Snow, Snow, Snow

Yep, snow is falling as I speak. It has snowed here almost everyday for the past 2 weeks. I guess it is really uncommon to get that much of the white stuff here. It's been pretty cold, too, with wind chills in the single digits (farenheit). Maybe I just bring winter with me wherever I go. hehe. Those of you that know me well know that I don't mind snow when it doesn't last long, when I don't have to drive in it, and when I get to go sledding. Luckily, the snow never last very long here. It is usually melted by the time school gets out with the exception of yesterday where there were a couple inches all day! I do not have to drive in it which is so nice. I do not miss scraping the car, that's for sure. The only bad thing about this snow is that I can't go sledding in it. I am still recovering from my broken leg. I got the cast off on Thursday (YAY!), but my muscle is so weak that I can't really walk properly. I am trying to do stretches and build up the muscle as quickly as I can so that I can get back to being active.

Other than the weather, things are going well here. Right now we are in the middle of a five-day weekend because of Lunar New Year, the biggest holiday in Korea after Chusok in September. I am just hanging around Daejeon resting, watching movies, and being with friends. It has been great so far to get some much-needed relaxation since I have been on the go a lot lately.

I am posting links to some pictures. Just click on the underlined words to see them. You will have to go to the end of all the albums to see the new ones. Some are from Alicia's visit to Daejeon the first week in January. Others are from our time in Seoul together. We had another swim meet on Saturday so I have added more to the swim meet album. I also have some of my co-workers and I on twin day at school. Last week was Spirit week so we had dress-up days. Monday was black and gold day, Tuesday was crazy day, Wednesday was twin day, Thursday was opposite gender day, and Friday--my favorite day--was "bring a cuddly stuffed animal to school" day. The kids were so funny, and almost everyone brought a stuffed animal. It was great fun. I wish I had more pics from the week, but be sure to check them out.

Cabbage decorating the side of the road. Why use flowers when you can use cabbage? :-D

Back in the Groove

I have almost survived the second week 1. Today was the last heavy day of the week so the way I see it is already done. :) I have gotten back into the groove of getting up early, working all day, and doing the same the next day. It's weird though because we all think that time seems to be moving so slowly. Maybe it is just because we are being so productive. ;) I worked a basketball game last night and had swim practice today and Tuesday.

I can still tell, however, that this week is different. It seemed like week 1 again because the break from school was so long. I could tell the students were feeling the same way because by 2:00 everyday they were wiped out. It was really fun to go back and see all the students again, and even more fun when they shouted hello from down the hall or across the field. They were excited to be back, too. And rested, which has resulted in them being more motivated and well-behaved. All of the teachers are hoping it lasts! One of the highlights of the week is that I have new students! I have 3 new Spanish students (now all my classes have an even number :-D) and 3 new Bible students. 2 of my Bible students moved to mainstream classes so it was a nice surprise to see I had picked up so many more. They all seem like really nice kids, but I definitely have challenges ahead of me. Especially trying to get the Spanish students caught up to the rest of the class. It has made my other students realize how much they have learned, though.

It was a good week, but I am so ready for the weekend. We have another MS swim meet on Saturday and this one looks to be an even longer day. We are leaving at 6:00 a.m. and probably won't be back until 6:00 pm! I will let you know if I survive that one!

A School Night

It has arrived...another school night which means that our three-week break for Christmas is over. Although I admit I'm not ready to go back, I had a fantastic break. Three teacher friends and I went to Thailand for the first two weeks. We took off right away on December 20th and returned on January 4th. The trip began in Phuket where we stayed at a resort not far from two popular beaches. Besides sitting on the beach we took a couple speedboat tours to nearby islands, saw a show, had a few massages (they are so cheap there!), and shopped...a lot. Even though I couldn't get in the ocean because of my cast, I was still able to do most things. My favorite part of the trip was the sea kayaking. I have posted some pics; to see them click here.

The second leg of our trip took us to Chiang Mai in the north. We left Phuket on Christmas day and a taxi ride, flight, another taxi ride, and a 15 hour train ride later, we finally arrived to our destination. In Chiang Mai we stayed at a place called the Juniper Tree and it was amazing. Not only was it beautiful and we had a large space, but they also provided meals and did our laundry. I think Chiang Mai was my favorite place because of all there is to do there. We shopped at the large night market; visited silk, jewelry, and umbrella factories; rode elephants; went whitewater rafting; and ATVed through the jungle/mountains. It was so fun! Everyone thought I was crazy when I first showed up and doubted that I would be able to with a broken leg, but I didn't let it slow me down too much. It did prevent me from doing the zip line adventure which I have been wanting to do for a long time, but I know I will do it someday. Chiang Mai pictures

After our time in Chiang Mai we took the train back to Bangkok. Some of Sarah's friends picked us up and took us to another friend's house where we stayed for the next few days. Our time in Bangkok was really relaxing. We visited the Grand Palace one day and took a tour to a floating market and cultural show another, but besides that we spent time resting and going wherever we felt, which usually took us to a mall (even though we were extremely shopped out by the time we arrived). My favorite part of our time there was the last day when we just hung out with our new Thai friends all day. Some of the girls came over to make us lunch and then in the evening everyone came over to "our house" and played cards, slept for a few hours, and then saw us off at 3:00 AM. Follow the link for more pictures.

Upon returning to Korea I headed straight to Seoul to meet Alicia. She and a friend spent the week here and it was wonderful to have them. We did some sightseeing in Seoul before coming back to Daejeon to shop (what else! :-P) and experience some of the local culture. We also took a daytrip to Daedunsan, a nearby mountain. It was really nice and I plan to go back there when my leg heals as well. On Friday night we caught a bus back to Incheon since their flight left early Saturday morning. The visit was too short, but really good. Pictures will be coming from that, too.

And that brings me to today. Winter is here and it is COLD...so I'm trying to get acclimated to the temperature (Thailand had perfect weather). I also went in to school and worked for a couple hours to prepare myself for tomorrow. Hopefully the week isn't too busy, but I have a feeling it will be with a swim meet coming up this weekend. Not to mention the 4-hour season premier of American Idol. :)