Bali

It's official, tickets have been paid for, and I'm going to Bali for Winter Vacation!!! I'll be leaving Korea on January 11th and returning January 31st, with a nice brown tan and hopefully a relaxed and rejuvinated body to go with it! I think if I'm hanging out at places like this, it shouldn't be a problem!!

Originally, the plan was to go with Jess, Carlos and my friend Aaron. We'd been talking about it for a while... but this week, Jess's school told her that they are only going to allow her to travel 10 days, instead of 20, like the rest of us. So, she and Carlos decided Bali was a bit too expensive for a short vacation like that and will be going to the Phillipines instead...

I'm planning to island hop all through Indonesia on the islands surrounding Bali... and yes, I will be visiting the Gili Islands... These are 3, very small, uninhabitted islands off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia. Cars and scooters are not allowed on the islands by local ordinance, so if I need transportation here I'll either be riding a bike or taking a horse-drawn carriage! How awesome is that!? Snorkleing and scuba diving in, and around, the Gilis is suppossed to be amazing because of the abundance of fish and coral formations too! I'll definitely be doing some of that!

One of the beaches in the Gili Islands...

... and I'll definitely be staying at least a day or two on Komodo Island (Obviously I'm a bit terrified... but Aaron really wants to do it!)

The island is filled with Komodo Dragons, the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 6.6 to 9.8 ft and weighing around 150 lbs!! While they don't eat humans, they can tear a large deer or pig to pieces in seconds! They are not poisinous, but there is sooo much bacteria in their saliva that it can kill whatever it touches! Don't worry mom, I'll be careful and walk with a guide!

That's all I know, for now, about what I'm going to see.... More info to come! Just wanted to share my excitement!

Bali, here I come!!!!

Men and their games!

It's not uncommon, in Korea, to walk down the street and see a bunch of old Korean men, huddled around a makeshift table, sitting in plastic chairs, smoking and playing one of Korea's many traditional games!


Yesterday, I was walking down the street and spotted these guys playing 고 스톱 and decided to take some pictures! Could you imagine if you saw a bunch of old American men, sitting on the sidewalk, playing games?!


These are the 고 스톱 cards...


I've been tempted to jump in and play a game... maybe Stella will teach me so I can hang with the guys! :)

Heart Shaped Rocks!

When I was in Thailand, Carlos found a heart shaped rock and gave it to Jess one night.  I thought it was one of the most romantic gestures, and one of the coolest things I'd ever seen!  I remember thinking, "a heart shaped rock... I wonder if that's the only one in the world?!"  To my surprise, it wasn't!  These were the rocks we found down by the river in Bennegol last weekend.  I finally took a picture of them all together!   

How awesome are these!?

My new PJ Sweatshirt!

It's been getting really cold in my apartment at bedtime, so I went on the search for a sweatshirt with no hood to wear to bed!  You can imagine my excitement and how hard I laughed when I found this one!  For the equivalent of $4.00, I couldn't resist adding it to my PJ wardrobe!

"Don't touch with me!  my uncle is in the ARMY"

I'm on a Christmas mission!

Jess sent me a link to a Christmas blog this morning as inspiration for our Friday nights together! It had a list of awesome ideas to get ready for Christmas! I've edited it down, and added a few of my own ideas. I'm dedicated to making all of these things happen before Christmas comes! Check back to this blog on Christmas Day, and I'll have pictures posted of each event / thing that I accomplished! I'm on a mission folks!

1. Go Ice Skating!
2. Watch It's a Wonderful Life!
3. Exchange gifts with someone!
4. Address and mail Christmas cards!
5. Download one new Christmas Album!
6. Make hot chocolate and marshmallows!
7. Host a Christmas Sweater Party!
8. Put up a ribbon sash for Christmas cards!
9. Give my apartment manager a present!
10. Put up a Christmas Tree
11. Make a Gingerbread (cookie) house!
12. Make a popcorn garland!
13. Read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!
14. Sing (or listen) to my favorite Christmas songs!
15. Go out and see public light displays (If there are any here!)
16. Read the Christmas story from the Bible!
17. Sew a stocking and fill it with candy!
18. Go to a seasonal movie!
19. Host a Christmas dessert party!
20. Write out a Christ-centered goal for the New Year!
21. Have a full traditional breakfast while listening to Christmas music with friends!