Christmas Morning

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We had to set an alarm for this morning (quite unusual for me) to make sure we had tons of time to talk to family and open gifts.  Ian was more willing to get out of bed than I was, but we hopped up and got our Christmas morning on at about 7:30 this morning.  Woo!  That's about an hour later than my usual.  We took a lot of pictures, but the camera died right at the end (so the coverage gets progressively less thorough).  We're still waiting on one package (you'll see that Ian appears to be shorted toward the end) that didn't show up with it's friend, but we're trying not to worry about it.

The loot waits!

Ian improvised peppermint hot cocoa, which he dubbed "Christmas Slurry."

We started with the stockings from Rob and Danie.

It's a secret!

Yummy smelling lipgloss!

Wait, what?  Oh!  Coffee!  Smells Delicious!

Jack Skellington Yahtzee?!  Heads will roll, indeed!

Rob, Danie, Grant and Audrey:  Thank you guys so much for all the candy goodies, silly putty (I wish the camera hadn't died so you could see our mustache festival), lipgloss, coffee, and Yahtzee.  We can't wait to play with you guys.  We've never played it, but we read the rules and it sounds great!  Love you!  Merry Christmas!

From Aunt Sherrie!

Fashionable warmth and chai tea!  Thank you!  I miss good chai!  The hat, scarf and glove/ arm warmers are awesome.  It's cold here, so it's nice to have fashionable warm things.  Love you guys!  Merry Christmas!

TBA:  Ian's gift from Alton and Kat.  It's in the package we're awaiting.  We'll be sure to post pictures when it comes.  One of Ian's gifts from Mom and Bruce is in there, too.

From Mom, Bruce and Ava!

Hmmm....

Yep!  Calendar!  But, it's not the hippy calendar of tradition.  It's a movie poster calendar!

Thermal!

Great photo of me! What hole did I crawl out of?

Super cute apron!  It has spotted kitties on it.  They're happy.

Awesome scarf!

Purple flannel!  I love it.

Could it be...?

Jeans!  He's so happy.  He really wanted/ needed them.

I'm awesome at photos (ugh!).  Hey, I thought we were out of that wrapping paper.

Chinos!  Great for work and play!

Two left!

Number 1:  Fabulous plaid scarf!

Oops!  Number 2:  Not Pictured, two pairs of gap tights!  One black and one teal.

All Ian's new clothes!

Thank you, Mom, Bruce and Ava.  We didn't bring many clothes here, so it's amazing to have some new ones.  We love them.  Love you guys and Merry Christmas!

We also got a couple 'intangible' gifts that deserve a large amount of thanks, as well.

Thank you, Gramma, for the money for Japan.  It will help us make it a trip to remember.  Love you!  Merry Christmas!  Eat some lefse for us.

Ian's parents (Al and Judy) also gave us some money for our trip, via our Chase account.  When we talked to them this morning they told us to check the account.  Thank you guys so much.  That's an amazing gift and we'll be sure to do something special with it.  Love you all.  Merry Christmas.  It was great to talk to you!

So, it's literally been said many times, many ways in this post, but Merry Christmas to everyone.  We wish you lots of holiday cheer.  Ho Ho Ho!  Santa's headed your way next!

The Firsts Continue

2009 was full of many firsts, but they will surely continue into 2010.  Tonight was our first Christmas Eve as a married couple and away from home.  Going to work wasn't easy today.  To be completely frank, I would have rather stayed home and thrown myself a pity party.  But, I suppose it's good I had to work.  It gave me something to do and everyone's got to keep their chin up and keep moving forward.  Forward motion is crucial to success.

The kids were happy, but difficult to handle today.  They have a three day weekend coming (their actual winter vacation isn't until New Year's) and they were pretty rambunctious and eager to begin.  I gave out candy canes and stickers today, most of the kids were gracious, but a few of the kids were dismissive or altogether rude.  There was one class that was particularly bad.  At the end of class they wanted more candy and they blocked the door when I refused.  I ignored them and they eventually let me pass.  The kids here don't have any boundaries at all;  to oversimplify it, society here is based on fulfilling not only the needs, but the wants of its children.  It's tough to discipline kids when they'll laugh in your face and badmouth you in a language you don't understand.  It's not as if the principles or other teachers are much help.  A playful wag of the finger is the most the kids will get.  You wouldn't want to upset the parents, afterall.

After work we went over to Ben and Amy's.  Ian made dinner (a delicious starch fest of pasta, potatoes and bread) and we talked and watched Elf.  Amy made peanut brittle in the microwave (pretty ingenuous, right?) and it was delicious.  The gave us a cute little gift and a card and we brought them some Belgian chocolates.  It was all very... normal.  It felt great to share the evening with people to whom the holiday is important, too.  We're really glad to have them around.

We're bringing a laptop to Japan, so there will be a few blog posts and we'll be available via email and Facebook. I probably won't post everyday, but I'll share some pictures and stories as they come.  I'll take pictures of our Christmas morning (Ben and Amy told us that they heard a rumor of snow, there's definitely enough humidity) and I'll post them before we leave for Incheon.  There might not be a post for Saturday because it will be a bit of a hectic day.

Well, I'd better get to bed or Santa might pass me by!  Good night!

Plans are Forming

Today was another long day for Ian and me.  That seems to happen when you begin to count down to vacation.  I now have an hour break on Wednesdays because I was teaching three Essential 2 classes, but Chun wha moved the three students from my 4:30 class into other classes.  So, I used my time to work on our itinerary for Tokyo.  I hope I have time to finish it before we leave!  I also printed out a subway map for us to get comfortable with.  I've made some circles around areas we want to see.

The red circle is where our hotel is.  The yellow is Akihabara (Electric Town).  The Asakusa Senso-ji temple is circled in dark green and the Disney Resort is in light green.  The blue circles the Harajuku District and the orange is Shibuya, two close, but different shopping and entertainment districts.  We could also take an express bus from one of the stations to Mt. Fuji.


So, those are our basic plans.  I don't know if any of our followers have been to Tokyo, but if you have, give us advice!  Or is there something you've heard about in Tokyo that you think we should check out?


Tomorrow is our Christmas Eve!  Bummer that we have to work, but it could be worse, I suppose.  Good night!

A Bit of Christmas Joy and Tradition via Mail

The Christmas package came from Mom today (well, one of them did, we're still awaiting the envelope).  I didn't know if things were wrapped inside, so I emailed her and waited for confirmation.

The package waited for us while we were at work, as one would expect an inanimate object to do (I got the emailed "go-ahead" from Mom between two of my classes).  Actually, it was on the Christmas table, but I forgot to take a picture of it before I excitedly put it on the bed to open it.

Ian told me to go ahead and open it before he got home, since he figured it was mostly wrapped presents that he would see later.  So, I grabbed some scissors and went to town.

The loot.  Nine presents, two Christmas LifeSaver Books (a tradition!), and Ghiradelli squares (also a tradition, though we eat them all through the season).  One of Ian's gifts had a hole in the wrapping paper, so I took a peek and then taped it up, so he couldn't see.  One of mine also had a small hole, but I was able to tape it without accidentally seeing.  I do not like to peek at or guess about my gifts.  The surprise is important to me.  But, I wanted to know about Ian's.  A little backwards, I guess.

Now our Christmas table is very full and it is obvious how spoiled we are.

Here is another of my favorite Christmas songs:

Good night!

Some Midday Humor

My mom wanted me to post a couple of her favorite Christmas songs, so I thought I'd do that.  I also have a funny video to share with you.  This means that tonight's post will be my 100th.  What do you think I should do for it?

Korean Toddler Singing "Hey Jude" (in the beginning he says "Hello, thank you.")

Mom's Favorite #1 Robert Earl Keene's "Merry Christmas from the Family"

Mom's favorite #2 Dar Williams "The Christians and the Pagans"

I also forgot a couple of interesting things from yesterday's meeting.  Ian uses the word "babo" (means foolish) in class sometimes to get a rise out of his students and he also pushes it as a replacement for the f word that our students love to throw around.  I use it sometimes, too, but not as often as Ian does.  Well, yesterday Julia told us that we can't use that word because we're foreigners.  That's right, white people can't possible understand the cultural implications of calling someone a fool.  Also, Julia seems to think I call Ian all the time during the day because I was on the phone with him once when Chun wha wanted to talk to me.  She said that I shouldn't call him (he obviously never calls me) because he needs a break and to rest his voice.  Right, I think my husband and I will talk whenever we want.



Don't forget to let me know what I should do for the 100th post!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

Today we went downtown again to finish our Christmas shopping.  We did pretty well, but we ended up finishing online.

When we got home we cleaned up the apartment and decorated for Christmas.

Ghetto Christmas light chandelier.  We wanted to make a Christmas tree shape on the wall, but the tape was ripping off our our wall paper, so Ian came up with this alternative.

Santa!

Snowman!

Mickey!

Cute!

The Playmobile set that Rob and Danie gave us is so adorable.  The sack even has little plastic toys (a soccer ball, a doll and a teddy bear) that go inside it.

Spidey-Santa watches you from his perch.

Our festive door hanging.

Thank you to everyone who gave us these wonderful decorations.  They've really brightened our apartment!

Good night!

More Christmas Shopping

We stayed around the apartment for a good part of today.  We got to talk to Judy, Al, and Alena, so that was really nice.  Then we talked with my mom for a bit.  She got a new laptop at Staples' Black Friday craziness.  She was even interviewed on the radio.

We left to go running in the afternoon and Ian found this when he stepped outside:

 We don't know if this is normal for them or if it was just a really deep cleaning.

 

We also played around on the outdoor exercise equipment at the park.  Some of the stuff is pretty decent; Ian and I took advantage of some of it to work our arms and stretch out our backs.  After we finished our run we walked over to E-Mart to see what's going on over there.  The opening was delayed (we don't know until when), so we wanted to figure out why.  There is some other construction going on on the lot, but E-Mart itself looks finished.  They just need to stock it.  We're hoping that the other buildings they're constructing are going to be restaurants or outlet stores.  I've heard that the idea is to draw people here with shopping and job opportunities (like in Wonju), and we think that would be the best way to do it.

We came back to the apartment and showered and then left for downtown to do some Christmas shopping.  It hasn't been easy.  We know that some people are really interested in getting something "from Korea," but, to be honest, it's difficult to find "Korean" things that people might want and that are of good quality.  We're doing our best, but we're not finished yet.  Everything must be shipped by the end of this week, so it's a little stressful.  We're also having difficulty finding wrapping paper, so I apologize in advance if your gift comes wrapped in Korean newspaper.

We decided to try the 'Yogurberry' place while we were downtown:

The yogurt was pretty good, but we accidentally ordered a drink which neither of us wanted.

We also did some grocery shopping at Lotte Mart while we were out.  When we went to get our cart and elderly couple was having difficulty figuring out how to unlock theirs.  Ian handed them a 'dime' thinking they didn't have a coin to put in, but the lady gave it back to me, so I showed them how to push it into the lock.  We think the Universe may soon come to an end since we Migukins showed a couple of Hangukins how to do something in Korea.  It felt good to know something, even as small as it was.  Then, while we were in Lotte Mart, we were Rick Rolled.  Well, I guess it wasn't technically a Rick Rolling, but we certainly weren't expecting to hear the song in Lotte Mart, but we did.  I also found something else I didn't expect:

Tea for babies is just not a priority for Westerners.

Well, it's another night of popcorn and Dexter for us.  Good night!

Strange Day

On Tuesdays I have five classes instead of six.  Last week Julia told me that I would be working with a girl on essay writing during that hour.  This little girl is apparently headed to a special middle school for gifted kids in Seoul, so her English writing needs to be up to snuff.  I prepared six topics (prompts) like I was asked and wrote a paragraph on essay formatting for her.  I never saw her.  I think she was in a meeting with the principle, but I wish Julia would have filled me in a little better.  I think one of the paragraphs I corrected today was hers and if that's the case, I am very impressed.  Hopefully, I will meet her next week.

Gene came to Sinback today and sat in most of my classes.  I like him quite a bit.  His English is quite good.  He told me today that he studies English on his own with books, audio tapes, and software.  Maybe there's hope for Ian and I in Korean after all.  I think it will be good to have Gene around.  He's recently married (he's about 30) and it seems we may have some things in common; today we talked a bit about movies.  He's originally from Busan, but he's lived in a few cities all over South Korea.  In April he and his wife honeymooned in New York (they were there for a month!).  He'd like to move to the states because, as he says, though he was born in Korea, he doesn't feel like he fits here.  He especially rejects the social hierarchy in place here.  In short, unless he's a spy placed by Julia (which Ian and I have joked about), it seems like his presence may be a blessing.  Though we are hopeful for a social connection with him, our optimism is cautious with consideration given to how things have gone thus far.  However, he did invite Ian and I to his place in Cheongju this weekend.

Gene asked Julia to teach one of my classes today (he asked me if it was alright) so that he could see what she was after; so I only taught four classes today, which makes the time drag on.  He told me that he didn't understand what she was "pushing for."  He also told me that he found her to be demanding and picky.  But, he is much better at showing respect than Ian and I are.  Damn American upbringing.  At least we know that Julia's communication issues run far deeper than a language barrier.  That takes some of the weight off our shoulders.  We'll have a meeting on Friday to go over the books for next term.  It'll be Ian and I, Gene and Julia.  I hope his presence helps our communication; but she is his superior, so we'll see.

Ian's day was pretty slow.  He didn't have Gene to talk to all day.  Though, he did go to Janrak to watch Ian's last class because it is one of our highest levels.

We bought our plane tickets to Japan this morning.  We'll leave for Japan from Incheon Airport (the same one we flew into) on December 26th at 12:15.  That'll get us into the Tokyo Narita Airport at around 2:30pm (KST and JST are the same time zone).  We're staying at the Okachimachi Station Hotel which is a hostel style chain hotel.  The about section is humorously translated and worth a read.  We will be returning to Korea at 9:15pm on January 1st.  We don't have our Disney tickets yet, but we will be getting those ASAP.  We're not sure where to put Disney in our vacation (beginning?  middle?  end?).  We also found out that the Harajuku District, Shibuya Crossing, and Electric Town (among other places) are not too far from Disney.  That's lucky, since Tokyo Disneyland is actually in Urayasu and not Tokyo.

I forgot to post our display of Grant's Thanksgiving drawing yesterday.

Turkey!

Also, our Christmas table is getting fuller.  Though, we had to take George the Plant in to keep him from freezing.

Festive!

Ian and I are going to enjoy a few episodes of Dexter.  Our obsession with this show borders on unhealthy.  Good night!

Christmas Shopping!

We got up bright and early this morning and discovered the first (sticking) snow!  There was only a tiny bit here, and there wasn't any in Seoul, but it was very cold all day.  I imagine we might get more tonight.

Oddly, there was snow in the valleys, but not in the hills.

Just a little white dusting.

We got on the 8:00 nonstop bus and arrived in Seoul at the same time we do when we take the 7:30 one, 9:30.  I think we'll just take the 8:00 from now on.

We didn't do any sight seeing and we didn't take many photos since we were Christmas shopping , but we did take a few to share with you all.

We spent nearly the whole day in Namdaemun Market and the shopping district around it.  We took a break around three to get some Indian food from a new place near Ewha Women's University.  The food was really great.  We were so happy and so, so full (we each had a samosa and garlic naan and I ordered Dal Makhani and Ian got Baoli Handi).  There was an Indian woman dining there with her Korean friend and she spoke with us briefly asking if we liked the food.  She is a student at the university and thought that I might also be.  Sometimes we wish we were still students.  It's so strange not to be.

We stopped at Starbucks (twice, actually because we were so cold later in the day) and were delighted to find a little Christmas spirit there.

Christmas cups!  The place was decorated and they had their seasonal items, too.  Though they did not have the usuals (like Peppermint) they had a Toffee Nut Latte and A Dark Cherry Mocha on the menu, as well as a black forest cake.

We found a white pigeon outside Starbucks.  But, we had a hard time photographing him as he and his two friends wanted nothing to do with us once they figured out we had no food.

There was evidence of the holiday season in Seoul, but it was almost entirely commercial.  I know many Americans (myself included) complain about the commercialization of Christmas in the U.S., but there's definitely a something transcends the cultural spending spree.  There's a feeling about it; it's pretty difficult to describe without sounding trite.  But, in Seoul, it's obvious that the Christmas makeovers that some stores are sporting have nothing to to with joy and everything to do with capital gain.  Maybe it's just difficult to tap into their cultural emotions about Christmas.  Nonetheless, it was welcoming to see it.

Store in Namdaemun selling holiday decor.  There were several such shops.

Lights on a commercial building, I think it may have been Chanel.

A statue near the Chanel building decked out for the season.

Here are a couple of random fun things we thought we'd share:

Look hard at the woman in the apron.  She's carrying several trays of food on her head.  There are many women hustling around the market delivering orders to the shopkeepers.  They move very quickly and they weave in and out of crowds with ease.  It's pretty amazing.

I found the baby brother to the Japanese piggy bank I have at home.  They're exactly the same, except this one is tiny.

The majority of our Seoul trip is top secret, since it regards gifts.  But, it was very laid back and we had a great time.  We're a little over halfway finished with our shopping, the rest of which can be done in Jecheon (except for one difficult thing). 

We got notice of a package today (probably the one from Rob and Danie), so hopefully it's down in the guard room.  I'll be sure to post about it tomorrow if it is.

Good night!