Week and a Half 'til home!

This week actually went by really fast. Friday we took class pictures. They are going to be super cute. All of the kids and I wore jeans and a white top, and were barefoot. They will be professionally edited and photoshopped. The kids also took individual pictures. Since my kids are in their last year at the school, they had them wear super cute cap and gowns. I also have added pictures of my classroom. Since Christmas isn't such a big holiday here, there are not a whole lot of decorations around. I have taken the liberty to decorate my class to the fullest extent possible. We have snowflakes, snowmen, stockings, Christmas Trees, a red green and white chain going all around the room, and a gazillion pictures the kids colored for "The Grinch." I officially turned my classroom into WhoVille, becuase I was going to do The Grinch for our holiday show (Which was canceled in fear of the Swine Flu).

Yesterday I finished all my Christmas shopping. I went into Seoul by myself, which I have done before. This time though, I took the bus instead of the subway. The bus goes a lot faster, and there are a zillion different route numbers that go into Seoul. I have taken many with other people. My friends told me that all of the 9400's went the route I wanted (9401, 9402, 9404, 9408 etc...) I guess that the 9407 doesn't though. I ended up on the wrong bus for an hour and a half before I got off and walked a mile to the nearest subway station. I did, however, take a bus back and got back just fine.

Pleas also check out a video of some of my students singing a song from the Sound of Music. All of my girls know all of the songs to Mama Mia and Sound of Music. I made them a CD for the classroom with songs from both movies on it. Here is the youtube link. The best part by far is the first 30 seconds, so if thats all you have time to watch, that would be fine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIg7TvQVlms

10 days until I get home. Here is what I can't wait to do:

• See my family
• Get out of the car when we pull into the driveway and scream "I'm home, come out and see me." Yes, all you neighbors, be ready for it.
• Go sledding
• Make a snow angel, and a snowman
• Sit in front of the fire with Christmas Carols playing
• Get my hair cut (I have been waiting so that I can speak the same language as the person who cuts my hair)
• Go shopping at Target and stock up on basics
• Bake anything in an oven
• Make mashed cauliflower in my food processor
• Watch a football game
• Drive a car
• Eat a meal that doesn't include rice
• Read a newspaper
• Many other things that I can't even imagine now

Love you all

Christmas Countdown

The countdown to me coming home for Christmas in on! I can't wait. I currently have 17 days until I come home. I have a list of things that I want to do when I get home, and can't wait.

Christmas isn't as big here as it is back at home, but every once in a while I come across signs of it and I get excited. The other day I stopped at a supermarket on my way home from work, and there were Christmas carols playing in the store. I ended up wandering around the aisles for a ridiculously long time just so I could listen to them. The local mall is also all decked out. This tree is about 30 feet tall, and the center of it rotates. There are also lights out on bushes around apartment complexes and even some stores. Overall though, there is a disappointing amount of decorations around. I have done my best to make up for it in my classroom. I'll have to get a picture of my room this week to show you.

It snowed for about an hour yesterday. It wont ever really stick, but it was absolutely beautiful falling. I was walking 2 miles to the subway station while it was falling. It was blowing all over the place and was really in your face, but I had a permagrin on. I probably looked like an idiot. Everyone else was cowering under umbrellas, and I was almost skipping.....An obvious foreigner.

I got paid on Friday, so I went out Christmas shopping yesterday. I got about half of it done! There are definitely some people that are hard to shop for. There is nothing very masculine in Korea. Even the stuff made for guys is very feminine, which leaves me with a conundrum for finding gifts for all you guys in my life.

Insadong is the best place in Seoul to shop for Christmas Presents, because that is where all of the shops are that have traditional stuff. It is a completely modern area, so my friends and I were shocked when a group of traditionally dressed....warrior people?! They were kind enough to let us take pictures with them.

We also went to this tea place that was the cutest thing in the world. The whole thing looked like a train. The aisles actually had rock and teasels and everything. The seats were train seats, and there were luggage racks about the table. They also had amazing tea. I shared a pumpkin spice tea with a friend because it was super expensive, but it was delicious, or as they say here 맛있어요. (Machissiyo)