In Which Lyn Gives a Brief Post

Hi all,
I wasn't planning on posting at all today. If I write too long this may turn into a slightly angry/angsty I hate Christmas rant and I don't want to do that. I just wanted to apologize for my disappearing for almost a month. I got sick and started avoiding the computer like it was the sick one. I'll do a real post within the next few days after I get over my normal holiday anger-issues. That's all I wanted to say, let you all know why I was gone. I didn't die :) Hope everyone had/is having a wonderful holiday season. Go read Hannah's happy post below this and feel warm fuzzy holiday feelings (and get rid of any negative ones this post may have unintentionally brought about) :)

~Lyn~

즐거운 크리쓰마쓰- Joyful Christmas

Steph says "Merry Christmas!"

I love Christmas. It's my favorite holiday, and I take the time and effort to make sure it's perfect. I finish all my shopping by the end of October, so that I have time to do others, I do all the baking, all the wrapping, and a good portion of the Christmas card stamping.

It's been a very strange Christmas without all of that (although somewhat relaxing, not having someone around you stressing out, even though you're doing the majority of their work). Josh and I got our three-foot Christmas tree while he was here, and we decorated it together, but it hasn't had much in the way of presents under it.

Then on Tuesday, I got sick. Really really sick. Fever, chills, it was bad enough I had to call off work on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were painful to get through, even though Friday was our Christmas Luncheon. I was afraid that I was going to have to make a last minute cancellation of my Christmas cocktail party, or at the very least scale back on everything I wanted to do. However, when Christmas morning came around I went over to my friend Shanna's for a fantastic brunch with a fantastic group of people before hurrying back to my apartment for some quick shopping and lots of baking! In 3 hours I made pumpkin pie, brownies, sugar cookies, spiced wine, and homemade hot chocolate. I was still cutting out sugar cookies when the guests arrived, but I was finished not long after


Hannah's Second Annual Christmas Cocktail was a success, even without the usual players (like my kitchen-aid electric stand mixer). Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and the food was enjoyed (even though I have an unholy amount of leftovers!). Yeo-Yeo got a new water bottle (an extra big one so she'll have plenty of water while Mommy's in Japan!) and Steph got a little Christmas Moose to keep her company (she was less than thrilled).

Christmas in Korea is strange, at least from an American perspective. Everything stays open and life continues pretty much as usual. Yes, South Korea is a predominately Christian country, so most people celebrate Christmas, and many do go to Church (and on Christmas Eve there was a parade of people downtown with giant Jesus banners) but it doesn't seem to have the commercial or social significance American Christmas does. Koreans also seem to be very private in their holidays, they are celebrations in the home, not large public spectacles. I'm only really basing this off of Chuseok and Christmas, but it wouldn't surprise me if this held. Perhaps my favorite Korean Christmas tradition though is the Christmas cake. There are tons of adorable Christmas cakes for sale and they all come with candles. Before you cut the cake you sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and then blow out the candles. Kind of a fun tradition!

Well, I help everyone is enjoying their holidays! If you're getting blizzarded on where you are, stay safe and warm!
~Hannah

The Fish Returns

On December 1st I received the best possible early Christmas present ever. Josh flew into Korea and we got to spend two weeks together. We didn't get the chance to leave Gwangju, but we had a great time exploring the city and Mudeong Mountain. We spent a couple days exploring art street, downtown, and my neighborhood, spent a couple nights out with friends, We spent one day visiting the Gwangju National Museum (a fantastic museum that has a lot of cultural artifacts), the Art Museum (which has a retrospective of some Korean painter and some neat carvings). We also visited one of the temples up on Mudeong Mountain, and had a minor adventure where we weren't sure we'd be able to find our way off the mountain, thanks to both a lack of planning and a bus driver who wouldn't let us on. It was dark and cold, and we were a little concerned, but fortunately the next bus driver let us on with no problems! I also brought Josh into school on three different days, and he had the joyous opportunity of getting to meet mine and Lyn's students, who asked such amazing questions as "why are you here?" "Are you a Casanova?" and "Where is Britton's hair?" I loved being able to take him to all the places that I talk about, and introduce him to all my friends here. He left the morning of the 15th, which was a very sad day.

Christmas and winter break are both coming. Our break is from December 31st to January 5th. I'll be in Japan staying with my friend Meagan from Elmira. I'm very excited to see her! It doesn't feel much like Christmas here in Gwangju, not enough Christmas lights or anything, but I have a small Christmas tree in my living room which makes things feel happier. We don't get any time off for Christmas, what with it being on a Saturday. South Korea is a predominately Christian country, it just doesn't place the same emphasis on Christmas that America does. After our short break we start intensives, so our hours will change to 1-7, and will be like this for about a month.

That's all from here! I feel like it's a disappointing update after I made you all wait so long to hear from me, but it's what you'll have to deal with. I hope everyone has a safe and relaxing winter break!

~Hannah

Happy Hanukkah!

This post will turn into an angry rant if I start talking about my classes this past week so we'll skip that part :) In other news, I now have a Grade 3 class. It's interesting dealing with the littlest brats in the school, they're like little monkeys. What happened was Britton's Grade 3 class was too big for him to be effective so I got half of them, but they re-converge into one class for the Korean teacher. I think it's a little confusing, but what can you do. Once again skipping the angry rant because I'm in a fairly good mood :)

So this week many exciting things happened. Josh is up to visit Hannah. She has been ridiculously adorable about the whole thing. She was literally vibrating in her seat the night he flew in, and then she counted down til she could go home and see him on the following nights. It was adorable. On Thursday was Britton's birthday. He, Heather and I went out to dinner to celebrate. We went to the First Nepal, which is delicious. However, I discovered a sad fact. The reason that my favorite dish makes my mouth itchy and my stomach hurt is not because of the spices (for the itchy) or my stomach just being odd. No. Sadly, one of the things needed for the dish is cashew paste. I'm allergic to my favorite dish. Again. This needs to stop happening.

Anyway, the real birthday party was on Saturday night. We went out, Britton, Heather, Van, Da Hee, Woo Hyeon and me, to this amazing Japanese restaurant. It was delicious. Then all of us, except Van, went out to a bar. We ended playing a card game. Hannah and Josh came to say hi, but they were at a good-bye thing for the Wonderland teachers who are leaving. It was a fun night. Then I managed to get myself up this morning to talk to my family as they were having a Hanukkah party. That was fun. Though I missed those who weren't there too. And then today (Sunday) I had my own Hanukkah party. My friend Ellen came, along with Britton, Heather, Hannah and Josh. I made latkes, and they were yummy. And then we played battling dreidels, which was also fun. All in all this weekend has been awesome. I'm not looking forward to Monday though because I overslept Korean class on Wednesday and I'm worried about getting in trouble on Monday. However I'm not really sick anymore so I guess that's a plus. That's all I have to say! Happy Hanukkah!

~Lyn~

Don't Touch That, Don't Touch That, sit DOWN sit DOWN

My third graders have turned my discipline techniques into a song complete with an interpretive dance. They do a damn good imitation of me, and it's pretty cute to watch them shimmy as they chant my most repeated phrases "Sit down, don't touch that, stop throwing things, be quiet, stop talking." They're a hyper bunch, but even with their begging for candy and puzzles and the sheer amount of time I have to spend herding them (it's like herding cats. I taught them that phrase today) they are still one of my best classes, academically and behavior wise.

Honestly, not much has happened since my last post, things are very routine, and not even my complaints change. Even with the N. Korea tension, things in Gwangju are still proceeding exactly as usual.

My big announcement for this entry is that I will be beginning radio silence for about two weeks, I'm sure Lyn will update at least once in that time but you won't be hearing anything from this fish. At this end of that two week period you'll get a big, long update in which I recount all the fantastic adventures I plan to have in that time period.

I hope all is well back home! Don't worry about us here in S. Korea too much, I'm sure the US media has been making things sound scarier than they are.
Keep calm and carry on!
~Hannah