Happy Solar New Year!

I haven't had to work the last three days, thanks to Korean's celebration of Solar New Year!  This is actually the most important of the Korean holidays; even bigger than Chuseok, which I didn't know until today!  The 3 day holiday (5 days counting the weekend) is used as a time for many Koreans to return to their home towns and spend time with with their parents and other relatives...  Many of them even dress in their traditional Hanboks!  I spotted these girls walking down my street, wearing theirs, while I was out for a walk on Wednesday!

Aaron was even given a Solar New Years gift by the man who owns the convenient shop next to my new apartment!  Both of us have made it a point to try to always buy stuff from only him, so we can build rapport with him!  Apparently it's working, because as soon as he saw Aaron yesterday, he started looking through boxes, trying to find things to give him for the New Year! :)  Incase you can't tell, it's 2 packs of laundry detergent, 2 boxes of plastic gloves, and a bottle of olive oil!  hahaha!

I usually try to plan a vacation during a 5 day holiday, but with Thailand coming up this week, I decided to take the 5 days to stay in town, enjoy my new home and neighborhood, and relax... I basically just lounged around the apartment, read a book (LEFT TO TELL about the genocide in Rwanda), did some shopping, cooked yummy stuff, went out to dinner (downstairs with Aaron), went on walks along the harbor nearby, scooted around town, and went bowling with Aaron! :) 

Aaron actually spotted the bowling alley a couple days ago!  It's literally a 3 minute walk from my new place and has the feel of a small town midwestern bowling alley!  It only had 8 lanes! At the mere price of $1.75 per game though, something tells me we're gonna be coming here a lot!

I think it's worth mentioning that I bowled 172!!!  I even got 3 strikes in a row!  I was on fire!  I usually can't break 100, so this was very exciting, and I may have jumped and cheered for myself more than your average 29 year old would!  :)

We've both had such a nice and relaxing break from work these past 3 days!  Tomorrow, we are going to take the train to Daegu to see Jessica and Carlos!  We're super excited!

Happy Solar New Year!

새해 복 많이 받으세요

(saehae bok man-hi ba-deu saeyo)

Tea for three - skype style!

Last night, Gill and I met up at the Starbucks in Jangsan for our tea for three date with Truchen!  Incase you didn't realize it, Truchen is now living back in South Africa... SAD!!  But, before she left, the three of us all vowed to keep our Wednesday tea for three dates a tradition, with the help of skype of course! 

So, we set up my new little laptop, signed on to skype, and drank our coffee's while we waited... and waited... and waited for Truchen to sign on...

As we waited, Gill decided to break out her make-up (she's a make-up artist) and give me a little makeover!   Who doesn't love a little impromptu make-over in Starbucks?!

I realize this would never be done in America, but in Korea, girls do their make-up everywhere: on the bus, in the subway, in line at the bank... wherever!

We wait at Starbucks for about an hour and half... We found out later, that Truchen had gotten her times mixed up! Ooops! Luckily though, Gill is meeting Aaron and I for dinner at the Samgyupsal restaurant under my apartment tonight, so we're gonna have a little skype date with Truchen over dessert afterwards!  :)

 

While the coffees and make-over were wonderful, my favorite part of the night was still to come!  Gill and I met up with her friends Sarah, Tam, and Andrew at a... drum roll please.... MEXICAN RESTAURANT!  Oh Mexican food!  How have I lived without you for so long?!

The chicken tacos and quesadilla (I may have splurged a bit!) were delicious, and long awaited!  The only thing that could have made this night better was to have had Truchen there in person!  Miss you friend!

 

PS: Happy Solar New Years Eve!

When's the last time...

... your hair dresser handed you a bag of homemade fermented cabbage as you were leaving her salon?!  haha!  It happened for me today!  When I was there on Saturday, getting my mud treatment, she and her husband were sitting at the table in the back, eating lunch.  They had a huge tub of kimchi and offered me some, which of course I never turn down!  Excited that I thought it was so delicious, she motioned for me to follow her to her computer so she could use google translate to tell me something!  What she wrote translated as, "Next time, I offer a large fence of kimchi."  

I was very much looking forward to what a "large fence of kimchi" looked like!"  haha  ... I'm happy to report, it's a large bag of it!  

yum, yum yum! 

Man, I love Koreans!

Mud time, fun time!

Getting mud put on your head is fun... 

but getting mud put on your head while a darling and playful Korean schmooch plays on your lap is even better!  I love this kid!

Introducing the new me... or technically, the old me, with some new bangs and a much needed trim! :)

Thanks for lunch!

If I had my camera today. I would have taken a picture of Aaron, knocking on my classroom door, while holding a homemade lunch in a bag for me!

I think he loves me! :)