Another one bites the dust.. Me!

Most of you have probably heard already, but I am now the 4th new staff person to be on crutches this semester. We've decided we are cursed and those who haven't been struck yet are getting a little worried. :-P Thanks to a little accident at staff volleyball Wednesday night I am now struggling with a fractured fibula and the idea of being on crutches and in a cast for 6 weeks. This presents more of a problem than it seems, not only because I walk everywhere, but also because I leave for Thailand on Saturday! I will be getting a new cast on Friday, I got new crutches today, and I am getting help from good friends to clean my house and pack my bags tomorrow. Then, despite my injury, I will be all ready for a little rest and relaxation. It's been difficult to change my expectations for the trip, but now that I have, I am looking forward to it again. I will still be able to enjoy the warm weather, lay on the beach, ride an elephant, and see the snake charmers. I just hope we don't have too much walking! I am going to call the airport though and get wheelchair service for the air travel parts of the trip, which will allow us to avoid standing in any lines and board the plane first. hehe.

I am surrounded by such amazing people that my spirits haven't dampened too much. I have been getting lots of help doing everything which is cool. My friends even brought the party to my house last night so that I didn't have to walk anywhere. Also, although the timing might seem completely awful for an injury like this, in some respects it is just as good a time as any...many better. This week at school has been a breeze. We have been celebrating Christmas, meaning that I don't have to stress out about planning, being on time, or even moving out of the workroom much. Today I led the board games track (just like SEW). I was supposed to go caroling at the children's ward in the hospital, but I had a good time playing Scrabble...even more entertaining with ESL students. (Is fod a word? What about nome? knof? phuk? hahaha). In the afternoon about 100 students and faculty went ice skating. Luckily that didn't produce any injuries, however some kids claim they fell over 15 times! I stayed behind and watched a movie with the 30+ kids who didn't want to go. We watched Millions. I had never heard of it, but it was a pretty good movie. Now, we just have two more days left. I am going to be making horchata and tortilla chips with my Spanish classes. Mmmmmm!

Winter is here!

Well, winter has officially set in here. Not only have the highs been below 0 (celcius, that is), but Friday morning I awoke to see snow falling outside my window! This weekend is definitely the coolest is has been so far, but that didn't spoil it. On Friday night I ran the scoreboard for the basketball games...4 in a row! Then, on Saturday morning I got up early to go to the MS swim meet at KIS (click link for pictures). The ride there was early and freezing. I think there was a problem with the heat on the bus because the windows had ice forming on the inside. It was nice and toasty in the pool area though. Everyone had a good time at the meet. Although most of our swimmers are beginners, they were excited about their swims all the same. Some of them did really well and it was good to see them succeed; especially those who don't exactly succeed in school. Saturday night it was so cold I didn't want to leave my house, but luckily a friend called and I enjoyed a night of hot tea and card games. It was a lot of fun. Then, today after church I went to a local orphanage. We had pizza with the kids and then had a Christmas party. Santa was there and delivered the gifts we had brought. It was great, but it was the first time I was really frustrated not knowing Korean. It definitely motivates me to keep studying. Now I just have to find the time!

Thankfulness

Since Thanksgiving was this past week, I have been trying to take time to think about all the things I am thankful for. I have realized that they are numerous. Of course, I am thankful for the normal things...a loving family (who is coming to visit me soon!) and great friends. But I am thankful for much more than that. My life has been truly blessed. I am so thankful for the opportunities I've had to live all over the world and experience new and different things. I'm thankful I have a job that I love and to which I enjoy going most days. I'm thankful to have colleagues that are incredibly supportive and caring and willingly teach me how I can improve. I'm thankful that I am financially stable and am able to spend money on myself and my travels often. :) I'm thankful to have a job and lifestyle that allow me to travel. I'm thankful that my life has purpose. I'm thankful for friends who challenge me. I'm thankful for strangers who encourage me. I'm thankful for my safety; something that is usually taken forgranted, but has been on my mind since people from my school left Mumbai (even the same part of town!) just 1 day before the terrorist attacks. I'm thankful that I always have people to lean on...near and far. Life is so good, and there is so much to be grateful for. When I stop and think about it, it amazes me.

This week was a good one. On Tuesday I received a package from people at Central. Inside were about 100 notes of encouragement. Some were from friends and others from complete strangers, but all of them brought a smile to my face. Not to mention a few tears at the incredibly kind words and rush of memories from school. It was great. Then, on Friday, Bethany came to Daejeon to visit me. It was a blast...we ate a lot at Thanksgiving dinner on Friday night then went to a DVD bang. On Saturday we spent the day shopping for xmas gifts, decorating my apartment, eating French toast, and hanging out at a coffee shop playing uno and dutch blitz. :) Sunday was church and shopping at Costco before she caught the train home. It was awesome to have her here; it's so fun to have such a good friend in Korea, too. Someone to share my experiences here.