holiday hoorah

well, i finished my month of teaching english at the moonah community center! i taught children korean age 5 to 16 which is american age 3 to 14. in korea, when a child is born they are one and then at the new year they are two so their age is always 1-2 years off from the number of years they have actually been alive. anyway, it was a rewarding experience and i hope to go back an sub if jonathon (they guy i filled in for while he went home to canada) or joel (the other canadian teacher) ever need a vacation...which i am sure they will.

christmas was low-key and surprisingly pleasant. we thought we'd be lonely without our families but we weren't without them! we opened presents with both sides of the family over webcams which finally worked (a christmas miracle). we did this on christmas morning, so their christmas eve. so much fun! definitely the highlight of the holiday. i worked christmas eve and when i got home brant had made dinner and we opened our gifts to each other. on christmas day, we went to a christmas party at kate and kevin's apartment. it was the same gang as thanksgiving and we played cards and many heated games of mexican train and catch phrase.

we spent new year's eve in seoul. we actually went up the 30th and stayed 2 nights at the ritz (i know, are you kidding me...we got a killer military deal). we had sushi, went shopping, and navigated the area near our hotel amidst sub-zero windchills.... so cold. on the 30th at night, we went to the hofbrau house...ha! so funny. we got served by a korean woman in a dirndl...it just didn't look right, but i felt right at home nonetheless. then everyone followed my lead to a place i had seen earlier called signature karaoke...it looked really modern and fun, so i convinced everyone to follow me through the cold. i was praying that it would be open when we got there (since it was sunday night) so everyone wouldn't hurt me....and it was! we rented a room and karaoked the night away....

i am heavy into training for the seoul marathon. i have heard it is a fast race.... as in everyone that runs it is pretty good, so i am hoping to draft off from them. :) it is march 16th. the day before my favorite holiday.

brant is working much less than he did at shaw which is so nice. he also doesn't have the 45 minute commute...it's maybe a half mile to base or 10 minutes by bike (it's hilly).... he is going to vegas, japan, and hawaii this month for his new job. i will accompany him on the hawaii trip....obviously! :)

i am going to seoul this weekend for a bachelorette party and then we are headed to yongpyong ski resort next weekend for the mlk holiday. i hope i remember how to ski - it's been quite awhile, but i can't wait.

happy trails to you...
love,
s