Last week was my Birthday, and for the first time ever I was not in England for it. Those of you who know me well know that my Birthday is very important to me and I often have a party. This year I decided not to have a party as such, but to celebrate for the four nights leading up to the day, as this fell over the weekend. So on the Friday night I went out with a few friends for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant called Dasarang. Graham was hosting a poker night at our apartment, which was still going strong at 3am when I returned home. I don't think anyone remembers who won that night, however over the next couple of days I found a lot of 100 won coins (about 6 pence) around the apartment, so maybe I was the winner!

On the Saturday we went to Ethnic Café, one of our favourite bars downtown. They serve delicious cocktails, have Hookah pipes, and there is a great bohemian atmosphere. As more people came to join us we gradually took over more and more of the lounging areas and became very relaxed. However after a while the candle light and cushions can make you a little too chilled out to the point of sleepy, so it was time to liven things up at the German Bar.

The next morning I went on a hike with some friends to Naejangsan National Park. Our Korean friend had wanted to take us here during autumn to see the beautiful leaves, but he knew that it would be very busy, as every Korean wants to see this sight. So at the beginning of December most of the leaves had fallen, but it was nice to not be surrounded by hundreds of other people. We took a cable car up the mountain and then had a very peaceful and scenic walk back down, stopping at a temple on the way. There was also a small visitor's centre at the end with a few artefacts and models of traditional housing and the local wildlife.

That evening Graham had organised a Birthday meal for me at Ashleys Restaurant. This is a western style buffet restaurant, were you pay 23,000 Won (about 13.00GBP) and can eat as much as you like, and drink as much wine as you like! 18 of us arrived at 6pm, and stayed until they threw us out at 11pm. I had a fantastic time with some great friends, and Graham had organised a Birthday cake too.

On my actual Birthday, Monday, I had to go to work. Many students sang Happy Birthday to me, and some gave me gifts like a notebook, stickers and even a picture a K Pop boy band star! After work I went out for dinner and drinks with some of my co-workers. Some of them had arranged another Birthday cake, and I had a great time. And when I arrived home that night, Graham had put up the Christmas tree and decorations - an added bonus!

So, I was extremely spoilt for my Birthday. It was great to receive many cards, gifts and good wishes from back home, but also heart-warming to know that I have many good friends here who made my Birthday special too. This was a Birthday I shall never forget.

Last weekend we decided it was time to get into the Christmas spirit a little more, so we had a Christmas movie night on Friday. A few more shops are starting to put up decorations and a few restaurants are playing Christmas music, but it's all very subtle compared to home. The movie night was definitely a good idea, and filled us all with Christmas spirit, as well as lots of pizza!

On Saturday we went out for lunch with a Korean friend and her husband. They took us to a fantastic Japanese Sushi Restaurant, where we had our own private room complete with Japanese garden! The food was amazing, and they just kept bringing more and more dishes out. They even brought our provinces speciality dish, which Graham tried. This is rotten skate eaten with kimchi and pork! I'm pleased that Graham tried it and not me, as it apparently tasted of ammonia! The presentation of the food was beautiful, and I took many pictures. It was also nice to spend time with a Korean married couple, of a similar age to us, and get to know more about their culture, as well as telling them about ours.

On Sunday I went with some friends to see a Tom Stoppard play - The Real Inspector Hound. This was performed by the Gwangju Performance Project, which is an amateur group of native English teachers who put on performances in their spare time. The play was a typical English farce, and definitely reminded me of home and my previous job in Performing Arts.

So with my Birthday, Christmas, the play and my contract here soon drawing to a close, I have to admit for the first time in my life I am feeling a little homesick. I love Korea and have had so many amazing experiences and met some fantastic people, but sometimes there's just no place like home.

Maggie x