In October, Kat left us for the great plains of Ioway. It was sad to see her go, but we spent one last excellent weekend before she flew away. Her last adventure? Climb Mt. Sinbul in Ulsan. It was an epic climb as we, unknowingly, took the steep, and sometimes perilous, trek up the mountain. Three hours later, however, we were at the peak to get an incredible view of the Korean landscape around us. Absolutely breathtaking, especially as leaves were changing colors. It was just what Chaz and I needed to even more fully appreciate the beauty of Korea, and just what Kat needed to remind her about why she loves Korea so much and wants to come back in January.
The week that Kat left, although sad, was also one for celebration as KELLY made her return to the Land of the Morning Calm. It was a joyous reunion after thirteen months of being apart as Chaz and I met her (a surprise to her) at the airport to welcome her back with Korean signs, hugs, hearts, and treats. It’s been absolutely wonderful living in the same city as her for the first time in five years. Although she lives a good trek across the city away from us, we still find many times a week we can get together, usually meeting halfway. I love having my best friend back (!), as well as a tie to home.
Halloween was also a blast, as we celebrated our first American holiday since coming to Korea. We met some friends for dinner, and all of us were decked out in costumes. Chaz and I went as Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, and Korean children we met on the street laughed and ran away from us as we pointed our wands at them shouting spells. Yes, we are nerds. And we love it.
Besides major events, life continues to bring newness, but also comfort as we continue to become “pros” at living in Busan. We have started going to a church in the past couple of weeks. It has been great to fellowship with other foreigners, and even Koreans that attend the church. We also have enjoyed hanging out with some of Kelly & Kat's friends (and now ours too!) from Ulsan: Ji and Ots. We even got to attend one of Ji's Sk8ing competitions. Korean class has kept us busy, but we are also enjoying showing off our knowledge to our students. Every time I say something in Korean, my students all are shocked and say, “Whooooooooooooa, teacher!” Then they give me a “power clap” (our class symbol of a job well done). Okay, I might like to show off just a bit. It gives me a little confidence boost during an especially tough day or week. ^_^
Now we are looking towards the holidays with excitement, but also a bit of trepidation. We are excited to celebrate in Korea, but we are also sure that they will bring homesickness and a desire to see family. This will be the first Thanksgiving I haven’t spent with the Landers family, and I will definitely miss the food, the conversation, the laughter, the movies, and grandma’s vegetable beef soup and DUMPLINGS. sigh. I guess I’ll make it. We are also looking to winter break. We will begin winter break Christmas Eve, and the semester begins again the second week of February. However, during winter break, we will teach one week of Winter Camp, and then I will have two weeks of After School class. The plus side: both of these will be done with by noon everyday, AND we still get at least two weeks of actual break after they are over. Once the semester begins, we will have one or two weeks of classes, a week off for “Spring Break,” and then a new school year will start which also means I WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO THIS TIME AROUND. Really looking forward to that “new beginning.”
Rest assured, dear family and friends, we are still alive and well, just incredibly busy. I dream of simplicity and rest, but I know in a fast-paced culture, I will get less and less of this. I’m making it, though, and still enjoying life in Korea.
2 comments:
A nice long winter break! Also, was that rock with the writing on it like the Korean 10 commandments?
you are one sexy ginny weasley
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