A Bittersweet Weekend

This was my last weekend in Korea and I was able to share it with two of my favorite people, Sylvia and Grace. 

We started with kimchi and samgyupsal...

Then we proceeded to drink makkoli, which is drunk out of teapots and bowls ...

It was a great last Saturday night in Korea : )

Super blurry but I wanted to post a picture of Grace : )

Lunchtime

Really, though, at the end of the week, I'm always so happy it's Friday! I know it comes every week, but it's still so exciting. Not only do I look forward to it because I don't have to work on Saturday, but also because I feel so accomplished when I finish a good week. This last Friday, all the teachers went to TGIF (I thought it was very appropriate) and had a huge lunch. It was really fun. I'm going to miss these women, and Abri, so much! The girl with the curly hair on the right side of the photo is the new foreign teacher that took Anlia's place when she left. Her name is Liz.

The Anticipation

A year has come and gone, and now it's time for...

Family

Best Friends 
(aka the loves of my life)

Tammy : )

Grandparents

 

Morgan Hill

Santa Barbara

Photo taken by beautiful Molly via ...easy breezy...

And some other important things...





Listening to music in the Vue (soon to be a Toyota)



Dryers


I can't wait!!!!

Just Around the Corner

About a month ago, I was saying goodbye to Anlia and Abri in our apartment building after work, and as I turned the corner to go to my apartment this is what I saw right in front of my door!!!!

What the heck!? Right? I was so creeped out. I proceeded to start stomping by feet and saying, "Excuse me, excuse me," but he wouldn't respond. He was soooo drunk and passed out. Then Anlia and Abri came to help. I didn't want to try to open my door because I was afraid he would try to grab my leg or something. Abri came to the rescue, though...

He dragged the man away, and the guy didn't even wake up! I was amazed. After I got inside my apartment, I just waited by the door to hear what happened. Turns out this man is my neighbor, and it wasn't the first weird incidence I had with him. One time he got locked INSIDE his apartment and I had to catch his keys from outside his window then unlock the door from the outside. So I should have been expecting something like this from him. Oh Korea.

Long Overdue Pt. 2: A Date with Soju

When Leslie was visiting, we decided to go to a soju bar. It was really fun, but we were totally lost in translation. We just wanted mixed strawberry soju but ended up with a whole array of random food. The pictures below don't do justice to the strangeness of it all.

Definitely were served some hot broth and blown up fruit loops.

Some beans, cornflakes, and ice cream... Can't go wrong.

Leslie enjoying every last bit of it.

Not pictured above: the TV we watched WWF wrestling on, smiley face potatoes, our delicious slushy soju, and the size of our private booth with a sliding door.  

Long Overdue Pt.1: Leslie in Korea!!

Best bestie in the world came and stayed with me in Korea for a week. Pretty sure I was in heaven the whole time. I had a blast. I was able to relive the first season of Glee, play badminton in the park, stay in a luxurious hotel and order room service, and take photo booth pictures. I can't wait to see her again!!!

Holy cow, she made me laugh so hard the whole time.

My students kept asking if she was coming to class even though I told them she went back to California. I think they kept asking for about a month after she left.

I made these students ask Les questions then write biographies on her. They wanted to know her weight and if she believed in aliens.

This picture was for Molly. 

Going out with her felt like home again!!

Can't go wrong with McDonald's, ESPECIALLY not one that plays Chris Brown at 3am.

 

Addicted to the photo booths. These really need to become more popular in the States.

Friends in Good Ol' Korea

I thought you might like to know who I hang out with : )

P.S. Molls and Les: I'm so happy you look at my blog! This one's for you.

My Munchkins

Here's a little snapshot on science day of my youngest kids that I teach (my babies). Most of them didn't speak any English on their first day in my class and now they're able to tell me stories! It's so fun and rewarding to see how far they've all come in learning English.

And yes... we wear lab coats on science day^^

Muju

I went to a skiing resort last weekend in Korea with a group of 15 people. We left Saturday morning and came back Sunday afternoon.  I was feeling rather adventurous so I decided to be a lodge bunny and read : ) It didn't take long for most of the skiing newbies to join me, though, so I was quite happy to enjoy good company and conversation.

Trying to perfect the heart^^

Sleeping arrangements were a bit tight with 15 people sharing a huge loft and one bedroom, but luckily everyone was so tired we all passed out pretty early. All in all, it was a great weekend!

Hello Kitty (^o^)''

Here's a little glimpse of when my nails were graced with Hello Kitty's presence. Aren't they fantastic?!

Any suggestions for my next character?

Coming soon...

I'm getting quite excited for Valentine's Day because I'm expecting lots of goodies from my students (AND my Auntie Anne bought me tattoo valentine's day cards that I can pass out to my co-workers and good students). But get this! In South Korea, there's not only Valentine's Day on the 14th, but there's also the subsequent White Day on March 14th, and Black Day on April 14th! Let me explain: on Valentine's Day girls give chocolates to guys, on White Day guys respond by giving candies back to the girls, and then on Black Day guys and girls who didn't receive anything (either on Valentine's Day, White Day, or both) celebrate/sulk together and eat jajangmyeon (black sauce noodles). Isn't this a funny way to enjoy being single? Here's an article about it on Reuters: Black day for love, big day for noodles. What do you think about this?? XOXO

A Saturday Sojourn

Auntie Anne visited me in Ulsan on Saturday! She was in South Korea for a business trip and was able to stop by for a day. It was so good to see her and catch up! I showed her around Ulsan and we got coffee, looked at stores, and I took her to my favorite galbi restaurant. She also brought me things from back home to make Mexican food!!! I'm so excited. I now have tortillas (yes, real tortillas!), a variety of taco mixes, enchilada sauce, and taco shells. Oh my goodness, I can't wait to make something.

I'm so grateful I have such wonderful family. I don't know what I'd do without them : ) I love you, Auntie Anne!

Let it Snow

Every time it snows, I feel like I'm living in a snow globe and someone is turning my world upside. Here's some pictures of Nessa and me in our Seoul snow globe : )

1. Waiting for the bus near Vanessa's winter camp, eating peppero sticks.

2. We can't get enough of the peace sign. 

3. The buildings were starting to disappear!

4. Don't worry, Ulsan does not look like this...

My Kind of Place

Vanessa and I had the best breakfast ever!! Vanessa is not too keen on Korean food, so I always get to indulge in western food when I'm with her, and I'm not complaining. I don't know why I don't do it more often. We went to Butterfinger Pancakes and ordered pancakes and french toast, plus everything else that makes a western breakfast "western" (bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, cottage potatoes, etc.) 

 

It really was the best french toast I ever had... well, maybe a tie with the vanilla french toast at Tupelo Junction : ) Now if I can only get my hands around a burrito...