Cheers to the holiday that celebrates all of the
foods that are the most difficult to find in Korea! As most holiday weekends
do, Thanksgiving started off strong, with a trip to the bars on Thursday to
celebrate the Gyeongju waygook community and a birthday.
Needless to say, double gin & tonics made my Friday difficult…until my head
teacher canceled all of my lessons, let me nap until lunch and then sent me
home to feel better. He could clearly see through my façade of “No, I’m okay.
Are you suuuure that you want to
watch movies today? Okay, maybe that is best…” And it set the much needed,
relaxed tone for the rest of my Friday. Just another reason to give thanks!
Saturday was reserved for the Thanksgiving feast, hosted by Jessica and
Spencer. With over 25 people, it was quite the event! Like any traditional Thanksgiving,
there were endless amounts of food and drink. It’s things like Saturday night
that make me smile: Even in a country that most of us will only be in for a
short time, we’ve formed such unique relationships with one another. Regardless
of my seemingly bipolar feelings for Korea throughout the year, I’m really thankful
for the relationships that have happened here.
Hope you spent the holiday weekend with your loved ones & enjoyed every
minute of it! I can’t wait to spend my first few weeks in the states
re-celebrated the holidays of the past year!
xo
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Holiday Season: My Birthday!
 |
| Birthday girl! |
So I'm officially old and busted in my MID TWENTIES. Jesus when did this happen. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that in the past few years, I graduated from UCLA, had a real person job and moved to a foreign country.
Friday could not have started off any better—western breakfast! Then during school, my head teacher canceled half of my classes and gave me a present, calling me a "strong and mature woman." (I know, right? Of course I am.) As per any usual Friday night in Gyeongju, dak galbi dinner lived up to its glory, as did the soju shots that accompanied it. Not only did my friends sing Happy Birthday to me with a cake at the bowling alley, but then round two of the cake + singing combo happened at Cocos. I mean, seriously. How am I this lucky to have met such wonderful people? And I obviously beat everyone at bowling (bowling skills almost match my pool skills, duh), in case you were wondering.
 |
| Dak galbi birthday dinner! |
A few friends and I continued the celebration in Daegu on Saturday. Not only did we get Mexican food (obviously including margaritas and, my personal favorite, tequila), but shots and bag drinks were at every turn. I ended up running into another birthday girl, who—upon seeing my empty hands at one point—bought me two bags of who-knows-what to enjoy. Um, clearly my hangover was dedicated to her. MK and I also had the pleasure of beating David and Juan at darts—cherry on top!
I really want to thank everyone who took the time out of their day to send me well wishes, both in Korea and abroad. The letters and packages from around the world and the celebrations in Korea made this so special. I was a bit nervous about my first birthday away from home, and you all made it so lovely. I'm beyond thankful to have all of you in my life, whether we only chat a few times a year or every day. Truly blessed.
PS My mother decided to have a "surprise birthday party" for me back home. My dad, mom and Amanda went to Farrell's to celebrate. Yep. The photo below shows cutouts of me and Kristina...at the restaurant... Looking. Good. And clearly wanting some of that dessert.
 |
| Celebrating in Daegu |
I really want to thank everyone who took the time out of their day to send me well wishes, both in Korea and abroad. The letters and packages from around the world and the celebrations in Korea made this so special. I was a bit nervous about my first birthday away from home, and you all made it so lovely. I'm beyond thankful to have all of you in my life, whether we only chat a few times a year or every day. Truly blessed.
PS My mother decided to have a "surprise birthday party" for me back home. My dad, mom and Amanda went to Farrell's to celebrate. Yep. The photo below shows cutouts of me and Kristina...at the restaurant... Looking. Good. And clearly wanting some of that dessert.
 |
| Really flattering photo of me and K |
xo
Friday, November 2, 2012
The Start of the Holiday Season
November is finally here! Also known as Movember, Thanksgiving month and, most importantly (!!!), my birthday month.
It'll also mark my nine month anniversary in Korea. Damn.
The holidays are an emotional time for everyone. Especially me. Ask my family; I cry during TV shows. 'Tis the season for loved ones, parties and an endless supply of food and alcohol. As I celebrated Halloween on a booze cruise in Seoul this past weekend—while blocking out a boy's "game recognizes game, girl" sad attempt #swag—I started remembering all of the adventures I have during the October-January timeframe:
Halloween in San Diego. Costumes. Thing One and Thing Two will forever be remembered. As will secret keeping.
My birthday in Vegas. Bottle service? Why not. Every time? Tradition.
Thanksgiving and Christmas. With family and friends. Cooking and baking and laughing. Experiencing joy. And, without fail, my mom's burnt cookies.
NYE in Vegas. I mean, it's NYE. In. Las. Vegas. Best friends and sparkle dresses. What's not to love?
But this year, I'm here. It's not the physical locations that I'm going to miss (okay, maybe a little), but the people and the feelings. These holidays are filled with fun and positivity and togetherness.
So on that note, I came up with my birthday present list. If you're in Korea, I want a hug. Not a we're-drunk-girls-and-love-everyone hug or a half-assed, side-armed hug. A legit, I-like-you-as-a-person hug. I miss those. Or if food is more of your thing, either french toast, pancakes or a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup will do. If you're in another country, letters will be perfect.
Sidenote: Since coming back to school for second semester in August, I have yet to have a full schedule of classes. Something I'm thankful for? Check!
xo
It'll also mark my nine month anniversary in Korea. Damn.
The holidays are an emotional time for everyone. Especially me. Ask my family; I cry during TV shows. 'Tis the season for loved ones, parties and an endless supply of food and alcohol. As I celebrated Halloween on a booze cruise in Seoul this past weekend—while blocking out a boy's "game recognizes game, girl" sad attempt #swag—I started remembering all of the adventures I have during the October-January timeframe:
Halloween in San Diego. Costumes. Thing One and Thing Two will forever be remembered. As will secret keeping.
My birthday in Vegas. Bottle service? Why not. Every time? Tradition.
Thanksgiving and Christmas. With family and friends. Cooking and baking and laughing. Experiencing joy. And, without fail, my mom's burnt cookies.
NYE in Vegas. I mean, it's NYE. In. Las. Vegas. Best friends and sparkle dresses. What's not to love?
But this year, I'm here. It's not the physical locations that I'm going to miss (okay, maybe a little), but the people and the feelings. These holidays are filled with fun and positivity and togetherness.
So on that note, I came up with my birthday present list. If you're in Korea, I want a hug. Not a we're-drunk-girls-and-love-everyone hug or a half-assed, side-armed hug. A legit, I-like-you-as-a-person hug. I miss those. Or if food is more of your thing, either french toast, pancakes or a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup will do. If you're in another country, letters will be perfect.
Sidenote: Since coming back to school for second semester in August, I have yet to have a full schedule of classes. Something I'm thankful for? Check!
xo
"For your health"
My head teacher has this habit of trying to save my life.
During the summer, with the aircon blasting and making the humidity slightly tolerable, he would open the doors and windows. To even out the classroom and outdoor temperatures? To waste energy? To screw with the foreigner? No idea. Now, with the temperature dropping INTO SINGLE DIGITS already, I am holed up at my desk using two blankets, with no heater (it's not "cold enough" yet, after all) and the windows open. In case any of you are in this situation too, rest assured that it's all with your best interests in mind:
Head Teacher: Let's maybe open the windows (meaning that he is going to open the windows).
Me: But Teacher Park, I am very cold (motion that I am in my coat and still freezing).
Head Teacher: (Having finished opening the windows, has proceeded to the classroom doors and corridor windows) Do you know why we must do this? Very important.
Me: No. I don't understand. It is very cold outside.
Head Teacher: Circulation. It is for your health. If there is no circulation, you get sick. You will be very sorry.
Me: ::cries while slowly getting pneumonia::
It sounds like it came from the same group of ideas as this Korean-specific fan death mystery.
So, see parents? When it would be 100+ degrees during the California summers and I'd leave the windows open with the air conditioning on, I was really just looking out for you guys.
xo
During the summer, with the aircon blasting and making the humidity slightly tolerable, he would open the doors and windows. To even out the classroom and outdoor temperatures? To waste energy? To screw with the foreigner? No idea. Now, with the temperature dropping INTO SINGLE DIGITS already, I am holed up at my desk using two blankets, with no heater (it's not "cold enough" yet, after all) and the windows open. In case any of you are in this situation too, rest assured that it's all with your best interests in mind:
Head Teacher: Let's maybe open the windows (meaning that he is going to open the windows).
Me: But Teacher Park, I am very cold (motion that I am in my coat and still freezing).
Head Teacher: (Having finished opening the windows, has proceeded to the classroom doors and corridor windows) Do you know why we must do this? Very important.
Me: No. I don't understand. It is very cold outside.
Head Teacher: Circulation. It is for your health. If there is no circulation, you get sick. You will be very sorry.
Me: ::cries while slowly getting pneumonia::
It sounds like it came from the same group of ideas as this Korean-specific fan death mystery.
So, see parents? When it would be 100+ degrees during the California summers and I'd leave the windows open with the air conditioning on, I was really just looking out for you guys.
xo
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