Last Week....

Here are a few photos from last week:



Patrick is posing in the snow. Isn't his hat cute!!



We are on our way to Starbuckies!!



Patrick's and Wontae's Birthday Dinner with our small group. Wontae is our small group leader.

The past week has been very busy, not too interesting, but a few moments worth blogging about.

Below Freezing: Last Saturday I walked to work in -12 degrees weather. In Fahrenheit, it's 10, but with the windchill it made it 2. I have never been in regular work clothes and in that type of conditions. It was so weird, and then it snowed on Sunday.

Todai's: They have one in Seoul. Patrick and I have been going for our birthdays for the last few years. It's free on your birthday and it's an all you can eat sushi buffet. In Korea they have a large assortment of sashimi, but there is no 2 for 1 deal on your birthday. So sad.

Sunday: Patrick and I argued about dunkin donuts. We get 3 donuts every Sunday and head to Starbucks. I only want one, and Patrick can have the other 2. I usually have to adapt the rule: eat as fast as you can, otherwise Patrick will eat your food. However, there is only so much donut I can swallow before I need to breathe. So I took a mini-break and read a few pages from my novel, and as I lowered my book, the remaining piece to my donut was gone!! This has been going on for a few weeks. Patrick's defense was that we need more. Seriously?? He is the one who purchases the donuts!! Can't he buy how many he eats. So this past Sunday, we bought 4 and I still have to eat it quickly before it's devoured by my hubby.

Power Yoga: I tried yoga for the first time with my friend Arla. We originally wanted to do hot yoga but both times we have gone they have only offered power. So, what the heck!! We powered it up and my arms were sore for about a week. That little Korean kicked my butt. We are headed back this week for hot yoga. They have the room at a blistering temperature. Very caliente!!

Smallville: Apparently I remind my students of the Lana gal on Smallville. A student of mine said, "You...Lana....Same," as she clapped her hands together. She couldn't quite muster up the correct subject verb agreement. I said, "isn't she Asian?" Apparently she is half Chinese and half Canadian. I have neither of those nationalities. I think they are still confused on where Mexico and Spain are located.

Fresno: Each month advanced teachers have to offer an 1-2 hours of tutoring service for students. The can make a 15 minute appointment with you to ask any questions to help improve their English skills. On Thursday I met a girl who has studied in Fresno (hometown) and is heading back in a month. Literally, what a small world.

Christmas Party: We had our Pagoda Christmas Party on Saturday. It was fun, I got a Starbucks gift card from my secret Santa. We had some Christmas finger foods and lots of wine. They gave our branch a bottle of 151 to celebrate. The entire staff took a shot as I held up my cup of wine to cover the red. I played it off like I had some as everyone coughed from the burning in their throat as they just swallowed what smelled like rubbing alcohol. I will stick to my wine sipping, thank you very much. But I will say that I might have a career in acting. We ended the evening at a hookah bar. Good times. Although I can't believe people enjoy a cherry flavored hookah. Am I the only one who associates cherry with cough medicine?? Maybe I was sick too often as a child.

Canadians: Two of my favorite people are Jon and Arla. They are a couple from Canada. They always say "eh" after a sentence. We always make fun of Canadians, but since they have a pretty big presence in Korea, I feel like we should make peace. "Eh" doesn't really bother me, but I just finally stopped smiling this week after they say it. I'm trying to remove the Canadian jokes out of my head so we can be friends. What a struggle.

Favorite Words: As many of you know Patrick and I are not learning any Korean. But, I have been learning quite a few new terms. For example. any chance I get, I love to use the word BLAST. It's so fun, I absolutely love it. My friend James from Ireland taught me that one. On Friday I learned, "Oh my giddy Aunt!" My friend Richard from England taught me that one. Zoe, who is from London, always uses the word "proper". We will be going to coffee soon to talk about magazines and fashion over a proper drink...meaning coffee. So much fun!! Now when we travel to these countries we have friends to look up. Yeah for international people.

I think that sums it up for the past week.