Hey there! I had a super fun weekend by myself up in Seoul and came home with supplies to do a new-to-me craft! Before I get to the necklaces, let me tell you a little bit about how the trip was. It was fantastic!
About a week before this last Friday I received an e-mail from Ben’s boss letting me know that there was going to be a farewell party up in Seoul and that the kids and I were invited (Ben is in the states so he wasn’t invited.) The party was to start at 4 but that is when the oldest gets home from school. I thought about taking the three of them out of school for the afternoon, but I know how much they hate long rides and being quiet at functions so I figured that I just wouldn’t go.
That is until a neighbor’s babysitter’s son got croup. Funny how things work out. The sitter had to cancel on them the day that they had plans to go to Seoul over night for a military ball. This was the first time they were going to be away from their 15 month old and were looking forward to their getaway trip. Our kids play endlessly with each other so the mom thought I just might be a viable alternative. I said yes, of course, and three kids were brought over that afternoon for a sleep over. The mom was so thankful and said if there was anything they could do for me to just ask. Ding ding ding! Well, let me take advantage of this situation. I asked if they would like my three for the next Friday. She agreed and I was freed.
So this last Friday I packed by backpack with as little as I could and took the bus into town, the train up to Seoul and a taxi to base. After getting checked in at the hotel I took another taxi to Itaewon for the party. I had a really good time with the soldiers and the families that came. I was really looking forward to my night by myself just being in a quiet room, watching random TV in English and having an ice cream bar, so I left a bit before the others. A taxi ride and a short walk later I was back at the hotel and realizing that I didn’t pay for my dinner! I sent a message to one of the guys still at the restaurant telling him what I had done, and that I was on my way back. He wrote back saying that the Lt. Col. had already paid it and said not to worry about it. I wanted to bang my head on the wall out of embarrassment. I then sent the Col. an e-mail apologizing and thanking him.
The next day after a leisurely breakfast fuel up, which I was sure to pay for, I went out in search of the craft district. I got on the subway and headed out. A few stops later I got off, switched lanes and got on the car going in the correct direction. I always get there eventually. I had been to the Dongdaemun district many times before, but never to the craft supply market. It was all bulk items and not was I was hoping for so I decided to just wander around to see what was there. I made my way to the Dongdaemun gate. It’s one of the original gates on the east side of Seoul.
I’ve seen this a few times before, but had never noticed the little park to the left with the wall on top. It was a little weird being by myself and not asking anyone if they wanted to go check it out. I hiked to the top and took the all important selfie.
The dark thing in the center is the gate. The building above my head with all the windows is a hotel. Just out of the picture on the right next to the hotel is the fabric market. I got a little turned around and went to the wrong building at first. Not to worry, I asked a group of Korean grandmas where I was to go. Once they figured out which one could read my translator without glasses, they pointed me to the correct building.
This market is four massive warehouse buildings with either four or five floors and each floor of each building contains over one hundred stalls. Most of the floors are for ordering bulk fabrics for businesses, but the fourth floor sells yardage, beads, buttons, fringe and many other things you didn’t even know that you needed. It was to this floor that I made my way. Since I had my back pack full of overnight things and a few gifts that Ben’s boss gave to me and the kids I had no room for fabric. This led to browsing the all beads and charms stalls.
I don’t make jewelry, but I saw these mini dog tag charms and figured I needed to learn.
How cute as an Army wife to have a dog tag necklace, right? I saw that they had some premade jewelry for sale and wanted to get a necklace to go with it. Well, I broke out google translate on my phone and asked the shop girl if they sold necklaces. She pointed to the wall of spools of chains. If you want a necklace, you need to make a necklace. I looked them over and found the perfect one. It was a ball chain that looks like a mini form of what dog tags are worn on.
Perfect, now how do I put the ends together? With my silly made up sign language I asked how I hook them together. She pulled out everything I needed and in Korean with a few English words and her own silly made up sign language she explained to me how to put everything together.
I got some sort of butterfly looking clasp that folds in half and holds onto the ball chain, jumper rings and clasps.
Then I went in search of a red, white and blue heart that I had seen who knows where in the maze of stalls. After praying for guidance I found the stall. Turns out that it was a French charm, not what I wanted, but I did find these as a replacement.
It was getting onto lunch time and on the fifth floor of the super fabric complex is a cafeteria. There were some pictures of the different dishes at each of the restaurants, but nothing looked familiar. I stopped at one and sounded out some items on a menu. I’m able to sound out my letters and sometimes I understand what I sound out. This time I was able to make out kimchi jjigae and so that’s what I ordered. It’s a boiling hot spicy kimchi stew. Let me tell you something, it was made for Koreans! I’m pretty sure that after a few slurps my face was as red as the stew.
A Korean lady asked if she could sit with me. I don’t speak more than three words of Korean, but I understood exactly what she said. It was pretty cool. She had only sat down for a second before she got up and left. She must have seen my red faced distress because she came back with water for me.
As I sat there eating with this lady I thought back to a facebook post I had read weeks earlier. Someone had been ranting about how they were so over living here with all the rude Koreans. I thought about the three instances that happened to me just that day that when I was turned around, unsure how to do something or just obviously needing water the Koreans were happy to take time to help me. I wondered what had happened to the lady posting the rant and thinking that maybe, just maybe it had something to do with her attitude towards them to start with. I can’t begin to tell you how many times a random person over here has helped me. I can tell you that I can count on no hands how many times a Korean has been blatantly rude to me, because it hasn’t happened.
I finished what I could of my stew and side dishes and said good-bye to the lady. I made my way out of the maze and down to the subway. From the subway to the train station. From the train station to the bus. And from the bus I walked home. There may have been some more browsing and shopping along the way, but nothing note worthy.
The kids came home shortly afterwards and then we all went back over to the neighbor’s for a bbq. Good times.
Anyways, now that you heard about my fun trip I can move on to how the necklace went together.
I had asked for one length of the chain. I measured it and it was 49 inches. I have no idea why it was that length. A meter sure, but 49 inches? I snipped a short piece off, put a tag on, attached the butterfly things and secured them together with a jump ring.
As you can see I only use the finest of tools: a cutting board, a fork and a pair of rusty needle nose pliers.
I snipped the remaining chain into two different lengths so that when I wear both necklaces at the same time they won’t be directly on top of each other. I then attached the butterfly thing, the jump rings and the clasps to make the two necklace chains and added the charms.
If I was to do this again I would put some sort of spacer bead between the star, heart and anchor charms. They tend to bunch up.
So there you have it. My first attempt at making jewelry. Not too bad if I do say so myself. Yes, I realize I just put charms on a chain, but I had to build those chains.
Perfect for summer fun!
I just realized that the hole on the bottom of the dog tags is to hook another charm or bead onto. Maybe next time. And yes, there will be a next time. The kids are almost out of school and I know Sister is wanting to go and get her own supplies. Anyone want to join us?
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