Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hope you have a great Valentine’s Day! I did, my boyfriend is very awesome. I maybe bias but he is no doubt the best boyfriend ever…. These roses were on my desk waiting for me at 9:00 this morning.
I hope your Valentine treats you awesome too, if not then punch ’em, in the FACE!
Happy Lunar New Year!
It’s the Year of the Dragon! Hope this year brings you joy and love.
We went to Gyeongju for Seollal (설날) Korean’s Lunar New Year. Will post more later, for now here is a picture of an ancient dragon…
Highlights For Kids: December 2011
Haven’t posted since Pepero Day! Had a little photography over-load when my mom was visiting. Dusted off the trust camera and took some picture during Christmas. Here are some highlights:
Pepero My Love
The biggest Pepero Day is coming up this Friday!! It will be 11/11/11 the first and only one ever, well not until 2111 I guess. I wrote about Pepero Day last year and talked about it some. You can click here if you want to know more about the holiday. I’m really excited this year because they added a new flavor STRAWBERRY! So here’s my two favorite ones.
Trick or Treat!
Halloween in Seoul has been more… uh… celebrated this year than last, which makes me super happy. I say that because Halloween things are more available this year and there are more costume shops and Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts have been doing Halloween foods! I found the most amazing ice cream that taste like a pumpkin pie. I think Halloween is my favorite holiday, it’s all about dressing up and getting candy, two of my favorite things.
Here’s my costume this year, Chad was a Pokémon Trainer and I was a pikachu.
At my school, we took the kids trick or treating to a couple of the kids homes and then YBM Head Quarters. 
Then we played around at the school trading candy. 
The afternoon was the same and it was pretty fun. 
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
A Day in the Life
Hey everyone! Sh1ft.org has a new project coming up: A Day in the Life. If you want to play click here to learn more!
And just for you here is a random picture of me in a Hanbok with a silly student we called “Dan the Man”
Mama Letty’s Korean Adventure: Day 3
Day 3: Happy Chuseok!! Today lots of things were closed due to the holiday but one place that wasn’t close was EVERLAND!! So we took the subway to Gangnam Station on line 2 then we took bus number 5002 to Everland. On the way there the bus was standing room only. At the bus stop we took a free shuttle to EVERLAND. At first Everland pissed us off because the ticket booth lady was an idiot and when Chad tried to buy tickets she was just not getting it. He even said it in Korean. So Chad and I got super discounts, Kyle and Jamie got the foreigner discount and mom had to pay full price, because I guess she looks Korean…. Yeah ticket booth lady=stupid.
Once inside the place was great! Really crowded with all the other Asians in Korea besides Koreans. It was the Halloween Festival so everything was themed Halloween, which was amazing!! Then we went to this area that had birds you can feed, I’m terrified of birds but I tried it out.
Then was so much to do and see. In Everland, you have rides, a zoo and shows. Here are some highlights.
Teacher’s Day
Gifts from my students for Teacher's Day
Happy Teacher’s Day!! In Korea they celebrated Teacher’s Day on May 15. Since May 15 falls on a Sunday this year I got a lot of presents this last Thursday and Friday. I had many students say, “Teacher Monday, Monday I will give you a presents!!” So finally a reason to look forward to Monday. To all those teachers out there Happy Teacher’s Day and THANK YOU for your teaching!!
Happy Birthday Buddha!
Bronze Buddha Statue at Seoraksan National Park
Buddha’s Birthday is a national holiday here in Korea. So we have to go to work on Monday but we get Tuesday off, go figure….
Buddha’s birthday is the birthday of the Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who founded Buddhism and is considered Buddha because “Buddha” meaning “awakened one” or “the enlightened one” found enlightenment. It’s held on the 8th day of the 4th month in the Chinese lunar calendar.
This year makes it May 10th.
National Assembly of Korea
Here is a picture of the National Assembly during the Cherry Blossom Festival. It took me a second to realize the flower patterns are the Taegeuk the symbol of Korea.
Trees are Terrific!
Does anyone else remember this and sing this song every time you hear the word arbor… I do. Sometimes I just sing it to trees because I feel like they will appreciate it. Trees are so nice and giving. Want proof read The Giving Tree that kid’s such a jerkface and the tree is so laid back and ya know… giving.
Plant a tree or at least hug one. Happy Arbor Day!
Happy White Day!
White Day is observed in South Korea with the men paying back women who have given them chocolate on Valentine’s Day with candy instead of chocolate. I just like this picture. It has nothing to do with White Day except it’s white….
It’s my Birthday!
Had a great birthday at Daddy J’s. Thanks to everyone who came out. Everyone made me feel real special and loved. Thanks Korea for being so cool!!
“We’ll Take a Cup o’Kindness Yet”
Celebrating New Year
“And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne!”
Happy New Year! Don’t forget that it’s 2011 and NOT two-thousand-eleven.
This “Y2K” fad has run it’s course and it’s starting to ruin a generation of children. I don’t know how many kids I’ve had to teach how to say dates. They don’t know how to say any year before 2000! It’s starting to become a problem. And I’m stopping it right here and now.
Besides that we rang in the New Year with lots of good friends at the local spot Daddy J’s. It reminds me of “The Wall” back in Stillwater. Everyone especially had a great time once it was free beer from midnight till 2!
Hope 2011 is as fun as 2010!
A Seoul-Filled Christmas
Waiting for Santa
This is J Class. We’re headed into the playroom to wait for Santa. It was pretty fun except the teacher that played Santa is this class’ main teacher so they could tell it was “Tyler teacher!!” Oh well they still got presents!
Even thought this Christmas was spent far away from home I had a great Christmas. I’m luck to have made so many great friends here. And Christmas is a lot more fun with a bunch of kids.
A Christmas Feast
The Table
We had a great Christmas party at Sara’s apartment. Moriah and I ordered a giant turkey and ham dinner from a catering place on the US Army Base. We all hosted it and it was a great success. Lots of our co-teachers and friends and their friends came. Everyone brought some food or drinks and it was a great feast! We ate and drank and had a wonderful time!
Merry Christmas!
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
Without Lights
- With Lights
Here is a picture of our Christmas tree at Chad’s place. I decorated this one for us and then I decorated a pink one for my place. I thought this would be the one chance I get to decorate a tree pink with Hello Kitty. The white thing at the top is a little mobile that one of Chad’s students drew Pokémon on. Christmas trees are VERY cheap here but lights are expensive. Also I’ve had trouble finding large rolls of wrapping paper.
Merry Christmas Everyone!!
We miss you and hope your holidays are merry and bright!!
Impromptu Thanksgiving Dinner
Some fried chicken and cheese!
Our impromptu Korean style “Thanksgiving Dinner” I’ve been saving a box of Kraft mac and cheese for such an occasion. We also have some fried chicken and these Korean style chicken balls on a stick from the Lotte Super and grilled cheese sandwiches! Butter and cheese are REALLY over priced in Korea. I do most of my cooking with butter and cheese!! I didn’t feel like going out to eat cause it was so cold and so we thought “lets get a ton of food from the super market deli” and then we realize OH it’s Thursday so that means its Thanksgiving!
So hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!!
PS yes that is a donut pillow in the background, and it’s from Dunken Donuts!
All the leaves are yellow
Namsan Mountain
Even on the other side of the globe the leaves change colors. Red, orange, yellow and brown cover the trees and the sidewalks.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Happy Pepero Day!
All the Pepero from my students
Like many holidays consumed by commercialize Pepero Day is a holiday in Korea which its Seoul purpose (forgive the pun) is to give Pepero (or cookie sticks dipped in chocolate) to friends. Pepero Day 11-11 because it looks like 4 Pepero sticks. Also you give out Pepero in hopes that the recipient will grow to be tall and slender like Pepero. I got a ton from my students, one of the perks of being a teacher. Sorry kids, you hopes are in-vain because Charlet teacher will never grow to be tall like a Pepero and if I eat all this pepero I will not remain slender. Well anyway Happy Pepero Day!
And to my American friends Happy Veterans’ Day.
A Photo A Day When You're Far Away 