December Highlights

Okay, so admittedly blogging is not my favorite past time, so here is my post for the month of December-->

December means Christmas- which in Korea is nothing like Christmas in North America-- however, the other foreign teachers and I did our best to infuse the day with some traditions- the usual decorations, a stocking exchange, of course watching Elf (SAAAAAAANTA!!!!!!- that one's for you SJ). We had a delicious pancake breakfast in the evening, and a potluck complete with ham and mash potatoes, and of course, kimchee- it wouldn't be Korea otherwise.Christmas morning

A group of us hit up the Nutcracker as well-- twas fun to do something that I use to do at Christmastime as a child with my mom.

Other December highlights:

I wouldn't normarly talk about weather, but it went from abnormally warm to unnecessarily cold- in which my ears fought diligently to stay on. In this photo we are regretting the decision to ever go outside and regretting even more the decision to stop and take a photo. . .

Ice skating while icy cold without ice skates on the not quite finished icy ice skating rink. (how many times can you use the word ice, or a variation of it, in a sentence??) (Note * This photo is taken prior to the departure of a certain couple and the resulting division that occurred among the t-dub crew- how glad are we that they decided to come back and reunite us!)

The tree in the center of Sanbon- complete with the typical red cross that dot the landscape here.

And of course, the infamous Taekwondo festival- many many children plus 6 white folks performing for the oh so proud parents. We even got trophies!! (No pizza party with speeches where the coach raves about each child though- However, its evident how proud our coach is of us as you watch him fighting the urge to roll on the ground in laughter as we give a master performance of the fourth poonsae).
We also had a small goodbye shindig for one of a friend who left her post at school.