Why I have been MIA since October Part 2

Okay, picking up on where I left off, here are 5 more things that have happened since October.

6.) I spent Thanksgiving in Seoul and cooked dinner (but not turkey) with my friend.

We didn't quite have all the Thanksgiving fixings, but it still was a great meal. Nice hunks of steak, creamy mashed potatoes and baked beans, squash, salad with hard boiled eggs and California cheese, and soju (which we never got around to drinking - too focused on the STEAK!) Definitely an impressive meal when you add in the fact that we cooked it at my friends house and she only has a 1-burner stove...

7.) I had a terrible month of December, spending most of it alone and at the doctors office repeatedly with severe strep throat and tonsillitis. Luckily Korean doctor visits are much more affordable than my home country. Still... I have never had so many shots repeatedly in my life, and I hated it. I had my first IV, and was prescribed more pills than I could've ever possibly imagined. Thankfully, I survived. However, getting my tonsils removed is on my list of things I need.

As a side note, the doctor office was pretty cool. Just once small office, but they did my diagnosis, blood work, IV, injections, and everything all in one place (There were only 6 rooms plus the waiting room) quickly and with ease. Plus, the pharmacy was directly downstairs from the clinic. 

8.) Spent my New Years Eve in Seoul with friends, gleefully happy to finally have company after a month being sick in my lonely apartment. 

Saw one of my friends play guitar for the first time and WOW...he and his friends are great. Watching them perform was a blast, and everyone attending seemed like a small, yet close knit group of kind people. The video below is just one short clip from one of their sets, but I think it was their most energetic and fun one. The guy who is dancing makes it all the better for certain. It was cute because when my friend and I arrived the people selling tickets thought we were in the wrong place, I guess we are the first foreigners to ever show up for one of their shows. They were super excited about it. 

Spent my New Year's Eve at Cheonggyecheon Stream, just like I did two years ago during my first visit to Korea. To let the nostalgia really kick in, my friend and I sent our handmade lanterns down the stream just like we had done before. We didn't stick around for the 'ring the bell' ceremony this time though. We decided once in a lifetime was enough of that, too many people. Instead we kicked back at my friend's apartment, toasting with OJ because we didn't want to drink. haha

I also visited with a friend that was out on release from his military duty. We ate and went to Hongdae with another one of my friends and went to the sheep cafe there. It was a really nice cafe, but I will show more about it in another post soon. That day we spent a lot of time in Hongdae, watching street performers busk and just enjoying the atmosphere of the busy and energetic street.

9.) I taught 3 weeks of winter English camp at my school.

They learned the word: Snowflake

Some of the 4th grade boys helped me make this snowman after our classes ended, since we had received quite a lot of snow. Then we proceeded to get into a snowball fight and one of the boys sabotaged our snowman. They are all so cute.

10.) I went on a one-week trip to JAPAN! Wow was that fun and exciting!

Tokyo

The taxi's were so retro - looking, I thought it was cool.

Senso-ji Temple

These are the first Pokemon cards I have ever had in my entire life...and now I have an addiction to them at a very late age I think...Now I have a well-developed collection in both Japanese and Korean cards.

Kyoto

Arashiyama

Fushimi Inari Taisha 

 

 

I thought that this temple and the one below were both absolutely stunning. The deep red and orange colors were perfect for some awesome photography. Since this is a blog about my life in Korea though, I will not go on in too much detail except just show a  few photos from my trip.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Osaka

Universal Studios and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Universal studios, and especially the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, were like a dream come true. Finally I could live like a wizard for a day, get wizard clothing, try wizard sweets and foods, and taste some delicious butter-beer. The virtual reality included on the roller coasters was amazing and added an awesome dynamic to the rides as well. 

Osaka Castle

At the top of Osaka Castle, the view was great. Also, check out that Dragon-fish! Pretty neat looking.

Me, with the silhouette of Osaka Castle and the snow in the background. 

Overall, a great vacation. Topped it off with massages and a bit of shopping once my friend and I returned to Seoul. What a great 10 days off it was.