It was the week before Christmas......EEEKKKK ......Week 18!

Monday

The week started off awesomely..... I received a package from Katherine.....and I was so excited. I cried. Haha. Maj loser.

I wasn't expecting anything - as she had slyly asked my mum for my address - so I was really shocked when my coteacher put this huge parcel on my desk. Then I opened it and there was a stocking FULL of my favourite festive goodies....and some new chocolate bars that I hadn't tried.

This will be our first time in five years that we haven't had a Christmas night out together......so it felt good to be reminded of home <3

Wednesday

We had a day of school on Wednesday because of the election..... so we went for a couple of drinks on Tuesday night. I had a bit of a walk around my area - but mainly just chilled in bed and ate English chocolate. Heaven.

Ice Cream cake <3

I had my last volunteering class - so I bought them a tiny present - a Santa hat and a pokemon ball - which they loved!

Friday

This was the night I had been waiting for. My coteachers mentioned that they hadn't eaten Turkey before...... so last month we arranged that they would come over to my house and we would have a Christmas Dinner. So I tidied my house....bought wine...and ordered the food.......
We ordered from the same place that we bought our Thanksgiving meal from.....so I was super excited........ Butttttt - her car broke down - it was snowing - we waited for over 2 hours for the insurance company to come and fix her car - but we realised we couldn't wait any longer.

I promised Turkey......and gave bananas :(

It was sad as I was realllllllllly looking forward to having a Christmas dinner...... but, we still went out for dinner.....and actually ate 2 dinners - first we went for Chicken - and then to a pork restaurant - where I ate the best pork that I have ever eaten. I have never been a huge pork fan - but this was sooooo good. As it does in Korea - the food kept going - so I ended up as stuffed as I would've been after a Christmas dinner!

Saturday

I went to play / feed / look at Alicias cat on Saturday as she was away for the weekend - and she was s cute and tiny. But she kept distracting me - so I was lateeee for the Christmas bar crawl that we had planned. 12 pubs of Christmas :)

As I have mentioned - I am really holding out for payday this month - so the bar crawl mainly consisted of me drinking warm soju out of the bottle - and forcing others to do the same.
Oh and because I was sooo nice and warm last week I decided to wear my onesie again this week......I am going to be so sad when I have to wear real clothes again!
We carried on our tradition of singing - I found a video of us caroling the week before which I will put below! Angelic voices...... haha

Sunday

I woke up a bit hungover - watched Miracle on 34th Street and then went Christmas present shopping.
It is pretty difficult to buy a Christmas present in Korea without looking like you are in love with the person - as all the messages are so sickly sweet. So I just decided to go for it haha!

Oh, Christmas isn't just a day - it's a frame of mind <3

My sister reminded me that today was Christmas Eve Eve - when we were younger I made up a song which went - It's the eve of Christmas Eve, and that's why we call it Christmas Eve Eve -- and yeah it carried on like that. I have always been a Christmas loser!

But seriously TOMORROW IS CHRISTMAS EVEEEE!!!

It feels weird to still be working this close to Christmas - and then I will be back at school on Boxing Day. Now I know that I have worked around Christmas time before....and even on Christmas Day when I was 16 and working in a pub. Butttttt it feels different here.......I think it's because Christmas isn't really celebrated here - so there isn't that buzz of excitment. I only get that when I see my other Western friends - or I'm talking to people back home. I feel like we have done a good job of being festive..... so high five us.

Maybe we have gone into Festive overload - but I love it!

I am super super superrrr excited for our Christmas Day meal!!!

 So Merry Christmas Eve Eve everyone!! Have a gooood one!! <3 <3 <3

Kimchi, Ice Skating and Santa Con..... Week 17

This time of year is Kimchi making time....so on Monday.....one of my coteachers brought everyone a bag of homemade  Kimchi to take home. Free food. Score.

Then on Wednesday one of my other Coteachers invited us round to her house to try her new kimchi. So I had my very first home cooked Korean meal <3 I ate a LOT of food and was sooo full. I went to sleep with a happy tummy!

My coteacher's adorable daughter

On Wednesday I did my volunteering, and the boy was all excited to show me his English test results. He got 60% which he seemed really happy about - it's my last visit next week - So I think I will get him a little Christmas present.

Friday night - a few of us went round to Meabhs and we watched Home Alone.....well I say watched.....it was on - we mainly just drank cheap wine, ate chocolate and talked about The Sims....

 
On Saturday we went Ice Skating - on an outdoor rink. I was really happy when I found out that there was one in Daegu - so we went on the opening day! It was supposed to be 1000 won - 50p for one hour skate rental - but we all got it for free. I'm not sure if it's because we are foreigners or because it was the opening night - but either way....we got it for free. :)

Then downtown for our 'Santa Con' - we met in From B where we were given candy to hand out to people on the street - I put my onesie on - then we walked around Daegu giving out the candy to  people on the streets. Then we went onto the stage in front of the department store and sang Christmas Carols! Then  we hit the bars - and of course I kept requesting Christmas songs.

 It felt so nice to be all dressed up together and making people happy by giving them candy...who doesn't like free food! Whilst walking around with all the Santas I had one of those - I am reallly really happy right now moments - which made me feel all nice and warm inside! Haha! <3

After paying for skiing for my birthday- I am super skint - so I don't have money left to eat out - I am only allowing myself to eat what I have in my freezer and school lunches. So drinking on an empty stomach meant that I was DEFINITELY in the Christmas ermm spirit!!

I feel like I had a very festive weekend - Home Alone, Ice Skating and a night out dressed as Santa. I am getting really excited about how Christmas will play out - it will be my very first Christmas not with my family so it's going to be different - but different can be good :)

One thing that has been annoying this week is my creepy life like dreams. I think my brain associates December and getting excited for Christmas with being in Newcastle - so in my dream world I'm there. I've been to Sinners, mushroom and Koos so far! On Tuesday morning I actually woke up super confused as to where I was. But I guess this makes this song relevant...... I'll be home for Christmas if only in my dreammmmmsssss <3 <3

Christmas parcels, Bus tours and Mina's Birthday..... Week 16!

I didn't have the best start to my Monday morning. I woke up so so so hot......so  I was understandably confused as it is cold cold cold atm!

So it turns out that I had left my underfloor heating on full blast...... so I jumped out of bed to turn it off.....and landed full force on an upwards facing plug.

It hurt....a lot. There was blood. Sucky Monday morning. But at least I was warm :)

I had a really really busy school week last week....my Friday classes were cancelled due to the exams - so my Friday classes were put into any empty slots that I had. We also had to start researching and planning our Winter camp - we will do 10 days at our school (Around the world theme) and three days at a different school (no info on this yet) so yeah - I had no time to nap, stream tv or facebook stalk. Life's tough......haha!

Here are a few of my fave posters that my 3rd graders made about rules in the classroom/library.

A parcel arrived though which filled me with Christmas Joy :D :D
Freddos, caramel Freddos, Christmas cards, Christmas presents (which of course I'm saving for Christmas day) and my favourite part....... A LETTER!!

I seriously LOVE handwritten letters (even if Penny's handwriting is some what questionable haha <3 <3)

The snow starting coming down with a force on Friday.....so I got to leave school early so that I could get home safely....you know the whole 10 mins down the road :)

So of course I turned it into a reason to start a snowball fight with some of my students haha!

Friday night 

Nina the little beauty cooked us all some amazing carrot soup which we ate before walking to our Chilgok night! Our walk included singing 90's songs and Christmas songs to help keep us warm!

Soup, Makeoli and Soju.......Happy Laura <3

Go on, go on Leave me breathless

Saturday 

Our original plan was to go to 'Herb Hillz' to go tree climbing - but yeah the snow put an end to that. So Roger suggested going shooting - which I thought was an awesome idea - but I assumed he knew where it was and would tell everyone - but he didn't. So when I woke up around 11 - we had no plan. Hahaha - we suck!

Pooing adverts are common place on buses......

Next suggestion - DAEGU BUS TOUR!!
We caught the last bus so couldn't get off to explore so basically just traveled around Daegu in a coach....... But i'm glad I went...even if it was just to see Cat nearly wet herself and make inappropriate comments!

Me and Roger had bought some Persimmon wine so we went round to his to drink it before going out for Mina's Birthday meal. Alicia had missed the bus tour by a few minutes so she came to join us.....we played a few drinking games and made our way for food!

We ate at Hauzee......my Carbonara was a bit spicy....but good....and everyone elses food looked awesome. I'm getting a bit on the skint side so had chosen the loser way of picking the cheapest item on the menu haha!

Such a handsome group of guys....... ;)

To make the money go that little bit further, I suggested a place me and Cat had found that was 10k (£5) all you can drink - so off we went. The group got split up at this point - which was a bit sad - but I managed to drink my way through this! My memory gets a little hazy after this.....I remember from B..... we then went to MF.....I remember being a cringe......I then left to go to Jeep (without my phone....or my charger......FAIL) ..... Managed to get my phone back...but left my charger....how annoying!!

Sunday 

 We were supposed to meet up with Matthew for his birthday night out on Sat - but well, things didn't really go to plan......so we went for Brunch. We added some heat pads to Courtneys butt and found our way to the cutest place for Brunch......albeit a little bit later than planned.

I managed to drop my phone and crack the screen. Hahaha. I fail at life sometimes!

 Another week over......and a new oneeeee just begun. Yeah I'm starting to get reallllly into the Christmas spirt (standard).... I have a Santa event coming up next Saturday.....

Christmas always makes me feel a bit nostalgic.... I blame this song....

It always get's me thinking about - What HAVE I done this year?!
Luckily....looking back I feel that I'm in a better place this year than last year....and I've definitely managed to fit in quite a few different things throughout the year.....I see a reflective New Year Blog post coming soon!!

So yeah..... IT'S NEARLY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE......GET EXCITED <3 <3 <3

Wine tunnel tour, Forced Karaoke, Karaoke by choice and getting naked.......all in a School Trip! Week 15

Thursday

So on Thursday I went downtown to pick up my mini oven and met up with Cat as we hadn't seen each other that weekend and we wouldn't be seeing each other this weekend.....as she had her skiing trip (along with nearly everyone in Daegu) ...... and I had my school trip ....

So we went for dinner.......and decided to try somewhere new! A new bar had opened opposite Travellers that was advertising unlimited food and drink for 10,000won (£5).

Pretty decent! I would definitely go again....especially when I can make the most of the all you can drink!

BBQ chicken, kimchi curry and more...

School Trip!!

I arrived at school on Friday all excited.....carrying far too many things for an overnight stay....

After lunch, me and nearly all the other teachers in my school left on two coaches ready for our school trip to begin! I haven't heard of anyone else going on an overnight trip with their whole school before......so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect!

Persimmon wine tunnel tour

First stop - Persimmon wine tunnel tour! This was a converted train tunnel which was really pretty to walk down.....and filled with real cheesy couples....haha when in Korea....right!

So we walked down....tried the wine....(super sweet and went down nicely) and took some touristy photos. We also got a cheese plate with our wine...... which included the cheese slices that are wrapped individually and you put on hamburgers.......! ;)

Next stop - Our hotel. We stopped at the 'K hotel' - we dropped off our bags, had a twenty minute rest then onto the next stop.

Gyeongju Palace

Gyeongju palace - Gorgeous views - my pictures really don't capture just how amazing everything was - everything was reflected in the lake - we took lots of 'English Zone' pictures with Me, Matt and our CoTeachers!

It has started to become a little bit of a joke between me and Matt (the other foreign teacher at my  school) - that our Principal talks to me a lot more than Matt. Haha take our school trip for example - me and Matt were sat next to each other, with the principal in front of us, here are a few of the questions that he asked -
Laura, have you ever been to Gyeongju?
Laura, what did you think?
Are you hungry Laura?

Haha I suggested that maybe he had just forgotten Matts name - but it could also be because I'm cooler.

Getting back to his last question though, yes I was, I was very hungry haha. So we made our way back to the hotel - took some pictures in a meeting room - although I don't think a meeting actually happened? But I could be wrong....!

Hotel food and drinks

Then foooood time!!
Now my phone battery had died by this point - so I don't have any more pictures - but there was a large buffet - with lots of choice - so of course I took a couple of trips up!

There were also bottles of beer and soju on our tables - woo! However......after just one glass of beer......yes one glass- a teacher comes up to us -and announces that me and Matt are going to sing Karaoke........ermmm what?

Haha now I loveeeee how much Koreans love singing.....and I LOVE Norebangs.......but I'm stone cold sober......there are over 100 people here.....that I work with.........are you SHITTING ME?!?!?!?

So yeah....Abba - Dancing queen - that happened!!

Then the drinking REALLY began......drinking games - the principal telling everyone to do shots (I had heard about this happening SO much.....but it had never happened to me yet!)

We generally stayed with our 'English Zone' teachers - but we did try to talk to a couple more people.
This resulted in one of the teachers telling everyone how he had 'met me in a bang bang'
- I have never met this man before in my life. And there had been no banging.

Everyone burst out laughing and asked him to explain - translated it made a bit more sense - He had 'seen' me (not met) when he was at the trampoline (bong bong - I think thats how people/children pronounce trampoline) with his child. Haha.....a bit less creepy!

After Hours

The party in the hotel then ended - we attempted to go to a Norebang in the hotel - but it was pretty expensive - so we headed to a bar instead- played our favourite '3,6,9' - we tried  to play 'Fuzzy Duck' but that didn't work very well - however 'I've never....' went down pretty well!!

Then we ended up in a Norebang for 3 hours!! Haha. We were loving it!!
Started with Shaggy - Angel - 100% - oh yeah!
Me and Matt did some awesome duets also scoring 100% with Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls and Ricky Martin haha! Once it hit 12pm - 1st Dec - I cracked on the Christmas songs - Last Christmas and All I want for Christmas is you <3 <3 <3

The teacher that told everyone we met in a bang bang- then started singing a Korean song about a girl called Laura - and he told me he loved me. <3 <3 haha!

Then after only a few hours sleep, I  actually woke up at 7......ready to get naked with my coteachers!!

My first Jimjibang Experince

A Jimjibang is basically a Korean Spa - usually there are three parts - the female section, the male section and then the mixed section. There are hot pools, massage pools, saunas, steam room, outside hot tubs........ and it's all naked. Yup. FULLY naked. (In the mixed section you wear clothes)

So yeah I woke up after our night out....probably still a little bit tipsy from the night before - which cleared the nerves which I had had last week when I knew we would probably be going to one.

We paid our 6000 won £3 - collected our towels (Korean sized - TEENY WEENY) and made our way to the open changing rooms. I started looking around, unsure what to do - did I get changed here - or later or what?
'Do I just take everything off now?'
'Yes'
Haha so I went for it. Everything off. I was ready first  so just stood wondering where to look for what seemed like eternity before my coteacher told me we would make our way to the pool to pick up our stools and wash buckets.

Then we washed ourselves - whilst sitting - with individual showers. Then we were ready to go!

It was still pretty early so it was mainly full of middle aged women and I was expecting people to look at me - with me being foreign but I actually soon forgot that I was naked - apart from the moment I saw my Vice Principal and I was like ermm hi....haha!

It was pretty cold running to the outside pool area - still with no clothes - but the water was so warm and felt so nice to have the cool air!

Back in my younger years - I wasn't really body shy - then I went to Switzerland - lost quite a bit of weight for a year - then put around half of it back on - and suddenly started to become really body conscious. I started to notice and get annoyed by things that wouldn't have even crossed my mind before the whole Swiss time - being surrounded by people with unhealthy eating issues/body image probably didn't help either...!
But I loved the Jimjibang - my skin felt super super soft - and it was no where near as awkward as I had built it to be in my head!

Saturday

We then went back to the hotel for breakfast - where they served 'Continental style' breakfast - so I managed to get some sausages, mini potato balls, eggs and bread and butter. I don't think that I will ever be able  to eat rice for breakfast - no matter how long I live here for!

Home time. I had a nap. Then went for some drinks with Mina.

Sunday.

I bought a bike and a hair dryer from a Facebook group for people living in Daegu - I met her at 1pm and ended up back at my house at 6.30pm!!!

Haha - first it's around a 2 hour bike ride - then I ended up biking 30 mins in the wrong direction - and had to come back - so that added another hour - then I went shopping for Christmas decorations :)

My route - once I realised I had gone the wrong way and started coming back on myself!!

Just to prove that delivery McDonalds do exist.... I haven't had one yet though!

Happy December everyone <3 <3