Churrascoria and Norabong

I know, I know, I don't write enough in here. It's harder to post pictures too so I apologize.

I've been so so tired lately. Even though I get 7, 8, sometimes 9 hours of sleep at night, it never seems enough. I've either digressed to preschool and need a nap time or it's a symptom of getting older. I mean, I AM 21. ;)

It's been pretty hot this week. Yesterday was rainy and it was actually chilly for the first time. THEN, this morning, I woke up to a swept-clean blue sky with that serious autumnal nip in the air! It felt like Thanksgiving!!! (when I'm alone, that holiday is going to be hard for me. It's my favorite family holiday. We don't even get the day off! Maybe that's good...) Oh, I can't explain how my soul leaped for joy when I stepped out my door today. I had a giggle in my heart all day. It was bubbling over and I had to keep reminding myself to not let myself ride on the clouds all day or I was liable to come crashing down hard at some point. (I kinda have to be calm and normal and professional for my students too or they won't know WHAT'S going on!) But I couldn't help just being glad and positive all day. It's just so wonderful after always going home sweaty to be rubbing my arms to keep warm! And they say that it will stay like this till December! Unfortunately, after I come back in January, then we have a while of cold and RAINY, which is not cool. That will also be a hard time of year. But this semester is already going so fast - next spring is going to fly. It always does.

One of my 7th grade students and his family had all the middle school teachers out for dinner - they partner in a Brazilian beef restaurant so we all got to enjoy dinner for free tonight. We actually got out of the city and on the outskirts where there are beautiful rolling hills and a gorgeous lake. We wandered around the grounds of the restaurant on the lake for awhile and it almost felt like I was at the Biltmore estate or something. The lake was low so it reminded me of Lake Hartwell. Not the red clay so much though. :)
Anyway, this Brazilian restaurant was the real thing - skewers of meat just rolling out of the kitchen faster than you can say "Obrigada" (thank you in Portuguese)! Sausage, beef, ribs, pork, even chicken hearts - it was all here. The only way you could tell we were still in Korea was the big helpings of kimchee (pickled cabbage we eat with every meal) that never fail to show up. :P We were so full and I convinced several people to try the chicken hearts, remembering them from Brazil!
Afterwards, 8 of us girls went to a norabong (song room, or karaeoke!). 4 of us were the young new girls to the school but we had 4 older married ladies who decided to leave all worries behind for awhile and let their true selves come out (which is what happens with karaeoke...) it was hilarious to see a mother of 4 and the wife of the headmaster belting some good oldies at the top of their lungs!!

But now I'm even more tired and there is a middle school intramural soccer jamboree/tournament all morning starting at 8:30am tomorrow (on a SATURDAY!) Then I have - surprise surprise - lots and lots of grading and planning to do. So I'm going to get some much needed rest.
I'll try to remember my camera next time I go to the norabong. Peace.

Photo link

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013143&l=590a2&id=118900378

This is my facebook photo album for the Faculty Retreat. Hopefully the link will work!! (easier than posting pictures on here)

Seoul weekend

Just a few pictures!! This is from our trip to Seoul a few weekends ago. It was a little rainy but that didn't dampen our spirits!! We were out to see the Gyeongbukgung palace so we charged ahead!


Inside the palace....the changing of the guards. They looked pretty awesome in their full-fledged samurai outfits!! They refused to look at anybody. But I guess that happens in Washington DC too. :)

The King's house!! Definitely cool to tour around these palace grounds. It was quite large!

This is a little pagoda that had been built for some purpose during the World Cup when it was held in Korea. Don't know what the Egyptian pose is for though. :P


We stopped at a little tea house for afternoon refreshment - very delicious. And sitting on the floor makes for a cozy setting!