Opening Presents (Me opening presents)

Thanks Family. I love everything. And the bathing suit fits! A Christmas miracle? I think so :)

P.S. Brooke, I totally teared up when I opened that picture. You are the best. Love you.

Merry Christmas from Korea

We're going to drink mimosas and open presents!

Happy Thanksgiving

 While all of our friends and family back home are celebrating Thanksgiving today, we'll be at work. Yesterday was technically Thanksgiving in Korea, so we started the day exactly how you should when you are abroad for an important holiday. Cinnamon pancakes from the pancake lady at the market. These are, hands down, the BEST thing Korea has to offer. Like a greasy fried donut with warm gooey cinnamon filling.

 After work, we went to our favorite Indian Restaurant

And stuffed ourselves with curry and beer. At home, we ate ice cream and watched the Thanksgiving football episode of Friends. Good day, but I'm so jealous of everyone with the next two days off.

Speech and Debate at ECC

Last night, our school hosted a Speech and Debate Event for the kids. They have been practicing for a while and all the parents were invited. I assume it went well, but the teachers were stuck in separate classrooms to "sedate" the students until it was their turn. I snuck away a couple times to see my students give speeches.

  Kate

 Emma

Me, Kate, and Jeff (her Korean teacher)

While I waited, I read a book. Paschal was very interested in my kindle, although he was confused by its lack of a touch screen. He offered me a dollar for it, anyway.

The evening ended with Heather's students debating on the reunification of North and South Korea. They did great!

The Flying Pan (Go There)

Yesterday, our school was hosting a Speech and Debate Event and we didn't have to be there until 5pm. Heather and I took the opportunity to go to The Flying Pan Blue in Seoul for brunch. Since it was noon on a weekday, I thought we might be fighting a lunch crowd, but they sat us right away. The food followed quickly. It was...amazing.

A thick piece of toasted french bread with pesto, hummus, brie cheese, grilled asparagus, and a poached egg. The lettuce had a great balsamic dressing and the grilled tomato was unbelievable. Can a grilled tomato be unbelievable? Yes.

Nothing special about these walnut pancakes with bananas and pecans, besides a big scoop of the creamiest vanilla ice cream. Why don't more people put ice cream on pancakes? That's a mystery.

We've already planned our orders for the next visit.

This Weekend

I'm sure it seems like Korea is all Halloween parties, out of town guests, and exciting hiking trips. But this weekend, we locked ourselves in the apartment with snacks, tv shows, and movies. It was perfect.

Heather can't seem to get it together and keep food off the floor. This is why I am in charge of food and she is in charge of cleaning. And hanging rugs on the breezeway while she cleans.

Rugs?

He made a break for it.

But she got him. Sucka.

Then we ate blueberry bread pudding

And I finally made the switch from my beloved leather chair, with bent back legs and detached arms (you have to see it to believe it), into the safer camping chair. It was the right choice.

Happy Pepero Day

Yesterday was Pepero Day in Korea. The kids call it a second Valentines Day, although really this brand of candy made up this holiday in 1983 and now they CLEAN UP every year on this day. A Pepero is a thin bread/cookie stick dipped in chocolate. It kinda reminds me of a chocolate covered pretzel, without the salt. You buy them for the kids, they buy them for you, and then everyone shares. It's great. I also CLEANED UP.

Lucy and Amy, mid-Pepero binge.

Seoraksan Fall

Ever since we went to Seoraksan in May, I have been wanting to go back in the fall. It was exactly what I thought, the leaves were autumn colors and the weather was cool but not freezing. I convinced Rhonda and Heather to do the difficult hike on the first day because I'm tough like that.

It was straight up, and more like climbing a million stairs than a nature hike.

But holy crap, it was so pretty!

This time of year is very crowded at Seoraksan, which meant waiting in line to get to the top. The hike was dramatically less difficult than we expected, which was a result of standing in line and slowly making our way up as opposed to charging up those stairs with no breaks. It was good and bad.

Things started to get a little boring. And windy. Very windy.

Once we reached the top, it was so windy that we got a quick picture and moved on. 

On the way down, matchy matchy hikers. This is definitely in my future.

Becaaaause... why not take a hula hoop break?

A friend

There were sisters on the trip with us, and the blonde one was walking into this shot. Her sister, trying to take a photo as well, called, "Hey, I'm trying to take an authentic Korean shot, get your blonde head out of the way". Thanks, I was thinking the same thing.

 A wedding

Ahhh, my favorite place in Korea. Everyone needs to visit Seoraksan.

Happy Birthday Rhonda

After the ECC Halloween Party, we celebrated Rhonda's birthday. I won't tell you how old she turned, but it was somewhere between 17 and 52. We started out at Dos Tacos in Hongdae, because thats what you do.

 After dinner, we headed to Hongdae Park for live music.

 These Koreans were freestyling on the roof and they invited us up. The girl, Lauren, had recently spent a year studying english at UCSD.

 We walked around a bit and I made Rhonda take cheezy pictures. A birthday treat was in order, so we got ice ream filled waffles and took them on the roof with the rappers. I stole a candle that Rhonda's mom sent from the apartment, so we could sing Happy Birthday. I don't know why I'm holding the birthday waffle.

It was Halloween night, so things eventually got pretty wild in Hongdae. My camera died :( But, just so you know what you missed: the biggest jam session I've ever seen with a Korean girl dance/conducting, the same musicians later tap dancing, a sudden drum circle, lifesize dominoes, breakdancing, and Ali G getting fresh.

Note: Hot waffles + ice cream + climbing onto a roof = a melty ice cream mess that would be discovered on jackets, gloves, hats, etc. in the days following.

ECC Halloween Party!

 

I wanted to wait a good week and a half to post anything about our Halloween party, just to keep all five of you in suspense. On the left, we have Brenden, Mr. Lee, and Jason. On the right, spooky students. Koreans do not celebrate Halloween, so this was both exciting and terrifying for many of the students. Some could barely contain their enthusiasm, while others were left crying after the haunted house. Maybe that should have been an option?

Although, I really wanted to be in the room where kids touched tofu brains, I was in charge of face painting.

 

Rhonda was lucky, she got to be in charge of fake eyeballs.
 

 This was the smartest idea I've ever had. There was an entire board of options for the kids, but they all ended up just pointing at one side of my face and I proceeded to paint about 100 spiderwebs and maybe 75 spiders on chubby little Korean cheeks.

 

Aron!!

She was the only dog I painted all day. I think her stoicism is actually a quiet pride.

Happy Halloween!!