New Year, New Korean Resolutions & A Recap

1. Blog more! Oh man, I'm so awful. I'm going to try to blog once a week.
2. Take more pictures.
3. Eat more kimchi, and drink more water. 
4. Go to a jjim-jil-bang. This is a Korean bath house, where families go to bathe, separated by gender of course, and everyone is nude. I've been really scared to go since everyone is basically naked in a hot tub, but it's totally normal and Koreans don't even think twice about it because they grew up with it. I'm going to try it this week. No excuses.

To recap this last month, I got terribly sick around my birthday and had to go to the hospital, so it wasn't the most successful of birthdays. However, my co-workers did buy me an ice cream cake and we ate it at school. Then after work, and after much hesitation on my part,  Anlia, Abri, Eric, and Juanna took me to go get coffee and cake.  Overall, I was little bummed I was sick, but I was glad I was able to spend my birthday with friends. Plus one of the girls at the front desk, Grace, gave me the best pair of socks!!!

Christmas came and went so fast, I couldn't believe it! I worked Christmas Eve at school and we had a huge "Market Day" for kids, where they got to spend coupons they earned in classes and buy toys and play games.  Then after work, I went to Kayla's house and our group of friends exchanged gag gifts. The next day, I went back to Kayla's and we had the most delicious Western brunch! Kayla and her sister, Brynn, made bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns (I almost died), and toast. It was perfect. We then exchanged real gifts we bought for one another and listened to Christmas music. Luckily, Koreans don't celebrate Christmas like Westerners do, so it felt like another normal day here and I didn't get too homesick : ) I ended the day having a quaint, little dinner with Abri.

My friend Vanessa came the next week and I was so excited to see a familiar face from home! I had a five day weekend and we just hung out the first few days and explored Seoul. I took her to my favorite place in Seoul, Hongdae, and we had tea and dessert. We also went to a traditional Korean market and ate yummy Korean food. Then Vanessa came back with me to Ulsan to bring in the new year. It was nice to show her around my city, and for the first time it really hit me how much Ulsan has become my home. She convinced me to give myself a little treat, and we went out to eat Western food at this super cute restaurant called B-Stove.

She left on Sunday and it was back to work on Monday, however... there was a huge snow storm on Monday, which never happens in Ulsan. Everything shut down including school! It was so much fun. I felt like I was in the middle of a snow globe. It was over in a day, but it was the best way to start 2011 : )

Outside my apartment

 

I couldn't believe how much it snowed!

My birthday socks!

Christmas at Kayla's

Christmas Eve

Me and Vanessa in Hongdae
 (click here to go to Vanessa's blog and see more pictures she took!)

This picture is also from Vanessa's blog Pazza Ragazza