My First Korean Birthday

About a week ago I had my birthday in Korea. I was kinda bummed that I wouldn't get to be at home and with family and friends for my birthday, but it turned out to be great! All of my supervisors got me birthday presents (totally unexpected!). The coolest present was a mug with my name in Korean on it!

At lunch, I went into the gym and the whole school sang Happy Birthday to me as a cake was brought out! After school 6 of my co-workers took me out to TGI Friday and bought me another cake! My friend Clara's present to me was taking me to get a pedicure this weekend :) So good! It was a great birthday!

At the end of June, I will have been at the new school just as long as at the old one. It's weird, but I've almost forgotten what life was like at the other school. It's crazy how fast you find a new normal. It's only been 7 months, but so much has happened already! These months have just flown by! Everytime I think back on making the decision to come to Korea, I think, wow, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The good and the seemingly not-so-good have all worked out. I guess that's no a huge suprise though. We are all promised that EVERYTHING works together for good....and I've seen it happen :)

Hit by a bike!

What is it with me and bikes!? Tonight while I was just walking back from the river, all the sudden I heard screeching brakes and a yell. This guy pretty much hit me full force with his bike from behind. Even though I'm laughing about it, it could have been really bad! Thank goodness I just got a bruise on my leg and a sore back! What in the world!? The strangest things happen to me! :)

I had a really good weekend! I went to a cooking class, played Wii Tennis and running, had my first ride on a scooter, and just hung out with good friends. Things are way more fun here in the Spring! Warm Spring nights are the best.

A Sad Day

Someone stole my bike. It was locked up and everything! I feel silly that I am so sad about it, but I am! So much for safe Korea. I'm not mad, I'm just sad because I loved having a bike. At least I got good use out of it! I guess I will have to buy another bike that's cheap and ugly one so that no one want it... At least they didn't steal it on my birthday next week! That would have been really sad! Man... I guess it's better to have a stolen bike though than a stolen purse!

My First Korean Wedding

Yesterday I went to my gym teacher's wedding. I'm glad he invited us, even though we don't know him very well. He's Korean, and he probably knew we just wanted to see a Korean wedding. It was really interesting. I didn't really know what to expect. I think it was pretty typical, from what I've heard. My friend Clara went with me, as well as a couple from our school. Clara did my hair! It was just a fun excuse to get dressed up and go out :)

When we walked in, Martin, the gym teacher greeted us. He took us to this little room where the bride was. The room was exclusively for taking pictures with the bride. We'd never met her before, but she took a picture with us. The weddings here are in Wedding Halls, not usually in churches.

When the wedding began, the mothers walked down the make-shift isle and then the miliary men walked down the isle and lined up to make a tunnel with their swords. It was pretty cool! The the bride and her father walked down the isle. The whole ceremony only lasted probably 15-20 minutes. They said the vows, a man sang, and then they brought out the cake and cut it. They lit a candle and blew it out, just like at a birthday party! Then they walked back down the isle. When they walked out, the military men stopped the groom a few times to make him do funny things. The first time he had to do 5 pushups! A little strange, but funny.

After the ceremony they took pictures, just like at an American wedding. After all the family pictures, all of the friends had to go up and get a picture. We had to be in Martin's wedding pictures! Of course the four of us were the only white people there.

After the wedding was the banquet. We went down stairs and sat at a table. It was a little weird cause the dinner was buffet style, almost like in a cafeteria setting. There was another wedding dinner going on at the same time, in the same room! At this time, the bride and groom came around to greet people in their traditional Korean outfits. They disappeared, and within about 15 minutes, everyone from our wedding had left. A loud speaker came on, telling us to exit within the next 10 minutes because another wedding dinner was coming through. The reception was strictly eating. We didn't even see the bride and groom.

It was really interesting to see, but it's not exactly the kind of wedding that every American girl dreams of. It didn't even really feel like a wedding. It didn't even really feel like a celebration. It was just kind of robotic. The bride and groom looked happy though, which I guess is all that matters. The bride was beautiful! Another interesting experience in Korea!

Tourists

Beth is here this week and we are being complete tourists! It's funny that I live here, yet I've never done some of the most famous touristy things. The first day we went to Seoul Tower and then did some shopping. The second day we went to a souvenier type shopping area, a temple and then to a movie (because it was raining). Today we took a Seoul City Bus Tour and went around to a folk village, market, and a bunch of other cool places. In the afternoon we went to a cafe where fish suck on your feet! Ugh, it's supposed to take all the dead skin off your feet. It was so strange. It tickled! Because this week is Buddah's birthday, there was a lantern parade tonight that was awesome! Tomorrow she gets to go to my church :)

Though I really like Korea, Beth being here has made me look forward to going home at the end of the year. I miss my family :) It's so cool though that she, and my mom and dad in August, get to see a bit of my life here. I'm glad they can see it because pictures and stories don't do Korea justice.