts on the light show at the Shinsegae Department Store and those dazzling Christmas lights of Lotte Department Store, let's take a detour and get indoors this time.

Last week, after grabbing a meal at Seoul Square, the location of the Korean drama, Misaeng, my friend Andy and I walked up towards Namsan. I earlier told him that I needed to take photographs of Millennium Seoul Hilton's Christmas decorations to add to my Christmas posts.

After our lunch, we grabbed coffee from the Twosome Place coffee shop at the ground floor, and headed out to the freezing -4'C degrees outdoors. We had to walk past the garden at the back of Seoul Square to get to the hotel, but when we got there, we were greeted by a giant Christmas tree that's filled up with lights straight up to its top. This 10-meter tree looked majestic right in the middle of the hotel lobby, bathing in everyone's attention and thousands of little lights.

But what was more fun to watch were the toy trains running around the lower lobby of the hotel. These trains are actually a hit with kids during the weekends when there's a Santa Claus at the corner with whom they can have photos.

On each train and on the miniature buildings were names of the companies who may have sponsored this installation. When I was a kid, I also had a toy train but whose tracks were just about a foot in diameter. This one had tracks that meandered around the four corners of the floor and with several trains running on it. Decorated white to resemble snow, the slopes on which the tracks run even had skiers!

                          (A Santa doll from the Philippines)

I wonder what chaos there is during weekends when this place is full of kids mesmerized by these toy trains. But I guess, with Santa Claus around to compete for their attention, it's all about fun. And of course, Christmas.  

Have a fun weekend around the tree, everyone!

A Freezing "Oh Holy Night..." in Seoul

....the stars are brightly shining..."

No, the night wasn't holy. It was freezing!  But yes, the twinkling lights of the giant Christmas tree and the decorations at Lotte Hotel and department store were all brightly shining!

(The Seoul Plaza from across the street).

                                     

                            (The giant Christmas tree.)

 It would have been an enjoyable walk for me from the Seoul Plaza all the way to the Lotte Department store had it not been that freezing!

                                           (The lights at Lotte Hotel.)

But with the temperature in the negatives, my right hand and my smartphone could not hold up to the very cold 'oh holy night' to take photos of the 'stars that were brightly shining'.

I only had a few more nights to spend in Seoul before I fly to the warmer temperatures of Manila. So, I had to rush to the Lotte Duty Free for the last-minute shopping for some pasalubong (presents) to bring back home.

                         (The wigwam-shaped Christmas tree at 
                        the Lotte Department store.)

                                                     (Inside the wigwam.)

And I just clicked, clicked and clicked some more, knowing that the next time I sing 'Oh Holy Night' would be in the Philippines, and I would be able to see under the tropical night sky the real stars that are indeed brightly shining.

                              (Tourists enjoying the Star Avenue alley.)

(The Christmas lights clinging on 

the department store's wall.)

  
Indeed, it was a freezing night with all the twinkling lights shining.

Merry Christmas! 😍