Greg and Karmen Celebrate a Birthday

So, my birthday was last Thursday. I turned the big 2-4. To be honest, for probably three or four days before, I was pretty grumpy. Not because I have some thing against turning 24 or I'm feeling old, but because I felt like this year's birthday would feel pretty insignificant. It's was on a weekday and we had to work until 6:30 in the evening. Our friends and family are all back in Canada and most things I would have done in Canada on my birthday were not possible or super hard to do in foreign country that still doesn't feel familiar.

Anyways, Greg made sure all our co-workers knew it was my birthday and they made sure that I felt special on that day. Wednesday evening I had a joint birthday party with another co-worker complete with gifts and a fabulous chocolate cake. On Thursday, every one of my kindergarten classes sang "Happy Birthday" to me  and we shared some cookies and little treats. Becca, one of our Korean co-teachers had each child stand up and say something nice. I feel like teaching kindergarten is a huge ego-boost sometimes; I had many little girls and boys tell me that they love me :)

Later that night, Greg made me banana chocolate chip pancakes while listening to Jack Johnson (because you have to if you're making banana pancakes). I got the chance to talk to my parents, who got up super early to skype before work (thanks Mom and Dad!). 

Though my birthday was on Thursday, I was really looking forward to Sunday. For those that don't know me well, my favorite place to eat in the whole world is White Spot. When I go there I don't even bother looking at the menu (unless I'm ordering dessert) because I have the same thing every time: a Legendary burger with sweet potato fries. What really makes this place special is their sauces: Triple-O sauce for the burger and chipotle dip for the fries. Seriously, I'm drooling just writing about it. Most White Spots can be found in the Lower Mainland, BC, but I was so pumped when I found out they had a few international locations, including one in Seoul. 

We did some research and found out that it was only a few blocks away from the church we've been attending. The blogs and articles we read didn't give an address, but said that it was kind of hidden on the first floor of a museum. So, after church this afternoon, Greg and I took a bus to the museum and proceeded to search the entire block for White Spot. After probably a half hour of walking and asking around, we sadly concluded that White Spot was no longer in business. I was crushed. We ended up at Kraze Burger, a local chain of inferior burgers (sorry, Kraze. It's all about the sauces).Afterwards, we walked around an underground mall and got some ice cream with a million other people.

The Sawatzkys in Seoul.

While we will always be watching for a hidden White Spot, I have mostly given up this dream of eating my BC favorite in Korea. Unless someone wants to FedEx me a burger...

August 23, 2013. Make a reservation. Table for two. We will be there.