Christmas Eve, Eve

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and instead of spending the day relaxing and preparing for Christmas, I will be teaching five classes.  In Korea.  I really never imagined this would be my life.

Although it's been different spending the holidays in Korea, I'm looking forward to getting together with my Jeomchon friends tomorrow and on Christmas day.

Naturally I spent tonight doing lots of last minute gift shopping and wrapping.  Thankfully, the shopping wasn't TOO bad, but among the things that I readily expected to be more difficult in Korea, wrapping gifts never once entered my mind.  However, let me tell you, this is a whole new challenge in Korea.

I've never been good at wrapping gifts, and I'll admit my mother typically ends up helping me (she is really the best!)  One of the striking things that is different about Christmas in Korea as opposed to at home is that when you go into the stores there aren't huge Christmas displays with little gifts, wrapping paper, gift tags, and decorations.  There was a Christmas section at Homeplus, but it didn't last too long.  Today all I saw was a little Christmas section with some chocolates--it's quite the contrast to what you find in America.

Anywho, I only found one little section with wrapping paper, and the selection was limited.  The rolls of wrapping paper aren't the huge ones like we have in America, but are much smaller.  When I got home I also quickly found out that the paper is much thicker and doesn't fold very easily.  This was added challenge enough until I realized that tape BARELY sticks to the paper too.  As a result, it took a ridiculous amount of time and a considerable amount of frustration to wrap these presents.

In other news, I got a package from one of my friends back home today.  And as you can see it contained some good things, especially REESE'S, which for some crazy reason are not sold in Korea and are in my mind a holiday necessity.  Thanks, Kirsten!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.  I have lots of updating to do about this past weekend in Seoul, but that will have to wait until after Christmas.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS, and I hope to get some quality time with all of you soon! xox

5 Things that happened today

Here are some things that happened today:

1)  My female students saw a picture on the background of my computer of me with some friends and assumed the boy sitting next to me was my boyfriend (of course, because literally every boy they EVER see me with is automatically my boyfriend).  They then continued to call me Bella and him Jacob.  As in, the characters from Twilight.  So, that was how my day started.

2)  I had to write and re-write questions for the final exam.  I hate writing exam questions.  Seriously, I didn't like it America when I actually knew somewhat what I was doing.  Here, I don't know what I'm doing, and the test is way more important.  Ugh.

3) I completely blew one of my student's mind when I told him that in America gay people can get married in some states.  I don't remember how we ever got on the topic, but he simply couldn't believe that in America two guys could actually get married.  He asked about kids and I told him some gay couples adopt kids, and his mind was blown even more.  He told me that when they get older the kids must be sad and crazy because they did not have "a mother's love."  I told him that actually many kids have gay parents and are very happy and healthy.  The whole conversation was totally incomprehensible to him, and he just kept looking at me in complete disbelief.

So yeah, that's where Korea stands on that issue.  Wow.

4) I found out I don't have teach anymore night classes! YES!  I'm assuming they'll start back up with the new semester, but I'm so glad to have my Tuesday nights back for now.  My co-teacher did tell me that one of the boys said he still wanted to have class and was disappointed it was over, which was nice because I rarely get any feedback about anything.

5)  I got an absolutely awesome package from home.  Complete with a Red Sox sweatshirt, mug, Sports Illustrated, a huge bag of Lindt chocolate, Christmas decorations (including a little tree. Yes, now I have 2!), and my personal favorite, an icon!  Yes, you know you're probably a Melkite when your care package contains an icon.  And it's a sure sign that you actually are when you're really excited about getting an icon in your care package because you know a home isn't a home without some icons.

Anyone who lives abroad knows how awesome it is to get packages from home, and this was extra special because it was unexpected and filled with pieces of home.  My parents are truly fantastic.