This was inevitable - holidays away from the family. When leaving for a country for a year you know you're going to miss some very important things. While being in that country for the actual holidays it is important to remember that you chose to do this and that these same holidays will be there next year waiting for you to celebrate them the way that you've always done and to embrace this year as different.
SO that is exactly what we foreigners did. If you're lucky enough you come to Korea and you fall into a group as great as mine. These people have become like family over the past few months so spending it together just was the natural way of it. One of us made a nice Christmas Eve dinner in his apartment before we all headed out to the bar we always go to, where we waited for the clock to strike 12 and make it officially Christmas Day. I was playing foosball at that exact moment, by the way. Due to the fact that I was getting over being very, very sick I called it an early night at 2am.
Christmas day couldn't have gone any better either. I had people over to my apartment where I made everyone french toast for breakfast, and we then had a large Polyanna gift exchange wherein the spirit of Christmas we open presents and then steal what we want from those that we love. I wound up with a nice Guinness set, so I can't complain. There was an intermission in the day for people to go clean themselves up, and we headed into Seoul for a nice, traditional, Moroccan Style Dinner. Wait, what? Moroccan? Yes. We tried for the Irish Pub BUT it was all booked up and this was the next best thing. Honestly - it was a perfect random fit to our day in my mind, and it was actually pretty tasty too (Marakech Night, in Itaewon).
So now, after a successful Christmas comes to a close, I would like to thank all those that were apart of it, and wish all those that weren't a very, very Happy Christmas. I'm really missing friends and family, but I will home in less than a year now, and that's kind of a crazy thought.
Happy Holidays!
2 comments:
Stumbled on your blog via blogrush and, as an ex ex-pat and a current teacher I thought I'd say hi (and add you to my daily feeds to read). Love the insights into ex-pat teaching. A thoroughly enjoyable site. I'll look forward to each of your new posts.
dromedarius's last blog post.. http://whereoldbackpackersgotodie.blogspot.com/2008/01/weasel-coffee-beef-pho-does-that-little.html
Weasel Coffee & Beef Pho: Does that little animal really regurgitate the coffee beans?
Aw thanks so much for the compliment!! I try to make it entertaining :)
Where were you an expat? And where are you currently teaching? Not sure I could do it back home, but I have so much more respect for the profession now, that is for sure.
I'll mosey on over to your blog - sounds like an interesting read!
Post a Comment