We ordered pizza and exchanged presents. Koreans are serious about reciprocity, so I was worried that my Christmas gifts would be met with dread (guilt for not having anything to give me). Instead, they were thrilled. Jeongbok's mom scrounged up a wallet (probably in the drawer marked "just in case") and it magically appeared under the tree as well. However, what was even better was the note on it, handwritten. It said how thankful they were to have me there and wished me blessings in the new year. I was touched. (Yes, it was written in Korean. No, I couldn't understand ALL of it, but Jeongbok translated the rest.)
For New Year's we came back to Seoul and celebrated at the giant bell near City Hall. There were thousands of people, some intoxicated, and lots of roman candles shot off indiscriminately.
Of course, Korean protestors took advantage of the free publicity and marched against Lee MyungBak. But when midnight struck, everyone cheered. A group lit lanterns that floated into the air, carrying countless wishes and messages of good luck. As for us, we drank wine by the "fake river." 
It was a beautiful night. On January 1, I bought a cake and sang Happy Birthday to the new year.
It's going to be a good one.
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